Gary Hutchison News

A barge carrying about 1 million gallons of liquid asphalt ran aground early this morning on the James River near the end of Willis Road in southern Chesterfield County, according to a report in the Richmond Times Dispatch. Authorities said the barge was being pushed up river by a tugboat. It ran aground between 4 and 4:30 a.m. One of eight tanks holding about 120,000 gallons of heated asphalt ruptured, spilling the material into the river, said Henrico County fire Lt. Gary Hutchison. U.S. Coast Guard officials estimated that 8,400 gallons of asphalt leaked from the barge. Firefighters and hazardous materials crews from Chesterfield and Henrico counties, as well as a private cleanup contractor, were working to contain the spill with booming material.