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Port Of Texas City News

16 Apr 2019

This Day in History: Texas City Disaster

On 16 April 1947, in the port of Texas City, Texas, the freighter GRANDCAMP, with a cargo of ammonium nitrate, small arms ammunition, machinery, and sisal twine, caught fire. The fire quickly spread to the nearby freighter HIGH FLYER, loaded with ammonium nitrate and sulfur. When the two ships exploded, it largely flattened the harbor area. It is estimated that over 600 people died in the explosion and fires (exact numbers were unattainable due to the extent of damage). The US Coast Guard investigation of the casualty determined that the fire was initiated by unauthorized smoking in the cargo hold of the GRANDCAMP. It recommended, among other things, that regulations for carriage of dangerous goods be revised.(Source: Bryant's Maritime Newsletter)

28 Aug 2017

Port of Texas City Expects to Resume Service after Assessment

The Port of Texas City said on Saturday it expects to reopen within 24 to 48 hours after completing an assessment for damages after Tropical Storm Harvey made landfall as a category 4 hurricane.   The port was closed on Friday for maritime operations. Vessels are still not allowed to move in and out of the navigation channel while flood gates are in place. The rail yard experienced some "washing," port authorities said. (Reporting by Ruthy Munoz; Editing by Paul Simao)

12 Sep 2016

Marathon Galveston Bay Contractor Feared Drowned

A contractor was feared drowned after falling into the Port of Texas City, Texas, when scaffolding supporting him collapsed at the Marathon Petroleum Corp Galveston Bay refinery dock, a Texas City official said. "Divers are en route to do a body recovery," Derek Duckett, director of emergency management for Texas City, said on Monday. Part of the scaffolding fell at about 11:30 a.m. CDT (1630 GMT) Monday and the worker has not been seen since, Duckett said. "I heard part of the scaffolding fell and he was tied to it," Duckett said. An investigation will be needed to determine what happened, he said. The Texas City Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard searched for the man before the divers were called out, Duckett said.

29 May 2014

Texas City Y Collision: Formal Casualty Hearing Notified

The US Coast Guard informs that in conjunction with the National Transportation Safety Board, it will begin a formal hearing at the Galveston County Criminal Justice Center Monday, June 2, 2014 at 1 p.m. On March 22, 2014, the Summer Wind was en route to the Port of Houston when it collided with a barge owned by Kirby Inland Marine, which was being towed by the tugboat Miss Susan and was headed from the Port of Texas City to the Intracoastal Waterway along the Bolivar Peninsula. The vessels collided near the tip of the Texas City Dike, in an area known as the Texas City Y, resulting in the spillage from the barge of 168,000 gallons of fuel oil into the water.

24 Mar 2014

Latest Texas City 'Y' Incident News: Port of Houston Remains Closed

File photo CCL

The Port of Houston remains closed as the Unified Command continues to assess the situation with oil in the channel to determine when vessel traffic can resume, advises the US Coast Guard. There are 46 outbound vessels and 47 inbound vessels in the queue for transit in the Port of Houston. The Port of Texas City has 5 inbound and 3 outbound vessels in the queue awaiting transit. Once the channel has been determined safe to navigate, and transiting vessels will not spread oil contaminants, a prioritization list will be established to determine the entry order of vessels.

22 Oct 2009

Ship Operator Pleads Guilty, Concealing Pollution

A Panamanian company that operated a 40,000-ton oil tanker ship that regularly made calls in multiple ports in Texas pleaded guilty Oct. 21 in federal court in Houston for deliberately concealing pollution discharges from the ship directly into the sea, the Justice Department announced. Styga Compania Naviera S.A., the operator of the M/T Georgios M, pleaded guilty to three felony violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships for failing to properly maintain an oil record book as required by federal and international law. According to a plea agreement filed with U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the company has agreed to pay a $1m criminal fine along with a $250…

25 Jan 2008

Port Workers Begin Enrollment for TWIC

TSA reported that port workers, longshoremen, truckers and others employed at the Port of Green Bay, the Port of Pittsburgh and Port of Texas City recently began to enroll in the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program. Nationwide, more than 1 million workers with unescorted access to secure areas will apply for TWIC during the rest of 2008. TSA said that there are 54 ports are currently enrolling people through the program, which began on Oct. 16, 2007. Ultimately, established fixed enrollment centers will be in place at 147 ports along with mobile enrollment centers at dozens of other locations as needed. Certain port workers are able to pre-enroll for TWIC online or at the Coast Guard's Homeport site.

29 Sep 2005

Hurricane Rita Waterways Update

The U.S. Coast Guard issued a Press Release updating the status of waterways affected by Hurricane Rita. The port of Freeport is open for all vessel traffic. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is open to tug and barge traffic between the Colorado Locks and the Calcasieu Locks. The port of Galveston and the Galveston Channel are restricted to vessels with drafts of 35 feet or less and daylight transits only. The port of Texas City and the Texas City Channel are restricted to vessels with drafts of 35 feet or less and daylight transits only. Barbours Cut is restricted to vessels with drafts of 35 feet or less and daylight transits only. Bayport and the Bayport Channel are restricted to vessels with drafts of 35 feet or less and daylight transits only.