Coast Guard Reopens Arthur Kill

The U.S. Coast Guard issued a Captain of the Port (COTP) order temporarily closing Arthur Kill in the Port of New York/New Jersey between Ward Point and Tufts Point following Friday’s explosion and fire on a barge at an oil terminal on Staten Island. The order was later modified to institute a system of controlled traffic through the waterway. Federal, state and local agencies are continuing to fight the fire, assess the environmental impact, and enforce a safety zone around yesterday’s barge explosion and resulting fuel fire in New York Harbor. The fire is currently under control and has been contained on the pier-side fuel manifold. A Unified Command has been established at Coast Guard Activities New York.