Barges collide on Mississippi River, spilling oil; Coast Guard says leak contained The USA Times

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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Barges collide on Mississippi River, spilling oil; Coast Guard says leak contained

LAPLACE, La. - The U.S. Coast Guard says an oil tanker collided with another barge on the Mississippi River, spilling oil and leading officials to close a five-mile (8-kilometre) stretch of the busy shipping and industrial corridor.

The section of river is lined by refineries, chemical plants and the Port of South Louisiana, which handles much of the grain exported from farms in the U.S. heartland.

Officials say the collision happened around before dawn Friday about 50 miles (80 kilometres) upriver from New Orleans. The wreck tore a gash into the double-hulled tank of the tanker barge.

Chief Petty Officer John Edwards says neither vessel sank and no one was hurt. He says the leak has been contained, and the Coast Guard is trying to determine how much oil spilled.