RSOE EDIS - Situation Update No. 1 : USA - Vehicle Accident

RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service Budapest, Hungary RSOE EDIS ALERTMAIL

Situation Update No. 1 Posted:2010-01-23, 20:00:36 [UTC] Ref.no.: VI-20100123-24673-USA Situation Update No. 1 On 2010-01-24 at 04:51:50 [UTC] Event: Vehicle Accident Location: USA State of Texas Port of Port Arthur Port Arthur Situation: Some 1.5 million liters of crude oil were released into the environment on Sunday after a tanker collided with two other vessels near Port Arthur, Texas. A 245-meter (600-foot) Eagle Atome tank ship, which had lost power for an unknown reason, collided with a towing vessel pushing a barge. "If it turns out it is 400,000 gallons, it is quite a significant spill... The response is going to take some time," the Houston Chronicle quoted Coast Guard Petty Office Renee Aiello as saying. Coast Guard evacuated a 50-block area around the port as the oil contained toxic hydrogen sulfide. Some 1.2 km (4,000 feet) of booms have been deployed to corral the oil slick. Oil skimmers, three boom vessels and several other Coast Guard ships are working at the scene. "There is almost no water flow in the area, so the oil isn't spreading out," Petty Officer Richard Brahm said. Another Coast Guard officer told the TV channel that the spill poses a threat to marsh areas both up- and downstream of the spill. Please DO NOT reply to this message: replies may be treated as errors and result in your subscription being deleted. If you have trouble or other queries, send email to havaria@rsoe.hu RSOE EDIS is operated by the National Association of Radio-Distress Signalling and Infocommunications (RSOE), Budapest, Hungary. Because of the complexity of this system and its dependence on other systems, we cannot be responsible for delays or failures in forwarding or transmission. You're receiving this AlertMail because you subscribed for the service. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Contact: havaria@rsoe.hu