A tugboat and barge traveling on the Mississippi River on Thursday collided with a tugboat and barge which was unloading an oil product. According to a spokesperson for the Coast Guard, about 150-250 gallons of oil leaked into the river just north of the I-10 Mississippi River bridge at Baton Rouge when the connection between the pipeline and the oil storage tanks was broken by the jolt. The accident occurred at approximately 8:40 pm.
Oil containment was set-up by response teams to trap most of the oil, but some of it floated downriver. Crews were expected to work through the night to continue with clean-up efforts.
The Coast Guard said that there was no cause for alarm. To humans, there may not be, but what about animal life? A nest of American Eagles has been spotted in a tree alongside the levee just south of the I-10 bridge. Certainly these eagles are depending on fish from the river to feed their newborns. Any time oil spills, there is need for concern.
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