Fwd: [plots-gulfcoast] Fwd: update on Houston oil spill

[Scott Eustis]

Update on the oil spill in the Houston Ship Channel, from Galveston Baykeeper

Gulf Monitoring Consortium reports that satellite data have been limited by fog and clouds

does anyone know any public lab member with a kite kit in the houston area?

Thisi s a 100k gallon spill of heavy bunker fule, 12 miles out into the Gulf. 

scott

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Steve Murchie <st...@healthygulf.org>
Date: Mon, Mar 24, 2014 at 1:20 PM
Subject: update on Houston oil spill
To: GRN Staff <st...@healthygulf.org>

I just spoke with Sharon Stewart who's on the board of Galveston Baykeeper and Galveston Bay Foundation.  She met with Jayeesha and me last week when we were in Houston, and attended the salon there.

According to Sharon, Galveston Bay Foundation is the place to send any volunteers who what to help respond to the spill.  GBF has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Coast Guard and Texas Land Office to coordinate volunteers.

Kirby Corp. is "doing everything they should" according to Sharon.  They have "hired every cleanup company from Cameron to Corpus Christie" and are following their contingency plan. 

Volunteers would primarily be helping to monitor their area, to alert the professionals about where cleanup was needed, wildlife was in distress, etc.

The accident happened at a very critical spot.  Oil has gotten out into the channel and been spotted as far as 12 miles out.

The spill was of "Bunker C" marine fuel.  It is "dirty, nasty, volatile" stuff, high in sulfur and thick.  It gives off benzene and "other bad stuff."  The barge has been offloaded of its remaining fuel.

Steve Murchie

Campaign Director
Gulf Restoration Network
(504) 525-1528 ext 207

(941) 441-7035 mobile

www.healthygulf.org

--

Scott Eustis, M.S.
Coastal Wetland Specialist
Gulf Restoration Network

504 237 0323
504-525-1528 x212
sc...@healthygulf.org
www.healthygulf.org

541 Julia St, Suite 300

New Orleans, LA, 70130 

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Scott Eustis
504 484 9599

 
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[Scott Eustis]

background on Kirby Corp. barge spill of 150k+ gallons into the Houston Ship Channel and the Gulf.

As a reminder, our GMC allies at skytruth are currently fog-blind, and are requesting some local mapping.  skytrouth has some info on the serious shipping backup that is in progress in the region. 

I know shannon is on break, and PL staff are on spring break, but if anyone knows any houston area kite mapper, please put them in touch with me, or if you are in the houston area, please email me at 

sc...@healthygulf.org

scott

http://blog.skytruth.org/

News Release

Date: March 24, 2014

Texas City

Contact: Joint Information Center

Office: (713) 435-1505

Update 4: Texas City “Y” incident response

10:15 a.m.

TEXAS CITY, Texas — Cleanup continues in response to an oil spill in the Houston Ship Channel that resulted in the release of approximately 168,000 gallons of bunker fuel oil.

The Unified Command is working closely with the Vessel Traffic Service, paired with assessments of the Houston Ship Channel, to determine when partial vessel traffic can resume. This could include re-opening the Bolivar Ferry to alleviate impact to the Bolivar residents.

As of 6 a.m., there are 43 outbound vessels and 38 inbound vessels in the queue for transit. Once the channel has been determined safe to navigate and will not spread oil contaminants, a prioritization list will be established to determine the entry order of vessels.

More than 69,000 feet of containment boom has now been deployed on waters surrounding the incident site and along sensitive shorelines in the area.  An additional 192,500 feet of boom has been staged for possible deployment and another 20,680 feet has been ordered.

Changing currents, winds and weather conditions have necessitated response officials to further extend containment and oil recovery plans into the Gulf of Mexico and south along Galveston Island.

Approximately 27 response vessels are actively working to skim and recover oil with more than 380 personnel actively on-scene and another 200 responding in the incident command post.

As of Monday morning there have been three confirmed captured and three deceased birds. Experts from U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Texas Parks and Wildlife are responding with stabilization trailers, and are staged along the Texas City Dike and the Bolivar Peninsula. The public is reminded to refrain from capturing any potentially affected wildlife and is urged to contact Wildlife Response Service at 1-888-384-2000.

Air monitoring continues throughout the general area, although readings have consistently shown no reason for health concerns.

The Coast Guard investigation into the incident is ongoing.

For further information or media inquires contact the Joint Information Center in Texas City at (713)-435-1505.

For claims, call (855) 276-1275.

- See more at: http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/2127702/Update-4-Texas-City-Y-incident-response#sthash.jdiNQ8gy.dpuf