The USCG was informed for the oil spill on Sunday, September 8, after an unknown amount of crude oil was discharged from a damaged crude oil barge owned by Savage Inland Marine.
The damaged cargo vessel on the barge had about 321,000 gallons of crude oil. Thus, the amount estimated to have been released and contained in the Jamie Whitten Lock is 117,000 gallons. The USCG informs that the remaining capacity has been removed from the barge.
Taking part in the oil spill response is E3 Environmental, that has been contracted to contain and recover the spill. Also, five vacuum trucks, seven skimmers, over 75 personnel from 11 different federal and state agencies as well as emergency management response contractors are on scene conducting 24-hour oil recovery operations.
The crude oil is contained within the lock and dam, and within the 40 feet of boom placed around the dam.
Involved in the response efforts are
- Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley
- Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Nashville
- Coast Guard National Strike Force
- National Transportation Safety Board
- T&T Salvage
- Savage Inland Marine Services
- Army Corps of Engineers
- Mississippi Environmental Management Agency
- National Response Corporation
- E3 Environmental
- Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health
The Sector Ohio Valley captain of the port closed the waterway from mile marker 410 to mile marker 414 on the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway.
