The US Coast Guard is responding to a crude oil spill in Tabbs Bay near Baytown, Texas, where for the time being the causes of the incident remain unknown and the authorities closely monitor the situation.
Specifically, Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a report concerning a crude oil discharge in Tabbs Bay through an oil wellhead.
Therefore, personnel from Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston Incident Management Division and Texas General Land Office arrived to the scene.
According to estimation, 630 gallons of diesel fuel has been spilled at the area, and the authorities managed to secure the release and contain the spill. About 200-feet of boom has been deployed.
For the time being, the USCG is investigating the cause of the oil spill and continue monitoring the recovery efforts.
Overall, oil spill poses a great threat to the marine environment and its species, as it can spread for hundreds of nautical miles polluting coastlines, killing marine life and affecting local economies. More importantly, a spill may take weeks, months or even years to clean up.
Consequently, the USCG published a final rule to increase limits of liability for vessels under OPA 90, which came into effect on 12 November 2019.