APRIL 7, 2015
NEW ORLEANS, MISSISSIPPI
The Lower Mississippi River was opened for restricted
traffic between mile marker 160 and 163, as of 10 p.m., Monday.
Coast Guard Sector New Orleans launched two shoreline
assessment teams, Tuesday morning, to identify potential shoreline impacts on
the Mississippi River and any recoverable oil product from the discharge, which
took place yesterday.
A Coast Guard overflight took place from mile marker 165 to
80 to assess any sheen or oil products at 10:15 a.m. Other than a small amount
of sheen near the incident location, no sheen or recoverable oil was observed
during the overflight.
A Coast Guard Station New Orleans 45-foot response boat crew
was deployed to conduct a shoreline assessment starting at mile marker 96 and
moving upriver.
No reports of recoverable product have been received by the
shoreline assessment teams, nor have any facilities on the Lower Mississippi
River reported pollution.
The Coast Guard is actively monitoring the situation of all
three vessels and affected areas down river. The Coast Guard will continue to
evaluate any potential impacts to the environment.
Diving operations to complete an on-scene damage assessment
are pending due to poor visibility.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a
report, Monday evening, that the motor vessel Privocean, a 751-foot bulk
carrier, broke free from its moorings at Ergon St. James Facility and drifted
down river and allided with the 98-foot towing vessel Texas which was moored at
the time.
The Privocean continued to drift down river and also
collided with the 816-foot tank ship Bravo at approximately 4 p.m., Monday.
The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.