Breakaway Barge Leaks Biodiesel At New Orleans

The U.S. Coast Guard responded to a barge breakaway in New Orleans March 25 near Mile 93 on the east bank of the Lower Mississippi River.

According to the Coast Guard, the mv. Dixie Express and two loaded tank barges were moored near the approach to the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock that morning. Shortly before 6 a.m., Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report that a passing vessel’s wake had caused one of the red-flag barges to break away from the Dixie Express.

The barge then struck a nearby wharf, resulting in a puncture and the discharge of nearly 10,000 gallons of biodiesel, according to the Coast Guard. The maximum potential release was 21,150 gallons of biodiesel.

OMI Environmental Solutions deployed boom and applied absorbent pads in response to the leak. The Coast Guards reported no injuries and no waterway restrictions as a result of the incident.