AmericasOperations

Part of Houston Ship Channel closed for clean-up of 1,000-gallon diesel spill

Part of the Houston Ship Channel was shut down for two hours on Tuesday because of a diesel fuel spill from a cement facility.

First reports came in after 7am of a diesel storage tank at the South Central Cement facility overflowing and leaking into Greens Bayou, which is a waterway that feeds into the ship channel.

An estimated 1,000 gallons leaked and the closure of traffic lanes affected three Houston area refineries run by LyondellBasell, Valero Energy Corporation and Petrobras. Kinder Morgan Inc’s massive Galena Park terminal complex was also briefly affected.

US Coast Guard vessels were assisted by private cleaning contractor Garner Environmental in tackling the spill which was contained using a boom.

No injuries were reported from the incident.

The Houston Ship Channel, one of the world’s busiest waterways, is a vital 50-mile connection linking several of the Houston area’s refineries and other port facilities to the Gulf of Mexico though Galveston Bay.

Garner Environmental is a full-service environmental and disaster clean-up company based in Deer Park, Texas.

Donal Scully

With 28 years experience writing and editing for newspapers in the UK and Hong Kong, Donal is now based in California from where he covers the Americas for Splash as well as ensuring the site is loaded through the Western Hemisphere timezone.
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