AUTHORITIES OFF LOAD FLAMMABLE LIQUID FROM DAMAGED BARGE

Operations were scheduled to get under way Thursday evening at Cape Girardeau to empty a damaged barge carrying petroleum naphtha, a highly flammable liquid.

But authorities said the leaking barge posed no immediate fire or pollution threat.

A spokesman for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety Office (MSO) in Paducah, Ky., said the barge was part of a northbound three-barge-unit tow on the Mississippi River being pushed by the towboat Poseidon.

Paducah MSO executive officer, Lt. Commander Craig Bone, said preliminary reports indicate the barge was damaged when it apparently struck an underwater rock dike that extends out from the Illinois shore, across from the Cape Girardeau riverfront.

Bone said the mishap was reported to the Coast Guard at St. Louis at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.

He said the accident occurred at Mile 52 on the upper Mississippi River in front of the Themis Street floodgate.

"The Poseidon and its unit tow was en route to Wood River, Ill., and had pulled over to the Illinois side of the river to meet another towboat and barge tow that was southbound at Cape Girardeau," said Bone. "Apparently, the lead barge of the Poseidon's barge tow got in too close and struck the underwater portion of the rock wing dike on its port side.

"The collision punched two holes in two of the barge's cargo tanks, allowing about 6,000 gallons of naphtha to leak into the river."

After the collision, Bone said the Poseidon moved the unit tow across the river, where it pulled in along the riverbank, just north of the Cape Girardeau Sand Company docks, at Mile 53.

Bone said representatives from the Paducah MSO arrived at the scene late Wednesday night to survey the damaged barge and determine the amount of the naphtha leaking into the river.

"Based on our survey, the barge is losing about 150 gallons of naphtha per hour," Bone said. "The product is leaking from two holes in the two cargo tanks. The holes are located about nine feet under the water. Our survey crews have been monitoring the situation since late Wednesday night, and have found no trace of naphtha in the water 50 yards downstream from the damaged barge. At that distance, it has pretty well dissipated."

Bone said the leak is "not overwhelming," and explained that the naphtha leaking from the barge eventually reaches the surface of the water and evaporates.

He said the owner of the Poseidon, Sabine Towing Co. of Houston, Texas; and Shell Oil Company hired Heritage Remediation Services of St. Louis to handle the cleanup. The company placed absorbent booms around the entire length of the barge tow to soak up the leaking naphtha that rises to the surface.

Bone said a diver was scheduled to arrive at the scene late Thursday afternoon to determine the extent of the damage to the barge. He said two empty petroleum barges were en route to Cape Girardeau. They were expected to arrive sometime Thursday evening.

"As soon as the empty barges arrive ... operations will begin," Bone said. "First, the rest of the product in the two damaged cargo tanks will be pumped out. After that's done, the product in the other eight undamaged cargo tanks will be pumped out."

Bone said it should take about two days to complete the entire off-loading operation. While the work is going on, Coast Guard officers from the Paducah MSO will stand by to monitor the operation.

Bone said the Cape Girardeau Fire Department was notified of the situation. Acting Fire Chief Max Jauch met with Coast Guard and barge company officials on board the Poseidon Thursday morning.

"It looks like they have the situation well under control," said Jauch. "The damaged barge is located well away from any population area, and does not pose any threat to people on the shore."

Bone said the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has determined the leaking naphtha does not threaten any environmentally sensitive area downstream from the leaking barge.

Bone complimented Sabine Towing and Shell Oil Company officials for taking charge of the scene and their quick action to handle the spill.

Naphtha is a colorless liquid, similar to gasoline and kerosene. It is used in cleaning preparations as an industrial solvent, and as a raw material for making various chemicals.