Barge Discharges Heavy Fuel Oil into Intercoastal Waterway; Franklin, LA

Franklin, LA 70538, USA | 2023-Oct-06

Initial Notification: On October 6, 2023, the NOAA SSC was notified of an incident that occurred on 28 Sept 2023 from the barge Blessy Marine WEB 275. Approximately 5bbl (210 gallons) of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) was spilled into the Intercoastal Waterway due to a misaligned valve during transfer to the Orion Engineered Carbons facility in Franklin, LA. A tailgate test confirmed the non-floating nature of this oil with current conditions. An initial assessment of the floor of the waterway indicates the presence of sunken oil. The USCG requested information related to fate/trajectory and a resources at risk assessment.