NASH Barge Incident; Baton Rouge, LA

Baton Rouge, LA | 2004-Apr-28

Initial Notification: On Wednesday, 28 April 2004, NOAA was notified of a hydrogen sulfide release from a barge located in a fleeting area near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At that time, the identified problem, i.e., the failure of two gaskets, was repaired and no subsequent emissions were observed. During assessment activities, it was discovered that the product was "off-spec" and the barge was not certified for such a product. The NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) worked with USCG Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge to address concerns related to the stability of the barge product and plans to off-load the product to prevent subsequent releases that might threaten local communities. Off-loading of the cargo began at approximately 0914 hrs on 10 June after several small delays during final configuration of the modified scrubber. The NOAA SSC was on-scene to assist the USCG in operational oversight and air monitoring coordination.