T/V CHESTNUT HILL; Port Arthur, Texas

Port Arthur, Texas | 1989-Mar-20

Initial Notification: At 0030 on March 14, 1989, the tanker CHESTNUT HILL spilled an estimated 50 barrels of Panamanian crude oil while transferring the product to the Sun Oil Terminal on the Neches River, about seven miles northwest of Port Arthur, Texas. Efforts to contain and recover the oil were unsuccessful and approximately one-quarter mile of marsh and wetlands vegetation were oiled two to five feet back from the water's edge. Over the next few days, approximately 40 barrels of the spilled oil was recovered along the margins of the vegetation and river edge. Further cleanup was halted until additional investigation of the situation might be completed. USCG district 8.