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Barge Collision; Wax Lake Spillway, Louisiana

Wax Lake Spillway, Louisiana | 1992-Jan-26

Initial Notification: On January 26, 1992, the tugs De Lasalle and Scaup reported a collision between their respective tows at mile marker (mm) 108 of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICWW). The collision caused a breach in the upper one-third of the #1 port cargo tank of the styrene barge being towed by De Lasalle. The breach in the styrene tank initially released an unknown quantity of styrene into the waterway. When the damaged barge was pushed to the embankment of the ICWW and released by the tug, the damaged tank dropped below the water and released a great deal more of the styrene. The tank was capable of holding 115,000 gallons, but was carrying only about 89,857 gallons. The U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) promptly closed the ICWW from mm 105 to mm 110. Booms were deployed west (downcurrent) of the spill site, and later, to the east of the site to delay any possible incursion into the Wax Lake area. For approximately ten days after the spill, the weather was overcast, with heavy to light rain, temperatures in the mid to low 50s, winds out of the northeast shifting to the north at 10 to 15 knots. This type of weather allowed the polymerization of the product to slow to the point where there was still appreciable styrene monomer on the water after eight or nine days. USCG district 8. Keyword: none.

Incident Details
Products of concern:styrene monomer, inhibited
Total amount at risk of spill: 87,400 gallons
Latitude (approximate): 29° 35.40′ North
Longitude (approximate): 91° 23.40′ West