Damaged barge near Galveston leaking sulfuric acid
A tank barge that grounded in the Chocolate Bayou near Galveston, Texas, Monday night is leaking some sulfuric acid.
At the time of the grounding, the Coast Guard said the barge was transporting 425,000 gallons of sulfuric acid.
The barge was moved about a quarter mile to more open waters to “make removal of its cargo easier,” the Coast Guard said. About 126,000 gallons of the cargo were offloaded from the barge onto a smaller barge for transfer and storage at a facility.
The tank barge “MGM3030” and the cargo are owned by Martin Product Sales.
The Coast Guard noted the acid leak Wednesday afternoon. “The direction and density of the acid plume is being tracked through the use of water samples,” the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard said it has established a safety zone for Chocolate Bayou near Peterson Landing. No injuries were reported. Agency investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the grounding.