Tallow spills into Houston Ship Channel
The U.S. Coast Guard said a storage tank near the Houston Ship Channel breached on Tuesday afternoon, causing a spill of about 250,000 gallons of beef tallow.
About 15,000 gallons of the animal fat entered the ship channel via a storm drain.
The Coast Guard said roughly three-quarters of a mile of the most northern portion of the Houston Ship Channel was closed — from City Dock 16 up to the Buffalo Bayou Railroad Bridge. No inbound or outbound traffic was being delayed and no refineries have been impacted, it added.
The damaged tank's owner, Jacob Sterns and Sons, has been notified and is working with the Coast Guard and Texas General Land Office.
Garner Environmental Services has been contracted to conduct cleanups of the fat, which solidified on the surface of the water.
The Coast Guard said that due to the nature of the product, the environmental impact is expected to be minimal. The cause of the incident is being investigated.
