Gretna authorities say the drinking water is safe, despite a ship collision late Tuesday night on the Mississippi River that caused oil to be spilled in the water.
Gretna police inspected the city’s water intake system Tuesday night and said the water supply hadn’t been contaminated, according to Deputy Chief Anthony Christiana. Our news partners at FOX 8 also said Gretna’s water intake was closed immediately after the spill.
There’s “absolutely no concern for water supply as Jefferson Water supply is up river,” Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts posted on his Facebook page. “Gretna water supply (is) further down – the intake was closed and enough stored water (exists) to prevent an issue.”
The Coast Guard said the crash happened when the Maltese-flagged vessel Flag Gangos lost power and steering near mile marker 97.4 on the lower Mississippi River. The Flag Gangos collided around 11 p.m. with the Liberian-flagged vessel Pamisos and the barge Web 235, which were both moored at the International Matex tank terminals.
“The crew of the towing vessel Capt. Shawn D. Martinez was transferring number six fuel oil from the barge when the barge broke free causing some oil to be discharged into the river from the transfer hose,” the Coast Guard statement said. “The hose was shut off immediately following the incident.”
Boom has been deployed in the area to contain the oil. A Coast Guard representative at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday said it’s too early to know how much oil spilled, and investigators will be gathering information throughout the day.
No injuries were reported, but the Coast Guard said the Pamisos and the barge were both damaged. The Coast Guard said it is investigating the cause of the incident.
The Flag Gangos is still anchored in the river. The ship is carrying grain, according to Jefferson Parish councilman Chris Roberts.
According to the Coast Guard, marine traffic restriction is restricted to one lane in each direction between mile markers 96 and 98 near the International Matex tank terminals in Gretna.