NATION : Barge Carrying Waste for Exxon Ruptures on River in Louisiana
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BAYOU SORRELL, La. — A barge carrying waste material for the Exxon Chemical Co. ruptured as it was being unloaded today, spilling up to 400,000 gallons of water mixed with lesser amounts of alcohol and oil into the Grand River, state police said.
The barge owned by Palmer Barge Co. was carrying the waste for the subsidiary of Exxon Corp. when a tank in the barge buckled, releasing “300,000 to 400,000 gallons of combustible material,” said Lt. Ronnie Jones of the state police.
Jones said the company immediately placed booms in the river to contain the spill and sent cleanup crews from New Orleans to the swampy site, about 70 miles west of the city. “The material is about 90% water, so it’s going to dissipate,” he said. “We believe the majority has been contained.”
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