Shelter from the Storm

Oil Spill in the Mississippi River!

At approximately 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 23, '08, a barge crashed into a tanker causing over 419,000 gallons of fuel oil to ooze into the Mississippi River. It's now suspected that the tug that was towing the barge did not have a licensed pilot. By this morning, the oil clinging to the river's surface could be seen for about 97 miles from New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico. The river is currently closed to ships and vessels that are not involved in the massive clean up effort. Ship traffic is backed up, it could be days before the river is opened again, and none of the experts are certain about whether or not there might be any long time environmental effects from the spill.

It was not pleasant waking to the overwhelming smell of oil in the air, Wednesday morning, and the sight of the oil in the river makes me want to weep.


Photographs can be seen here: http://tinyurl.com/oilspillphotos

More on the spill can be read here: http://tinyurl.com/oilspillarticle



Update: Two websites are gone.