Resource Center
Texas City Y Oil Spill Response
Learn how NRC, a recent Republic Services acquisition, took action after an oil tank barge collision and resulting oil spill.Byline: BTB Author
October 27, 2016 / Time to read: 5 minThe Challenge
On March 22, 2014, inbound bulk carrier M/V SUMMER WIND collided with oil tank-barge KIRBY 27706 in Galveston Bay, TX in the vicinity of the Houston Ship Channel. At the time of the collision, the M/V MISS SUSAN was towing the oil tank-barges KIRBY 27705 and KIRBY 27706.
As a result of the collision, the number 2 starboard tank of KIRBY 27706 was punctured, discharging approximately 4,000 barrels (168,000 gallons) of intermediate fuel oil (IFO-380) into Galveston Bay. The spill spread to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
In addition to the channel being closed to shipping during the initial days of the spill, strong winds pushed the oil onto the beaches in the Matagorda region.
The Solution
NRC, a recent Republic Services acquisition, was the primary OSRO for the vessel's Plan Holder. They responded quickly due to immediate access to local NRC/ICN assets, including:
- 1,066 personnel
- 165,000+ feet of boom
- 88 response and support vessels
- 10 skimming vessels
The high-volume port required immediate deployment of:
- NRC personnel, boom, skimmers, temporary storage
- NRC Admiral (OSRV)
- NRC Valiant (OSRB)
- Local members of ICN
Throughout the response effort, NRC’s Incident Management Team supported the client’s Spill Management Team in the Command Post.
The Outcome
The response to this event was highly effective in mitigating the recovery of oil and clean-up of impacted areas within four weeks of the incident. The goal was to clean up the spill as quickly as possible, address any concerns from regulatory agencies and local stakeholders and allow the vessel to resume routine operations as quickly as possible. The operation was completed safely with no reported injuries.
