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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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Oil has spilled into the waters surrounding Pelican Island near Galveston, Texas, after a fuel barge hit a bridge leading to the island on Wednesday.
The barge hit the bridge at around 9:50 a.m. on Wednesday morning, The Associated Press reported, which caused a closure of the only road leading to the island. As of Wednesday afternoon, crews assisted by the U.S. Coast Guard, were reportedly working to clean up the spill off Galveston Bay.
Galveston County spokesperson Spencer Lewis told the AP that 6.5 miles of the waterway were shut down because of the spill.
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According to an AP update Wednesday afternoon, the collision occurred when a tugboat backed out of Texas International Terminals, a fuel storage operator next to the bridge, and lost control of two fuel barges it was pushing.
"The current was very bad, and the tide was high. He lost it," David Flores, a bridge superintendent with the Galveston County Navigation District, told The Associated Press.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, although Galveston County Sheriff's Office Major Ray Nolen told the AP that one person on a barge was knocked into the water and quickly rescued.
The barge, which is owned by Martin Petroleum, has a 30,000-gallon capacity, but it's not clear how much leaked into the bay, said Galveston County spokesperson Spencer Lewis. He said about 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometers) of the waterway were shut down because of the spill.
Galveston County Judge Mark Henry said the waterway's temporary closure should not have a big impact on water commerce.
"This area is somewhat isolated," Henry told KTRK. "It's not part of the Intracoastal Waterway and it's not part of the Houston Ship Channel. They have other options around this area."
The Pelican Island Causeway Bridge opened in 1960. It was rated as "Poor" according to the 2023 National Bridge Inventory released last June by the Federal Highway Administration.
The Galveston County Sheriff's Office told KTRK that a large piece of the bridge fell. Pictures broadcast by KTRK showed pieces of concrete on the barge.
Social media reports said that chemicals or fuel were "pouring" into the surrounding waters after the collision. According to photos and videos shared across social media, it appears that the barge caused a collapse of the railway portion of the bridge which appeared to have landed on the vessel.
Newsweek has reached out to the Galveston Office of Emergency Management by email for comment.
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According to the report by KHOU 11, the collision prompted a closure of both lanes of the bridge, which is the only road leading to Pelican Island. It will remain closed until it is deemed safe, the report said.
The collision comes nearly two months after the Dali, a nearly 1,000-foot-long container ship, hit one of the Francis Scott Key Bridge support columns in Baltimore, Maryland, in the early morning hours of March 26, causing the entire structure to snap apart in several places and fall into the river.
Videos showed the Dali losing power and then careening into the bridge, which immediately collapsed. Six workers who were on the bridge at the time of its collapse were killed.
Texas A&M Galveston, which is located on the island, has provided a few updates about the situation.
"Sea Aggie Alert: The Pelican Island Bridge is closed to all traffic at this time due to a barge strike. Electricity has been restored and additional updates will be provided as the situation unfolds. The next scheduled update will be at 12:00," the university posted on X, formerly Twitter.
"Power has been restored to campus. However, the bridge remains out and is closed to all vehicular traffic. The Galveston Campus Incident Command Team has been established, and we are working with city, county, and state officials to determine impacts to campus," the university shared in an update.
Update 5/15/24, 5:30 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 5/15/24 6:16 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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