Port of Houston terminal remains closed

The Barbours Cut terminal is closed for the second consecutive day following a ship collision that caused a chemical spill on Monday.    The Port of Houston said its Barbours Cut Container Terminal will not be open for business operations at 7:00 a.m., but that normal business operations continue at all other Port of Houston Authority terminals, including the Bayport Container Terminal.
   The terminal closure follows the collision on Monday between the Carla Maersk, a 600-foot chemical tanker, and the Conti Peridot, a 623-foot bulk carrier, which resulted in a puncture to three of the tanker’s port tanks.
   The chemical tanker was carrying approximately 216,000 barrels of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) prior to the collision and an unknown quantity spilled.
   Coast Guard Captain of the port ordered the Houston Ship Channel closed between light 86 and Morgan’s Point. The Conti Peridot was moved to the turning basin and the Coast Guard said the Carla Maersk may be moved today.
   The cause of the collision is currently under investigation.