Houston ship channel briefly closed due to fuel spill

Houston ship channel briefly closed due to fuel spill    The U.S. Coast Guard reopened the Houston ship channel late Thursday morning after a 12-hour closure due to an fuel spill.
   A one-mile section of the channel was closed by the Coast Guard Wednesday at 11 p.m. The chemical tanker “Ievoli Splendor” was docking at the Vopak Terminal in Deer Park, Texas, when it collided with a moored Kirby Marine barge. One of the tanker’s fuel tanks was damaged during the collision and began leaking fuel. The Coast Guard estimated that about 2,000 gallons of fuel were spilled.
   “The bulk of the oil in this ship channel has been recovered and responders continue to clean the oil along the shoreline and around the ship and dock,” the Coast Guard said.
   The tanker is moored at Jacinto Port Dock 5. The cause of the incident is under investigation, the Coast Guard said.