Collision closes Texas waterway

Collision closes Texas waterway    A collision between a towboat pushing two barges and a crude oil tanker closed waterways around Port Arthur, Texas, over the weekend.
   The U.S. Coast Guard estimated that 420,000 gallons of oil was spilled after the towboat Dixie Vengeance and two barges it was pushing collided with the tanker Eagle Otome.
   The accident, which occurred Saturday morning, closed the Sabine Neches Waterway to all vessel traffic along the City of Port Arthur’s riverfront from Intracoastal Waterway mile marker 278 to Mesquite Point.
   Vessels responding to the accident included four contracted vessels that deployed 26,500 feet of boom and 11 skimmers.
   The Coast Guard is conducting a joint investigation with the National Transportation Safety Board.