Oil spill causes traffic jam on Mississippi River

The U.S. Coast Guard closed part of the Mississippi River Thursday after a collision between two ships caused oil to leak into the water.    Traffic on a section of the Mississippi River near Paducah, Ky. was brought to a standstill Thursday after an oil spill that resulted from the collision of two ships, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
   The collision damaged at least one barge containing slurry oil, cracking its cargo tank and spilling a maximum estimated 250,000 gallons of the heavy refining byproduct, according to a statement from the Coast Guard.
   The Coast Guard has implemented a safety zone and closed all traffic between mile markers 922 and 939 with the exception of emergency response vessels. The incident and resulting closure caused backup of 15 vessels on the river, six up bound and nine down bound.
   The Coast Guard said it is still investigating the cause of the collision and is working with the barge owner and SWS, an oil spill response organization, to determine the actual volume of oil spilled in the five-mile stretch of discolored water spreading from the site of the incident.