Limited Boat Traffic Allowed On Mississippi As Oil Spill Cleanup Continues

July 25, 2008 5:53 p.m. EST

New Orleans, LA (AHN) - Coast Guard officials gave approval for limited ship traffic to resume on the Mississippi River Friday after crews, aided by swift currents and bends in the river, managed to clean up some of the oil spilled near New Orleans on Wednesday.

Oil spilled from a barge that was split open during a collision with a tanker initially covered about 90 percent of the surface of a 98-mile stretch of the river in the vicinity of the spill, forcing officials to close the river to boat traffic.

The barge leaked about 419,000 gallons into the Mississippi and crews have recovered about 11,000 gallons.

Because the river isn't fully open, ship traffic is reportedly being allowed to move based on economic priority of the cargo being carried. Officials estimate it will take several days to clear the 200 ships waiting, which must first be decontaminated before being allowed to move.

The barge, owned by American Commercial Lines Inc., sank under one of the bridge spans carrying U.S. 90 over the Mississippi. It won't be raised until sometime next week. The barge collided with a Liberian-flagged tanker.