MOBILE, Ala. — A crude-oil storage tank leaked approximately 100 to 300 barrels of oil into a drainage ditch at an oil containment farm here today.
The oil in the drainage ditch has been contained. Crews have deployed a containment boom and are working to recover the oil. The oil in the storage container, which holds approximately 300,000 barrels of oil, is currently being transferred to a barge and other storage facilities.
The Alabama Bulk Terminal Company notified Coast Guard Sector Mobile of the leak at approximately 3:30 p.m., shortly after discovering the leak. The oil released was contained in the spill containment area of the oil farm and heavy rain caused an overflow into the drainage ditch.
The Alabama Bulk Terminal Company, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Mobile Police and Fire Departments are onscene, and have setup a Unified Command Post to respond to the incident.
The cause of the leak is under investigation.
Source: USCG Sector Mobile Public Affairs
