Five mile span of Mississippi River closed after collision

According to media reports and an official report from the Coast Guard on Friday, the Mississippi River has been shut down for approximately five miles around mile marker 139--50 miles north of New Orleans, Louisiana--due to the collision of a construction barge and a tanker barge. The impacted cargo tank reportedly was holding 3,535 barrels--or approximately 148,470 gallons--of crude oil.  The actual amount of oil spilled into the lower Mississippi River has not yet been determined, but is estimated to be substantially less than the total of the tank's contents. In response, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port New Orleans, Capt. Pete Gautier, has closed a section of the lower Mississippi River to all traffic from mile marker 135 to mile marker 140 near LaPlace, Louisiana.