| Calcasieu River Cleanup |
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LAKE CHARLES, La. - June 26, 2006 -- A temporary Vessel Traffic Service, staffed by Coast Guard personnel and industry stakeholders, is coordinating commercial vessel traffic transiting the ICW. Approximately 20 miles of the Calcasieu Ship Channel remain closed due to the spread of oil from a spill at the CITGO Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex Tuesday. The Coast Guard has established a safety zone in this area and is enforcing it with patrol boats. The safety zone stretches from light 116, north of the Interstate 210 bridge, to light 56, south of Calcasieu "Big" Lake. Prien Lake and Moss Lake also remain closed. For additional information about waterway safety zones please call the Public Information Desk at 337-708-8877 or 8876. An estimated 8,306 barrels of oily water were removed from the river, and another 29,020 barrels were removed from the Indian Marais, as of this morning. Overall response information as of today: * More than 1000 response personnel are working around the clock to safely remove the oil There are 30 vessels in the safety zone and 11 waiting to enter the port, as of this morning. Response personnel continue to monitor the impact to the environment and wildlife. Any boater who comes across an animal affected by the spill should contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-800-213-5540. Members of the public should not attempt to capture the animal under any circumstances, but try and identify it and report its location. CITGO has established a toll-free claims number for the incident. Affected individuals may call 1-800-213-5540 for more information. A separate number has been established for claims related to exterior boat cleaning. That number is 337-708-7177. The cause of the spill remains under investigation. |
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