Neches River Closed After Oil Spill

A section of the Neches River and part of the port of Beaumont in the U.S. were closed on Saturday after a pipeline at the Jefferson Energy Terminal released an estimated 880 gallons of Eagle Ford crude oil in the river.

The source of the leak has since been secured, however the Neches ship channel is closed to all vessel traffic and a Coast Guard safety zone has been established from the Kansas City Southern Railroad Bridge to just below the Enterprise docks and navigation light 46. 

The U.S. Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office and Jefferson Energy, operating in a Unified Command structure, are working to contain and clean up the spilled oil.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality along with the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health are conducting air monitoring to ensure the safety of response personnel and the public.