Tugboats carrying 4,850 gallons of diesel, oil sink into Illinois River over weekend

About 4,850 gallons of diesel fuel and oil spilled into the Illinois River near Hardin, Coast Guard officials said Sunday.

Three tugboats and a deck barge that were tied together, holding the oil and fuel sank into the river on Sunday at mile marker 21. It was first reported to the Coast Guard that the boats might be sinking on Friday.

Coast Guard officials have assessed roughly 11 miles of the river and are working with the tugboat company to contain, remove and prevent the fuel from moving downstream. Efforts to prevent serious environmental damage is also underway.

Devices called “booms” have been implemented to contain as much as the oil and diesel as possible. The booms work to guide the substances into an area where it can be absorbed and removed. The booms were placed around the boats.

An excavation crew is planned to arrive later this week to attempt to remove the tugboats from the river, Fox 2 News reported Sunday. As of Monday, the tugboat vents from which the fuel leaked are believed to have been shut off by a team of divers, the release stated.

Coast Guard spokesman Ian Ross told Fox 2 the spill was contained to an isolated area as of Monday. He said the incident was “unfortunate,” but noted the Coast Guard was “extremely happy” no one was injured.

“We’re extremely happy no one was injured. Our role out here as the Coast Guard is to ensure the safety of our responders, ensure the safety of the public and were making sure that no future damage to the environment occurs,” he said.

The sinking of the three tugboats is expected to cause “major” marine casualties and is currently under investigation.

Major marine casualties are declared when a non-public vessel results in the loss of six or more lives; the loss of mechanically propelled vessel of 100 or more gross tones, property damaged estimated a $2 million or more or a serious threat to life, property or the environment by hazardous materials.

The spill is not being considered a hazard to people who live near it, according to the Coast Guard. An official with the Calhoun County Health Department said the office was monitoring the situation.

“While ensuring responder safety is always paramount, minimizing any potential environmental impact is a clear goal of the salvage effort,” said Capt. Scott Stoermer, commander of Sector Upper Mississippi River. “I am encouraged by the committed effort of the vessels’ owner.”

The Illinois River feeds into the Mississippi River roughly 20 miles downriver at Grafton.

This story was originally published July 8, 2019 at 9:55 AM.