SAVANNAH, GA - Folks along River Street could smell what most assumed was some kind of fuel Sunday afternoon. Many also spotted what looked like streaks of red in the water. The Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Savannah tells us that personnel responded to a fuel spill at the Ocean terminal.
According to the Coast Guard, the motor vessel Liberty (a 625-foot vessell) punctured its hull while departing the facility at 11:30a.m. Sunday. The hull puncture is about one to three inches wide, and the Coast Guard says an estimated 7,000 gallons of red-dyed diesel fuel has leaked into the river. However, officials say there is the potential for a leak of up to 65,000 gallons.
The Coast Guard says a temporary soft patch was placed on the punctured hull, which reduced the amount of fuel spilling out. One tourist told us he saw a Coast Guard helicopter flying over River Street about noontime. The Coast Guard Air Station Savannah says it indeed conducted an over flight to access the environmental impact. The Coast Guard also had personnel on scene all afternoon personnel are on scene coordinating the cleanup efforts and shoreline assessments as well as to investigate the incident.
The Coast Guard also says it has closed the Savannah River around the spill and urges area mariners to use caution and avoid the area if possible.
Savannah fire hazmat teams also responded and were on standby if needed.
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