Karmactive TeamOne of the three barges that was carrying about 1,400 tons of Highly Flammable Methanol, got stuck over a dam on the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky on Tuesday. After it hit a solid structure at the entrance to the Portland Canal, the barges somehow managed to break loose from their tugboat.
By Tuesday afternoon, 7 of the 10 barges that broke free had been recovered, and zero injuries had been reported. The remaining three barges, along with the one transporting Highly Flammable methanol, are still stuck against the McAlpine Dam site, and officials are working to remove them.
The incident has pushed officials to reduce traffic on the river, and downriver traffic has been halted. Crews are trying to move the barges, but officials point out that there is currently no evidence of a chemical leak.
Methanol is a form of alcohol that is highly flammable and is also considered an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Methanol is even utilized in several products, such as windscreen washer fluid, gas line antifreeze, and copy machine fluid.
The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the reasons behind the incident and how the barges got loose. Officials will be reassessing the situation overnight as they prepare for somewhat dangerous recovery operation.
- Chemical in U.S. Water: Chloronitramide Identified in 40 Samples Across 10 Cities After 40 Years
- Fashion’s Role in 14 Million Tonnes of Microplastics: Can Heriot-Watt’s Fibre Fragmentation Scale Transform Clothing Industry Standards?
- Worcestershire Cuts 74% CO₂ with £8M RECOFOAM® Footways Made from 97% Recycled Material
- Giraffe Populations Drop 77% Since 1985: USFWS Proposes Endangered Protections Amid U.S. Imports of 40,000 Parts
- E. Coli Outbreak Triggers Wolverine Packing Co.’s Recall of Nearly 170,000 Pounds of Ground Beef Across U.S
