LEONARD GRAY

TAFT – A tow of 29 barges being transported down the Mississippi River struck the Dow Marine Dock No. 1 early Monday morning, causing a brief fire but no injuries. Dow spokesman Stanley Dufrene said the plant’s emergency response team was on the scene within minutes of the 3:30 a.m. accident, and the fire was extinguished in eight minutes. The fire itself was caused when a short section of a transfer line containing propylene was cut during the collision. “It almost went out by itself,” Dufrene added. A barge carrying propylene was also struck in the collision and knocked loose from its moorings, but nothing leaked from the barge into the river. Altogether, there were 28 coal and one grain barge being moved, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. They belong to M/G Transport, and were en route to Plaquemines Parish. Propylene, Dufrene said, is a flammable material used in paints, coatings, plastics and other products. The plant immediately notified the parish’s Emergency Operations Center and also notified the Louisiana State Police’s hazardous materials team, the parish Waterworks Department, the state Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Coast Guard. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Patrick Montgomery said the exact cause of the incident remains under investigation. One of the coal barges sunk, its bow and wing tanks flooded, Montgomery added, but poses no navigation problems. Dufrene added the full extent of damages to the dock and the propylene barge is still being determined. Dufrene said no propylene entered the river from the damaged line. An all-clear was given at 4:45 a.m., according to the EOC. “All safety equipment and emergency systems located on the dock facility worked as designed,” Dufrene added.