Monday, May 18, 2015

April 17, 2015, diesel spill near confluence of Mississippi and Missouri Rivers

Blogmaster's note - This post is a month after this incident, which was reported regionally for about two days after the event. We recently read an account of the spill from Mike Clark of Big Muddy Adventures that was so compelling we wanted to make sure it was available on the web for those attempting to research this incident. It gives a very personal, powerful account of the downstream effects of the spill which were not reported in the media. Jump to his report here.

Some reporting -

Background - 
On April 17, 2015, the Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery reported a 25,000 gallon diesel spill (later estimates state 30,000) from a ruptured underwater pipeline in Cahokia Canal, near Wood River, IL, which flows into the Mississippi River just upstream of its confluence with the Missouri. The leak was stopped and US Coast Guard crews and contractors attempted to contain the spill in Cahokia Creek. It was not completely contained, as Mike Clark's account below shows.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Coast Guard seeks Missouri River user comments on navigation

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River is conducting a Waterways Analysis Management System (WAMS) study of the Missouri River between January 8th and April 8th, 2015.

The Missouri River study includes the navigable waters from Sioux City, Iowa to St. Louis, Mo. and specifically targets the navigation channel, marking of the navigation channel, and commerce.
The study will include looking at waterborne commerce and safe commercial and recreational navigation with a focus on the existing aids to navigation in Missouri River system. The studies are conducted periodically to better understand the user's needs and facilitate safe and effective waterways.

Click here for the pdf User Survey, which must be submitted by April 10, 2015.

Any interested company or individual wishing to provide recommendations on existing or additional aids to navigation in this area, participate in a user survey, or receive further information should contact Sector Upper Mississippi River Waterways Management by April 10th, 2015. Waterways Management can be reached at SUMRWaterways@uscg.mil or by calling 319-520-8556.

Some of the aspects addressed by WAMS are:
•           Are all the aids necessary?
•           Should aids be added, changed or removed?
•           Is the right aid being used for the job?
•           Are the aids marked in a correct and visible manner?
•           Are these aids being used properly by both the Coast Guard and the waterway users?

Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River will hold a public listening session from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on FEBRUARY 25, 2015 to present, and receive feedback on the Missouri River Waterways Analysis and Management System (WAMS) study. 

The listening session will be held at the Jerry Litton Visitor Center, located at Smithville Lake, 16311 DD Hwy, Smithville, MO 64089.

Additionally, any interested company or individual wishing to submit comments on existing or additional aids to navigation in this area, participate in a user survey, or receive further information can do so via the user survey available HERE. The completed questionnaire must be submitted no later than April 10, 2015 and may be emailed to sumrwaterways@uscg.mil or faxed to 314-269-2742, ATTN: Waterways Management.

It is the intent of Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River to collect comments and materials from this listening session, along with navigation surveys, and other information to establish and preserve the reasonable needs of navigation on this river. For more information, please contact Sector Upper Mississippi River Waterways Waterways Management at SUMRWaterways@uscg.mil