Coast Guard cleaning up 3,800-gallon oil spill in Corpus Christi Bay

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (KXAN) — The U.S. Coast Guard is working to clean up approximately 3,800 gallons of light crude oil in Corpus Christi Bay.

The spill was reported around 11 p.m. Saturday near the Flint Hills Ingleside facility in the La Quinta Channel, according to the USCG. That’s when watchstanders sent Coast Guard pollution responders to the area to assess the spill.

Responders arrived on the scene and estimated up to 3,800 gallons of oil spilled into the water from a cracked pipe. The pipeline was cracked in multiple places, the USCG said. Responders saw a sheen that was about 300 by 200 yards.

Responders from Miller Environmental Services deployed over 1,500 feet of boom to contain and absorb the oil.

Currently, the La Quinta Channel is closed for cleanups. A safety zone was established in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel into La Quinta Channel, the USCG said.

So far, there are no reports of impact on wildlife, but there have been shoreline impacts on the Spoil Islands. Environmental assessments are still ongoing, the USCG said.