Oil Spills on the East River
By Eyewitness News' Anthony Johnson
(New York -WABC, January 7, 2005) — Divers went into the East River Friday morning after a barge ran aground, leaking oil into the water. Eyewitness News reporter Anthony Johnson has the story.
The barge has now been towed to the docks under the Whitestone Bridge, and divers went in the water just after 6:30 a.m. to look at the extent of the damage.
The tugboat hauling that barge ran aground around 7:20 p.m. Thursday near the Hell's Gate Bride.
The 446 foot long barge was carrying 130,000 barrels of home heating oil. It was punctured near the front end of the barge, where it carried 7,000 of those barrels.
The tugboat is owned by a Staten Island transportation company. The captain was tested for drugs and alcohol and Eyewitness News is told those tests came back negative.
The NYPD says it does not believe this is a criminal matter.
The extent of the spill is still to be determined.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/wabc_010704_barge.html
"The tugboat hauling that barge ran aground around 7:20 p.m. Thursday near the Hell's Gate Bride."
Anyone else pinching themselves?