Spills
T/b 2514; houston ship channel, bay port, texas
NOAAORR-6705
- issued
- 1989-06-24 00:00Z
- status
- cancelled 1989-07-08 00:00Z
- self-cancels
- 1989-07-08 00:00Z
- authority
- NOAA OR&R
- sea
- Gulf of Mexico
- position
- 29.748, -95.291
- vessel
- TANKER RACHEL B
- source
- incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z
Original warning text
T/B 2514; Houston Ship Channel, Bay Port, Texas. Houston Ship Channel, Bay Port, Texas. 1. At 1820 on June 23, 1989, the empty tanker RACHEL B collided with Coastal Towing tank barge 2514 in Galveston Bay. Both vessels were damaged, with about 5,700 barrels of heavy "slurry" oil spilling from the barge. The collision occurred at the junction of the Houston and Bay Port Ship channels. The oil moved rapidly westward and diversionary booming operations funnelled an estimated 5,600 barrels of the oil into the west end of the Bay Port Ship Basin by mid-day on June 24. Vacuum equipment was staged at the southwest margin of the basin; recovery operations and containment of the damaged barge 2514 were begun in the Basin. The RACHEL B was reported not to be leaking and was allowed to proceed into Houston Harbor for inspection and repairs to her damaged bow and hull. USCG district 8. 2. COMMODITY: SLURRY OIL. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RELEASE: 239000 GALLONS. 3. POSITION 29.748N 095.291W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 6705: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/6705
This area · spills & pollution incidents
482 within 180 nm since 1973 · 12 in the last 12 months · 1 in force now
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- Intermittent oil sheen; flower garden banks national marine sanctuary, bright bank2026-08-25
- Release of aluminum phosphide in M/V thorco liva; port arthur, texas2026-07-28
- Mystery oiled shoreline at holly beach; cameron parish, louisiana2026-07-10
- Johnson bayou, la2026-06-17
- 2726 gillespie, crystal beach, tx 77650, USA2026-05-16
- On april 27, 2026, the U.S2026-04-27
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month of issue, all years in the archive
Timeline · 2 messages since 1989-06-24 · closed 1989-07-09
- T/b 2514; houston ship channel, bay port, texas this message1989-06-24 → 1989-07-08
- Barge 2514; houston, tx1989-06-25 → 1989-07-09
joined by proximity
Nearby now · within 120 nm
Nothing else in force within 120 nm.
Worldwide now
8 spills & pollution incidents in force · see all
Spills
Oil and chemical spills, groundings and vessel casualties with a pollution threat: NOAA IncidentNews responses since 1957, and spill-response areas broadcast as navigational warnings. All current spills & pollution incidents →
Not for navigation. This is a re-rendering of an official navigational warning for awareness; mariners must use official NAVAREA broadcasts and their national MSI service.