Noaa/oma was notified of the incident at 0805 on july 3, 1989 by mso new orleans, and requested to review…

Original warning text

Abandoned Barges; Empire, Louisiana.
Empire, Louisiana.
1. NOAA/OMA was notified of the incident at 0805 on July 3, 1989 by MSO New Orleans, and requested to review the circumstances of the case and provide recommendations on how to proceed with cleanup and management of the abandoned vessels. On-site, the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) observed two badly corroded barges lying nearly end-to-end, leaking an unknown oily substance into the waters of the channel. Some boom had been deployed around portions of the barges and numerous vessels of lengths up to 35 feet, in various stages of maintenance or disrepair surrounded the barge hulls. Because the barges were unattended and threatened by local high water runoff and local vessel traffic, the SSC recommended immediate efforts to double boom and isolate the barges. Security measures were suggested to prevent tampering and further damage to the barges until the material within could be [...]
2. COMMODITY: OIL. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RELEASE: 500000 GALLONS.
3. POSITION 29.481N 089.692W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 6707: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/6707