Lake Charles Port All But Shuts Down - KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana

June 23, 2006
Reported by Vince Atkinson  

Tuesday's Citgo oil spill sent between 15,000 and 18,000 barrels of oil into the Calcasieu Ship Channel. The cause of the spill remains under investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard says about 45,000 barrels of oil have been removed from the river. Friday afternoon the Coast Guard closed Prien Lake, Calcasieu Lake and Moss Lake.  The Calcasieu Ship Channel is also closed and so is the Intracoastal Waterway one mile either side of the Calcasieu Ship Channel.

It is obvious that area boaters will be feeling the effects of the oil spill this weekend. Unfortunately, they are not the only ones. Workers, as well as officials at the Port of Lake Charles, have their hands full. According to port authorities, many shipping companies have already started diverting cargo to other ports because of the spill. Lake Charles Port Director Adam McBride said, "This is a vital waterway to our nation."

The Citgo oil spill has all but stopped work at the Port of Lake Charles. While loose ends are being tied up at the port, shipments are still being kept at bay by the spill. The oil spill has now shut down the Intracoastal waterway. McBride said, "It connects the whole coast. You can go from Corpus Christi all the way through to Florida on the Intracoastal Waterway. Now it is closed."

Some ships are literally trapped at the Port of Lake Charles. McBride said, "I think we need a much higher level of attention, and we need it yesterday." Vital shipments that would normally be bound for destinations all over the United States remain dock side. McBride said, "Why is the 12th largest waterway, and one of the most important energy channels in the nation going to remain closed for a week or longer? We can not allow this."

Lake Charles port officials say that the little work that is still going on at the port will soon be drying up unless the shipping lanes are reopened very soon. U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu's office contacted 7 News Friday evening, according to one of her aids, the Senator is pressing the Coast Guard for answers on how to speed up the cleanup process.