Stuck Barge Carrying Flammable Coal Oil

About 1,100 students of the Sto-Rox School District were evacuated by police because of one of the barges stuck at the train bridge near Neville Island is carrying flammable coal tar oil with the chemical benzene.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Alanna McGovern says the current on the Ohio River broke some of the wires connecting the barges to a towing vessel this morning. "the current then took the four barges down to the back channel of Neville Island when they came to rest on the railroad bridge."

Of the three other barges that broke loose this morning, one carrying steel coils sank, another carrying coal passed by and an empty barge is also stuck.

McGovern says that the barge has a double hull and does not appear to have been breached. She says that the coast Guard is working with the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety to free the barges.

Runaway Barges on Ohio Get Stuck

The Fleming Park Bridge in Neville Township is closed to vehicular traffic in both directions between Route 51 and Neville Road because runaway barges that became stuck at a nearby railroad bridge.
Four barges broke away from a tow boat early this morning on the Ohio River as they were preparing to enter the Emsworth Lock. The barges then became caught up on a CSX Railroad Bridge between Neville Island and Stowe Township.
Officials on site told the Post-Gazette that one of the barges contained benzene and because of potential danger the nearby Fleming Park Bridge was closed. However, the Coast Guard says there are no signs of damage to any of the barges nor the railroad bridge.

Barge Drifts Down Ohio; No Injuries

A barge broke free of its moorings and drifted about a quarter mile on the Ohio River yesterday afternoon before grounding itself on the shore.

Coast Guard Lieutenant Ben Chamberlain says none of the lubricant oil aboard spilled into the river and nobody was on board to be hurt in the incident.

Lt. Chamberlain says the Coast Guard is investigating why the barge broke free, but in the meantime it’s grounded “hard and fast” to the riverbank.

“It is structurally sound, and it is safe. We sent investigators on scene yesterday and we have investigators again on scene today to make sure that it was not, in fact, damaged,” says Chamberlain. “So at this point it is safe, but we are looking at the best ways, and we are working with members of industry to figure out the best way to get it off its grounded state right now.”

The lieutenant says it will probably be just a few days or less before the Coast Guard determines how to safely free up the barge.

Reduced Funding for the Allegheny

The President's 2012 budget provides $76 million for the Army Corps of Engineers low use navigation projects -- last year it was $140 million. In the Pittsburgh region that reduction will hit the Allegheny River System the hardest, cutting funding from $8 million to $4 million. Army Corps spokesman Jeff Hawk says that's because the Allegheny is such a small player when it comes to commercial traffic, "One facility at Emsworth, which is the first lock on the Ohio River, locks approximately ten times as much cargo through its chambers each year than does the entire Allegheny River system." On average, the Allegheny contributes about 2.5 of the 630 million tons of cargo that travel the nation's inland waterways. Because of the funding cuts, the Army Corps is considering how to reduce service on the Allegheny; one option is to provide full service on Locks 2 and 4 with no recreational traffic lockages available at Locks 5-9. The other option is to reduce shifts and limit operating hours at the first three locks and provide limited recreational service at Locks 5-7, while Locks 8 and 9 would only serve commercial vessels by appointment. Hawk says recreational users will feel the brunt of the funding cuts, but he notes that the river system has plenty of benefits that never factor into the funding equation, "these pools are used for water supply for sanitary treatment and for drinking and hydro-power, they provide a stable pool for riverfront development, and they provide a sustained aquatic environment." Hawk says the rivers belong to the public and it's important they have a voice in what the river system looks like in the future.

The Army Corps will hold two public information sessions on the Allegheny River System:
February 22 at O'Hara Elementary School at 6 p.m. and February 24 at the West Kittanning Fire Department at 7 p.m.

Public Can Vote for River of the Year

For the 28th annual selection of the Pennsylvania River of the Year, the Department of Conservation of Natural Resources has opened nomination’s and voting up to the public. There are six waterways nominated for 2011’s selection; the Conewango Creek, Clarion River, Pine Creek, Delaware River, Kiskiminetas River, and Stonycreek River. Christina Novak, a spokeswoman for the Department of Conservation for Natural Resources, says the first year of public voting should help garner more attention.



“We decided to open the selection process to a public vote because it helps us highlight the many great rivers that we do have in Pennsylvania,” Novak says, “It’s also a way for us to rally community support for their important natural assets.”



Those interested can vote now through Monday, Jan. 3 at the DCNR website.

Winning waterways are celebrated by their local communities organizing activities throughout the year including an extended paddling trip known as a sojourn. According to Novak, the sojourn does many things for the river and the canoeists, kayakers and others who enjoy it.



“[The sojourn] raises awareness of the various value of rivers including environmental, recreational, tourism, and also sort of the heritage connection,” Novak says.



2010’s River of the Year was the Lackawaxen River which flows for 25 miles in Eastern Pennsylvania before emptying into the Delaware River on the state’s border.



“It’s important to have citizens and the general public understand that our rivers are valuable to us and that’s why it’s important for us to protect them,” Novak says.

River Water Advisories to Begin

The Allegheny County Health Department will start issuing river water advisories for the 2010 river recreation season beginning today and running through September 30th.

They will indicate whether water quality in rivers is normal or if a combined sewer overflow (CSO) alert has been issued. The alerts are issued when heavy rainfall causes sewers carrying a combination of sewage and storm water to overflow and contaminate rivers and streams.

Those with weakened immune systems or open cuts or sores should avoid the water at those times.

Updates are available by calling the river advisory hotline at 412 687 ACHD, by subscribing to text message or twitter alerts, by visiting www.achd.net or by looking out for orange colored flags with black CSO lettering. They fly at marinas and docks and on the Allegheny, Monongahela, Ohio and Youghiogheny Rivers.