Collision in Houston waterway causes chemical leak, partial shutdown

Part of the Houston Ship Channel, one of the United States' busiest waterways, was shut down Monday after two vessels collided and caused chemical spill, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The crash occurred at Morgan's Point, near the entrance to the ship channel from Galveston Bay, early Monday afternoon, according to a statement released by the Coast Guard.

A Danish flagged Carla Maersk chemical tanker carrying 216,000 barrels of MTBE and a Liberian flagged Conti Paridot bulk carrier with steel on board collided when moving at significant speeds.

MTBE, short for methyl tert-butyl ether, is a fuel additive used to raise the oxygen content of gasoline. It helps to burn gas more completely to reduce harmful emissions. MTBE is flammable and causes dizziness and suffocation.

The Coast Guard said three cargo tanks on Carla Maersk were ruptured, but it is not yet clear how much of the chemical may have spilled. The leak was contained shortly after the collision.

No injuries were reported on either vessel. Investigators believe the crash was largely resulted from the foggy weather. It was raining all day and the visibility was low.

A two-mile section of the Houston Ship Channel, a busy industrial waterway that connects the Gulf of Mexico to the Port of Houston and is home to dozens of refineries and petrochemical plants, is closed until further notice.

Officials were doing air monitoring in the area near Morgan's Point, where around 300 residents have been advised to stay indoors.

The collision was the second in a week in the busy shipping channel. On Thursday, a cargo ship and an oil tanker bumped. No pollution and no injuries were reported in that accident. Endi