By CARRIE STAMBAUGH - The Independent
CATLETTSBURG — A tow boat that sank early Thursday morning in the Big Sandy River south of Catlettsburg does not pose a threat to navigation, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Coast Guard officials say they have also contained an oil spill associated with the incident.
Gate City River Transportation owns the vessel Trojan, which they confirmed sank early Thursday in a fleeting area near mile marker 7.
One of the company’s owners, David Smith, of Catlettsburg, spoke with The Independent by telephone Thursday night while in Tennessee en route back to the area. He said he had “no details” about what caused the Trojan to sink. He said it was his understanding the tow sank sometime before 6 a.m.
Smith said the Trojan had not been in operation for more than a year and was tied up on the Kentucky side of the river. Smith said the vessel is approximately 100 feet long and 22 feet wide. He was uncertain of its age.
“We’ve got surveyors on the scene that are assessing the situation and we’ll compile a salvage plan,” he said.
Dustin Fitzgerald, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman with the agency’s District 8 office in New Orleans, confirmed the agency was on the scene and working with the company to contain the spill and salvage the vessel.
“It’s a pretty minor case at this point,” said Fitzgerald. He said 500 gallons of lube oil were reported to have been on the Trojan when it sank.
Only a small amount is believed to have been spilled, creating a “small sheen” on the river, he said. Containment booms and absorbent materials have been placed around the vessel to contain any additional oil that may spill from the Trojan, Fitzgerald said.
Weavertown Environmental Group, an environmental response contractor, is also on scene and is assisting in cleanup efforts.
No one was on board when the Trojan sank and there were no reported injuries.
Gate City River Transportation operates six vessels on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and their tributaries.
CARRIE STAMBAUGH can be reached at cstambaugh@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.
