Cleanup of the worst Texas oil tanker accident in two decades could behampered by a storm heading to the Gulf Coast later in the week.Approximately 462,000 gallons of crude oil leaked into the Sabine-NechesWaterway near Port Arthur, Texas, on Saturday, according to a report by TheAssociated Press.
Mostly clear skies will dominate Port Arthur area Monday and Tuesday with highsin the low 60s. Some clouds will arrive Wednesday, but the region should remaindry.
However, Thursday is likely to bring some rain into the region, andtemperatures will drop into the 40s by Friday.
The Eagle Otome, an 800-foot tanker, ran into a towing ship pushing two barges.
Cleanup efforts have been underway since the accident, including a net-likefence encompassing the spill area.
"Because of where it happened, we were able to get teams out there quickly toat least contain it for now," Chief Warrant Officer Lionel Bryant of the CoastGuard told the AP. "But it's still a tremendously large spill."As of Monday afternoon, roughly 220,000 gallons of the spill had been clearedaway.
Nearby wildlife areas, including Keith Lake and the Murphree WildlifeManagement Area, have not been affected.
In 1990, Norwegian tanker Mega Borg dumped 4.3 million gallons of crude oilinto the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Galveston, the worst oil spill inTexas over the last 20 years.
Story by AccuWeather.com's Jon Auciello
