What’s the Effect of the Oil Spill on Galveston Bay?

On Saturday, a barge in Galveston Bay struck a ship and sprung a leak. While the barge was carrying a million gallons of marine fuel oil, officials believe just one tank was breached, which would suggest no more than 168,000 gallons spilled into the bay. As crews skimmed oil from the water, and containment booms were deployed, the Houston ship channel was closed between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula.

The spill occurs on the anniversary of another: 25 years ago, on March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez struck a reef off the coast of Alaska, and caused what was – at the time – the largest U.S. oil spill in history.

We discuss this weekend’s spill, and its impact on industry, tourism, and wildlife along the Ship Channel and Galveston Bay. We also talk about the history of Gulf Coast oil spills, and remember the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska.

More:Â Â The State of the Gulf of Mexico: Can We RESTORE It? State of the Gulf of Mexico Summit 2014

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