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Houston Matters

Why Are Incidents at the Port of Houston Rarely Formally Investigated?

Back in March, a barge in Galveston Bay struck a ship and sprung a leak. Nearly 170,000 gallons of oil spilled into the bay. The carrier was being guided by an experienced pilot, Mike Pizzitola. But according to federal court documents and other records obtained by the Houston Chronicle, Pizzitola has been involved in two […]

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Back in March, a barge in Galveston Bay struck a ship and sprung a leak. Nearly 170,000 gallons of oil spilled into the bay. The carrier was being guided by an experienced pilot, Mike Pizzitola. But according to federal court documents and other records obtained by the Houston Chronicle, Pizzitola has been involved in two other Ship Channel accidents.

On this edition of Houston Matters, we talk with Chronicle investigative reporter Lise Olsen about such incidents at the Port of Houston, why they’re rarely investigated, and why pilots are almost never disciplined.

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More on This Story:

Port of Houston incidents rarely investigated formally

NTSB: Coast Guard Could Have Done More to Prevent Galveston Oil Spill

Michael Hagerty

Michael Hagerty

Senior Producer, Houston Matters

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Michael Hagerty is the senior producer for Houston Matters. He's spent more than 20 years in public radio and television and dabbled in minor league baseball, spending four seasons as the public address announcer for the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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