Texas City oil spill clean-up expected to last until mid-January

TEXAS CITY - City emergency management officials expect an oil spill that spread along Moses Bayou last week to be cleaned up by Jan. 15 and said it wouldn’t affect drinking water of wells.

Contractors by Tuesday had collected about 261 barrels of oil using temporary floating barriers called containment booms, and expect to collect many more, Joe Tumbleson, Energy Manager, said.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department workers also are searching for wildlife affected by the spill, officials said.

So far two birds coated in oil have been found dead, according to the agency.

On Dec. 26, the Texas General Land Office contacted Texas City about oil in Drainage Ditch No. 6, which city officials traced back to Sawtooth Inc., an oil and gas company, Tumbleson said.

A large tank overflowed at Sawtooth Inc., 5420 Century Blvd., causing the spill, Tumbleson said.

Energy Management contained the spill just outside the Bayou Gulf Course, 2800 Ted Dudley Drive, just before the entrance to Moses Lake and the wildlife area, Tumbleson said.

No one answered the phone Tuesday at the number for Sawtooth provided by the city.

Tumbleson warned residents to avoid contact with the water in the affected area.

“There was some concern from several residents that have wells,” Tumbleson said. “Working in conjunction with the General Land Office, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Railroad Commission, we all agree that there’s absolutely no way that oil could get down into the drinking wells.

“And it hasn’t affected any surface water that goes to our local water authority. So there’s no concern with our drinking water either surface or well.”

Officials have placed bird-hazing devices that discourage wildlife from entering the contaminated waters along the bayou.

People with concerns about the oil spill or wanting to report injured wildlife can call Sawtooth Inc. at 713-465-4944, according to a city notice.