Escaped barge runs aground

ILWACO, Wash. – A barge containing as much as 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel broke free from a tugboat and ran aground near the North Head lighthouse, north of the mouth of the Columbia River, officials said.

Two environmental cleanup companies had crews and equipment at the scene by early Monday but were unable to deploy containment booms because of high winds and waves, said Sandy Howard, a spokeswoman for the state Ecology Department.

“The weather has been really blowing hard this morning … really battering the barge into the rocks,” Howard said.

As of daybreak, she added, “we have no evidence that any oil has leaked into the environment.”

Coast Guard personnel and crews from national Response Corp. and Marine Spill Response Corp. were at the scene, located near Cape Disappointment State Park in an area rich with wildlife, razor clam beds, waterfowl areas and historic landmarks, Howard said.

Cargo holds of the oil barge Millicoma were empty, but there was some diesel fuel in a double-hulled 5,000-gallon fuel tank, said Gary Faber of Foss Maritime. Howard said it was unclear how much fuel was in the tank.

The Foss-owned tugboat Howard Olsen was pulling two barges across the Columbia River bar when a tow line broke in severe weather Saturday night, and the Millicoma ran aground in a small cove after drifting 3 1/2 miles, according to a joint Ecology Department-Coast Guard news release Sunday.

Faber described the barge as heavily damaged.

The other barge remained attached and was towed to a moorage in Portland.

Cause of the accident was being investigated. No injuries were reported.