Tank Barge DBL 152 Incident, Gulf of Mexico Offshore Sabine Pass, TX

Location: Sabine Pass, TX

Summary: In November 2005, the T/B DBL 152 struck the submerged remains of an oil platform that collapsed during Hurricane Rita approximately 35 miles offshore of Sabine Pass, TX. The hull was damaged and four days later the disabled barge capsized releasing significant amounts of heavy ?slurry? oil, which sank to the bottom. Cardno ENTRIX staff assumed leadership roles in the ICS Environmental Unit, working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA and Texas General Land Office. Significant efforts included collecting water column, sediment and benthic samples; locating and tracking the movement of submerged oil using a variety of innovative methods, and providing planning support for submerged oil recovery operations using divers. Cardno ENTRIX also performed long-term monitoring to document the fate and transport of submerged oil for a period of 14 months after the incident. Ongoing efforts to date involve working cooperatively with the federal trustee (NOAA) to development and implement the NRDA injury assessment and restoration frameworks.