Oil spill near Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge prompts federal cleanup response

By
Bluebonnet News
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Containment booms stretch across the water near the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge as part of ongoing efforts to prevent thick oil sludge from spreading into sensitive wetland areas.

An oil spill near the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge in Liberty has triggered an urgent environmental response, with cleanup crews from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently on site working to contain and remove the oil.

According to Refuge Manager Dean Bossert, the spill occurred on the west end of Liberty, near Ohio Street, just a short distance from the Trinity River. The affected area borders a section of the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, raising concerns about potential environmental damage to a protected wetland and natural habitat.

Cleanup efforts began Sunday morning, May 11, with crews promptly deploying booms to contain the spread of oil before starting the skimming process to remove the thick layer from the water’s surface.

Bossert described the situation as serious.

“You know how you get that rainbow sheen from oil on water? That’s minimal. This is a lot of sludge, a thick layer of oil,” he said, indicating the spill is significantly more severe than a typical surface sheen.

Containment booms stretch across the water near the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge as part of ongoing efforts to prevent thick oil sludge from spreading into sensitive wetland areas.

Efforts are focused on preventing the oil from reaching the Refuge and the Trinity River, both of which are ecologically sensitive areas.

A lot of effort is being expended to limit the environmental impact, Bossert said.

At this time, the cleanup continues and its long-term environmental impact remains under assessment.

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Before creating Bluebonnet News in 2018, Vanesa Brashier was a community editor for the Houston Chronicle/Houston Community Newspapers. During part of her 12 years at the newspapers, she was assigned as the digital editor and managing editor for the Humble Observer, Kingwood Observer, East Montgomery County Observer and the Lake Houston Observer, and the editor of the Dayton News, Cleveland Advocate and Eastex Advocate. Over the years, she has earned more than two dozen writing awards, including Journalist of the Year.

8 COMMENTS

  2. Everything in the article except where all the oil came from. Really? And if you don’t know, just say authorities don’t know.

  4. 50 barrels, the link says! Must be very tricky to pull that off! Had to be a big truck and more than one person. The oil should be tested.

  6. “Mystery” my ass! This is Liberty County, the land of “mystery”. Heads should roll and bank accounts investigated.

    • Somebody should look into the enviro deal Liberty County made with MPG while at it…what a steal no “cradle to grave” ownership of anything nor envi impact issues in the future etc.

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