Cleanup efforts continue after oil spill at Port of Galveston, officials say

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) — Crews from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Texas General Land Office have been working around the clock to clean up an oil spill in a portion of the Galveston Ship Channel.

A Coast Guard Spokesperson said the agency was notified just before 10 p.m. on Tuesday when a vessel crashed into Pier 32 and oil was discharged.

That prompted a shutdown between the Golf Copper Shipyard and Pelican Bridge Island, closing it off to vessels, freighter traffic, and cruise ships.

A spokesperson for the Port of Galveston stated that one cruise ship had to relocate to a different terminal.

Jackie Hubbard, who helps manage the Ocean Star Museum, says that the terminal is farther away from her business, and because of the switch, she saw fewer customers.

“When they close down the ports, right over there, where everything is, is where the carnival cruise ships come in, so when they close all that down, they can’t come in over here, so that slows down our traffic. A lot of our business comes from cruise ships coming in,” Jackie Hubbard said.

That stretch of the ship channel is now open again, but the Coast Guard has imposed restrictions on it. All vessels must stay at least 200 feet from Pier 32 and maintain a safe speed to avoid interfering with cleanup efforts.

While progress has been made, the agency hasn’t disclosed the amount of oil spilled or the cause of the vessel hitting the pier.

In the meantime, people like Hubbard simply want things to return to normal.

“I’m hoping they can get it cleaned up and taken care of soon,” Hubbard said.

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