0-6807-WP White Paper: Economic Impact to Barge Operators and Shippers of Closing the GIWW TxDOT Project 0-6807, Texas Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Master Plan PUBLISHED: March 2016 TO: Kevin Pete, Project Manager Research and Technology Implementation Office, TxDOT COPY TO: Sylvia Medina, Research and Technology Implementation Office, TxDOT Justin Malnar, Research Development Office, TTI Erlinda Olivarez, Research Development Office, TTI FROM: Jim Kruse, Research Supervisor FOR MORE INFORMATION: Name: Jim Kruse Phone: 713-613-9210 Email:
[email protected] 1 WHITE PAPER Task Purpose This task analyzed the effect that the March 22, 2014, collision and oil spill in the Houston Ship Channel had on Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) barge shipments. Because the incident is so recent, the scope of the analysis was somewhat constrained due to data availability. This task report discusses the following topics: The events of March 22, 2014, and the following days. The effect of the incident on barge traffic flows. Transit delays for shipments already on the water and the cost of those delays. Shipments that were postponed because of the channel closure. Decontamination requirements. Background—The Incident At 12:35 p.m. on March 22, 2014, a collision occurred in the Houston Ship Channel just inside the junction known as the Texas City “Y.” This is an extremely busy intersection of various shipping lanes, both deep sea and shallow draft. Figure 1 shows the location of the accident, as well as the routing for the various ship channels and the GIWW in that area. 2 Figure 1. Map of Ship Channels in Vicinity of Oil Spill.