Barges trapped against Louisville dam may have to remain in place during high water

Two barges among ten that broke loose on the Ohio River at Lousivlle on Tuesday morning remained trapped against the McAlpine Dam structure as of Wednesday afternoon.

In a media briefing on Wednesday, officials said crews were able to remove one of the three barges that were stuck against the dam. 

A spokesman from the salvage company waiting to recover the barges said salvage operations are still in the planning stages. It could take some time because of high river levels and strong current. They will have to wait until the water levels drop on the Ohio River.

Officials confirmed the cargo includes corn and around 1,400 tons of methanol. City and state officials said they can't see any damage on the barge containing methanol so far. 

ORIGINAL STORY:

The McAlpine Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Louisville is closed to water traffic today after at least 10 barges came loose from a tug on Tuesday.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineer posted on Facebook that three barges are pinned against the lower dam, and one is pinned against a Louisville and Indiana railroad bridge pier. The other barges have been recovered since the initial incident.

According to a post by the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, one of those barges is carrying 1,400 tons of methanol and is partially submerged at the dam. The other barges were believed to contain corn and soybeans.

Louisville Metro Emergency Services said there is no evidence of a tank breach or any leaks, as of Tuesday night.

According to the Kentucky EEC, the nearest downstream water intake is in Henderson, Kentucky. 





(Photo: Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet Twitter feed)