As a damaged BP rig spills an estimated 20,000 to 40,000 barrels a day into the Gulf of Mexico, barge shipments from Midwest port cities so far remain largely unaffected by the growing spill.
The U.S. Coast Guard has stopped three ocean-going vessels for cleaning since the rig erupted, but barge traffic in the Port of New Orleans is “business as usual,” spokesman Chris Bonura said. There have been no significant delays. Representatives from Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Cenex Harvest States in Winona said they were watching the progress of the spill, but neither company had plans to change operations.
From the Winona Daily News, June 15, 2010