VIDEO: One Ship Moved, Houston Channel Remains Partially Closed

zoomThe chemical tanker Carla Maersk and the bulk carrier Conti Peridot off Morgan's Point, Texas, March 10, 2015, The bulk carrier Conti Peridot that collided on the Houston Ship Channel with the chemical tanker Carla Maersk was safely moved from the scene on Tuesday, the Central Texas Coastal Area Committee (CTCAC) informed. The Conti Peridot is being moved to the Port of Houston Authority’s Turning Basin terminal. A 600-foot chemical tanker Carla Maersk carrying Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) and the Conti Peridot, a 623-foot bulk carrier collided on Monday at around 12:40 p.m at Morgan’s Point on the Houston Ship Channel. The collision punctured two of the Carla Maersk’s port cargo tanks resulting in a spill of an unknown quantity of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE). Your browser does not support HTML5 video. A section of the channel, from light 86 to the Fred Hartman Bridge, was closed thereafter. The channel will remain closed until salvage ships retrieve an anchor that broke off a bulk carrier, Reuters cited US Coast Guard as saying on Tuesday. Thirty-six ships, carrying all kinds of cargo, were waiting to get in the channel while 28 waited to get out on Tuesday morning, J.J. Plunkett, port agent for the Houston Pilots told Reuters. The air and water monitoring showed no public health concern at this time and work is continuing throughout the evening to ensure the puncture on the tanker is secured, CTCAC said. Carla Maersk pictured on March 10th, 2015 Responders continue air and water monitoring and a helicopter flyover pinpointed a narrow sheen in the water as a result of the incident. The sheen is said to be about two miles long. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.   Images and Video: USCG