Barge in Nanticoke River Refloated

The barge that ran aground last Wednesday in the mouth of the Nanticoke River was refloated Thursday evening after a successful lightering operation. The double-hulled barge carrying 420,000 gallons of black oil was able to continue its voyage up the Nanticoke River after about a 1/3 of its cargo was lightered off the vessel reducing its weight allowing tugs to pull it free. There are no injuries or pollution as a result of the grounding. At about 7 a.m. Wednesday, a crewmember aboard the tug Gold Coast notified the Coast Guard that the barge ran aground while transiting up the river towards Seaford, Del. The decision to lighter the vessel was made after two attempts to pull it free from the mud failed. The tug and barge are moored up at the Vienna Power Plant, located in Vienna, Md., and will undergo an inspection today to ensure the integrity of the hull prior to being released.