Sunken towboat Stephen L. Colby lifted, spill response continue

Response crews commenced lifting operations of the 154-foot sunken towboat from the Mississippi River bank near LeClaire, Iowa, Monday, the USCG said on Tuesday.

Stephen L. Colby salvage crews worked to cradle and dewater the vessel in an effort to remove extra weight while lifting the towboat. Crews dealt with below freezing conditions and long hours throughout response efforts and continue to conduct pollution mitigation through cleanup operations.

Approximately 39,900 gallons of oily-water mixture has been recovered from the river, 89,000 gallons of oily-water mixture recovered from the Stephen L. Colby, and more than 6,800 cubic feet of oily waste has been collected.

Due to an error in calculations from the initial phases of the response, the oily-water mixture collected from the Mississippi River was previously reported as being approximately 61,970 gallons of oily-water mixture.  The correct amount of oily-water mixture collected from the river is approximately 39,900 gallons.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.