A ship and barge collided in the Houston Ship Channel near the Texas City Dike on March 22, causing almost 170,000 gallons of bunker fuel to leak into Galveston Bay.

Ship traffic was stalled in and out of the channel in the days following the accident, ferry service was halted and cleanup crews were dispatched.

A 585-foot bulk carrier, the Summer Wind, struck a barge full of bunker fuel. One of the barge’s six tanks ruptured in the collision, causing the oil to leak.

Tar balls were washing up as far as 200 miles away from the spill site in Mustang Island State Park near Corpus Christi.

If you’re an individual or business affected by the oil spill, contact the Texas oil spill attorneys at Maintenance and Cure today to learn your legal options.