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River Traffic Halted By Spill

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The Mississippi River.

About 65 miles of the Mississippi River in Louisiana remains closed because of an oil spill, meaning shipping near the site is at a standstill.

The Coast Guard isn’t allowing any river traffic between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Officials don’t want vessels to spread the oil.

A barge carrying crude oil was struck by a tugboat Saturday afternoon, about 50 miles west of New Orleans, and afterward a light sheen was spotted on the river.

No injuries have been reported.

Water intakes to public drinking supplies have been closed in some areas as a precaution, but officials say the supply is safe. About two dozen vessels are stuck while the spill is cleared.

Major support for WWNO’s local news reporting comes from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Eileen is a news reporter and producer for WWNO. She researches, reports and produces the local daily news items. Eileen relocated to New Orleans in 2008 after working as a writer and producer with the Associated Press in Washington, D.C. for seven years.

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