At 0915 on 23JAN2010, NOAA Emergency Response Division was notified by the NWS Weather Forecast Office (WFO)in Lake Charles, LA of a collision between a crude oil tanker (T/V Eagle Otome) and a barge in Port Arthur, TX. The contents of the barge are not currently known. USCG informed the NOAA SSC that they suspected H2S had been released. The tanker was reported to contain crude oil with a capacity of several hundred thousand barrels. According to local news reports, the collision occurred shortly before 10:00 AM local time. Local law enforcement informed the WFO that noxious fumes were coming from both vessels and that they have initiated evacuations of residents and workers in and around the Port of Port Arthur. The WFO has produced a dilution contour plume footprint using HYSPLIT. The Sabine-Neches Ship Channel and Intracoastal Waterway have been closed. Local Emergency Management will be conducting a helicopter overflight to get photographs and video. Two NOAA SSC’s are en route.

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Note: Documents are posted chronologically and early reports likely contain factual errors. These errors may be corrected in a later report.