Mississippi Ship Builder Error Causes Fuel Spill Into Pascagoula River

Hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel spilled into a river in Mississippi after a mechanical error at a ship builder.

WLOX-TV reported the fuel spilled into the mouth of the Pascagoula River from a ship at Ingalls Shipbuilding.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality says about 500 gallons of fuel spilled into the water early Saturday afternoon.

The spill occurred on the guided missile destroyer Paul Ignatius which is at Ingalls preparing for commissioning.

Nick Hatten with the environmental quality department said crews worked into Saturday night clean the leak. The site already had the needed equipment. Hatten said a boom was deployed around the ship and was used to skip the fuel, vacuum it, and remove it.

He says there was no danger to the public.