Tank barge Buffalo 292: A unified response

Buffalo 292 was a 275-foot bunker barge loaded with 17,000 barrels of IFO 380. On March 18, 1996, Buffalo 292 was heading southbound along the Houston Ship Channel. High winds, rough seas, and the barge's loading condition caused the barge to buckle and spill 3000 barrels of product into Galveston Bay. Operational success was linked to the training and experience of the responding agencies, local government assistance, rapid assessment team operations, and the dedicated efforts of the planning section. Responding agencies demonstrated that a unified response is the only way to cope with an environmental disaster of this magnitude.