Barge that ran aground did not leak fuel: Cuomo

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - A gasoline barge that was freed after it ran aground in foggy weather on the Hudson River arrived Wednesday at the Port of Albany.

The Coast Guard said the barge was refloated with the tide Tuesday night. It continued its journey northward and arrived in Albany at around 7 a.m.

The barge was transporting 66,000 barrels of gasoline when it got stuck along the river's west bank near Catskill, 30 miles south of Albany.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said none of the 2.5 million gallons of gasoline leaked when the barge left the shipping channel and ran aground around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The barge, owned by Staten Island-based Reinauer Transportation Companies, was being pushed by a tugboat along the river. 

The Coast Guard said in a news release that the "barge's tanks were not punctured in the incident."

Coast Guard crews, including investigators and pollution-response teams, went to the scene along with state and local agencies.

Cuomo also visited the area. He ordered a state investigation.

"The Hudson River is a critical piece of the Empire State, both environmentally and economically, and we are launching a full-scale response to ensure this incident does not threaten it," Cuomo said in a statement. "The full resources of several state agencies including the Departments of Environmental Conservation and Health have been deployed to not only ensure a quick and thorough response, but to launch a full investigation into what caused the barge to run aground in the first place."

Authorities created a safety zone around the barge and have warned other ships in the area.

Reinauer Transportation Companies brought a recovery barge alongside the stuck barge to remove the gasoline, the governor's office said.

With the Associated Press