A visible sheen was noticeable along the Mississippi River on the first day of French Quarter Festival after a ship collided with a pier near the Nashville St. Wharf.
"The vessel leaked diesel fuel into the water," said Petty Officer Third Class Brand Giles of the United States Coast Guard. It was unknown how much fuel had been spilled if the leak had been contained. River traffic has been shut down in the area, leaving the Creole Queen and Natchez steamboats idle dockside. The RTA also shut down ferry service between Algiers and Canal Street.
