Coast Guard Battles Oil Spill Cleanup, Traffic Demands on Mississippi River

The Coast Guard let vessels pass through a closed section of the Mississippi River at Vicksburg as it evaluates how traffic would affect efforts to remove and clean up oil from a leaking barge, a Guard spokesman said. Chief Petty Officer Paul Roszkowski told The Associated Press that a 16-mile stretch of the river remained technically closed four days after two barges struck a railroad bridge, even though some barges are being allowed to pass.