HOUSTON — The U.S. Coast Guard says it’s unclear when the Houston Ship Channel will fully reopen as crews continue cleaning up chemicals that seeped into one of America’s busiest shipping lanes following a fire at a petrochemical storage facility.

Coast Guard Capt. Rich Howes said Monday that cleanup crews are making headway and that more than 2.5 million gallons of an oily water mixture has been removed.

Part of the ship channel was closed after a fire erupted March 17 at the Intercontinental Terminals Company facility in Deer Park. The fire burned for days and triggered air quality warnings. The closed portion was reopened but only during daylight hours.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says elevated benzene levels were detected over the weekend, but that residents are not in danger.

 

Pilot killed in plane crash ID’ed as Texas man

ALBUQUERQUE — Authorities have identified a Texas man as the pilot who died after his small plane crashed in northwestern New Mexico.

New Mexico State Police told the Albuquerque Journal Monday that 59-year-old Marvin Monroe Casey was found dead at the scene of Sunday’s crash.

Federal Aviation Administration officials say the single-engine Cirrus SR22 was reported missing around 3:15 p.m. Air traffic radar showed it as being 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) south of Farmington.

Police located the wreckage around 4 p.m. between Farmington and Crownpoint.

Police spokesman Dusty Francisco says Casey was the only occupant on board.

Officials say Casey was heading back to his home in Big Springs.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

 

Galveston earmark funds to develop East End Lagoon

GALVESTON — City leaders in Galveston have approved funding to develop the East End Lagoon in an effort to attract more visitors to the nature area.

The Galveston County Daily News reported Monday that developing the 684-acre (276.811-hectare) lagoon has been an ongoing project for at least 10 years. The Galveston City Council on Thursday earmarked up to $50,000 annually, for eight years, to help the city’s park board develop the site.

Documents indicate the Galveston Park Board of Trustees plans to start by building an educational pavilion and an observation pier. Later phases include additional walking trails, an RV park and a paid offshore fishing facility.

The board is seeking a $1.4 million federal grant from money being distributed to aid cleanup from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill off Louisiana.