CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In wake of Wednesday's barge collision in Galveston, Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi took the opportunity to offer expert insight with a special Oil Spill Training on Thursday.
A dozen students were able to participate by learning how to operate boats out on the water and pull spill booms at the Corpus Christi Marina.
The Oil Spill Response Training Program has been offered at the school for 50 years.
3NEWS caught up with Director Dr. Keith Muhlestein who explained how crucial it is to learn these skills here in Corpus Christi especially.
"Corpus Christi is the largest handling port in the United States and so the National Spill Control is really responsive to that need because the oil and gas industry is always gonna have some kind of release to the environment," Mulestein said. "Our priority of course is health safety, life safety, personnel and of course the citizens in the area. Once we take care of that we can focus on the environment."
On Friday students will learn how to deploy specific booms depending on the type of spill they are encountering all while paying close attention to the wind and currents.
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