Barge Shipments To Minn., Wis. Unaffected By Oil Spill

Maritime officials say barge shipments from Midwestern port cities, including Winona and La Crosse, Wis., have, so far, been unaffected by the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But, light sheens and beached oil from the growing spill is expected to reach the southern tip of the Mississippi River by Wednesday.The U.S. Coast Guard has stopped three ocean-going vessels for cleaning since the spill, but spokesman Chris Bonura says barge traffic in the Port of New Orleans currently remains normal. Judy Bodway of the Port Authority of Winona says corn and soybeans are sent to New Orleans, where the crops are transferred to ocean ships for international trade. The Winona Daily News reports the Winona port ships and receives about 2 million tons of product every year.