Cleanup continues after beef fat spill in Ship Channel Leak sends 15,000 gallons of animal fat into Houston Ship Channel

Update: The Ship Channel cleanup continued early Wednesday morning.

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A leak from a storage container sent about 15,000 gallons of animal fat into a section of the Houston Ship Channel, Coast Guard officials.

The tank containing beef tallow began leaking about 3:45 p.m. today. About 250,000 gallons were lost, Coast Guard officials said. The fat that entered the channel got there through a storm drain.

A three-quarters of a mile stretch along the most northern section of the ship channel is closed for the clean-up effort.

However, ship traffic along the channel is not being delayed. Refineries in the area are not impacted, Coast Guard officials said.

The damaged tank is owned by Jacob Sterns and Sons, a California-based agriculture company. Booms are being placed around the spill, officials said.

The environmental impact is expected to be minimal, Coast Guard officials said.

The investigation is continuing into what caused the tank rupture.

mike.glenn@chron.com