The stern section of the barge DM 932 is raised from the Mississippi River in New Orleans Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008. The bow section, raised August 9, can be seen in the foreground on the work barge awaiting the stern. Skimming crews were nearby to remove the oil that the barge sections released when they were raised.

The barge DM 932 was involved in a vessel collision July 23 and a portion of its oil cargo spilled into the Mississippi River.

(US Coast Guard photo/PA3 Stephen Lehmann)

In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, workers weld padeyes on to the damaged barge DM 932 that rests against the Crescent City Connection Bridge in the Mississippi River near downtown New Orleans July 31, 2008.

The padeyes are being put into place to facilitate the lift of the barge out of the water during salvage operations.

(U.S. Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Jaclyn Young)

Oil spill cleanup crews work to collect fuel oil using absorbent materials along the bank of the Mississippi River Sunday. A tanker vessel and a fuel barge collided Wednesday causing nearly 420,000 gallons of fuel to spill in the river. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jaclyn Young) 

Oil spill cleanup crews work to collect fuel oil using absorbent materials along the bank of the Mississippi River Sunday. The Unified Command is working diligently on the cleanup efforts in order to reopen the river as soon as possible. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jaclyn Young) 

Coast Guard crewmembers aboard a 41-foot utility boat from Station New Orleans conduct cleanup operations on the Mississippi River Sunday. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jaclyn Young) 

Rear Adm. Joel Whitehead, Eighth Coast Guard District commander, speaks with Rep. Cameron Henry about oil spill cleanup operations on the Mississippi River Sunday. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class David Schuhlein) 

 U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise speaks with Capt. Lincoln Stohl, Sector New Orleans Commander, about the cleanup operations on the Mississippi River Sunday. A tanker vessel and a fuel barge collided Wednesday causing nearly 420,000 gallons of oil to be spilled in the river. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class David Schuhlein)

Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class David Whitlock sights oiled wildlife during shoreline cleanup and assessment operations along the Mississippi River near Belle Chasse, La., Sunday. Tom MacKenzie, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, works with the Coast Guard’s teams to track and capture oiled wildlife. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam C. Baylor) 

 Unified Command shoreline and assessment team members document the location of oiled wildlife at mile marker 74 along the Mississippi River near Belle Chasse, La., Sunday. The efforts are to document the impact of the oil spill on the environment. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam C. Baylor)