Gas spill in the Houston Ship Channel after a collision

The barges were loaded with the reformate gasoline mixture, which empties into the water after Friday's incident near Bayport, Texas, officials said.

"About 25,000 barrels of gasoline mix were loaded onto each barge, and an unknown amount of product was released from the damaged barge," the statement said.

"Air monitoring is done along the shoreline … public safety is the first priority of unified command," he said. "If readings that exceed actionable thresholds are detected, notices will be sent to local emergency operations centers."

The Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health monitors nearby communities.