Early the evening of January 4, approximately 250,000 gallons of beef fat spilled out of a shore-based storage tank and 15,000 gallons of the fat found its way into the Houston Ship Channel through a storm drain.
The fat, or tallow, as it’s called in industrial circles, is rendered-down slaughterhouse waste destined to be used in soaps, pharmaceuticals, and even as a lubricant in the steel rolling industry. On contact with water, it apparently thickens to form the creamy yellow “patties” (that’s the technical term) you see in the photo above.
Coast Guard to the rescue! Read the rest of the story here.