Hurricane Pollution Recovery Ops Update
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, federal, state, local and industry personnel continue to work together to conduct pollution recovery operations to mitigate further damage to the environment. - Crude oil that remains in the tank is being offloaded into a barge. - Damage to the pipeline resulted from a breach in a hurricane protection levee. The line has been de-pressurized and is no longer leaking. The area has been boomed and crews continue to clean-up pockets of oil using absorbent materials. - One 420,000 gallon capacity removal barge has been filled with oil from the secondary containment pond and has disembarked for the Valero Energy refinery at Krotz Springs. - A 1.26 million gallon capacity removal barge is now being filled. - 502,236 gallons recovered as of Sunday.
Pollution Response in Katrina's Wake
The Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Louisiana are working together with local industries to recover spilled oil and mitigate further environmental damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Coast Guard Sector New Orleans Federal On Scene Coordinator has established a forward operating base in Baton Rouge, La., to coordinate the pollution response efforts. The Murphy Oil Corporation, near Chalmette, estimated 16,000 barrels of oil have been discharged, with the vast majority contained within the existing secondary containment unit located on refinery property. Oil recovery operations are currently on going. During the hurricane, an unknown quantity of oil escaped the secondary containment and affected the surrounding neighborhoods.
Massive Oil Spill Clean Up Underway
Despite initial contentions that there were only two major oil spills in the wake of Katrina, details released by the U.S. Coast Guard indicate that the problem is much larger. According to the USCG, oil pollution containment and recovery operations continue in Southeast Louisiana resulting from the destructive force of Hurricane Katrina. The following information on each spill is current as of 5 p.m., September 15. Bass Enterprises Production Company – Cox Bay, La., near mile marker 35 Mississippi River· The product at the Bass Enterprises Production Company Cox Bay Facility is contained mechanically and naturally and is being recovered and pumped into barges for transport to reclamation facilities.
Post-Hurricane Pollution Recovery Continues
Personnel from the multi-agency unified command here continue to assess, investigate and oversee the cleanup of six major and three medium oil spills caused by damage to facilities after Hurricane Katrina struck southeast Louisiana. Cleanup efforts continue at the following facilities: Chevron Empire Terminal in Buras, La.; Sundown East and Sundown West, both in Potash, La.; Bass Enterprises Production Company Cox Bay facility at mile marker 35 on the Mississippi River; Bass Enterprises Production Company in Pointe a la Hache, La.; Dynegy Venice in Venice, La.; Murphy Oil in Meraux, La.; Shell Pilot Town in Pilottown, La.; and Shell Nairn in Port Sulphur, La.
