Louisiana State Police News

The U.S. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge received notifications about the haze at 9 a.m. The Coast Guard, in conjunction with several first responders including local parish fire departments, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and Louisiana State Police, responded. Air monitoring was conducted, both on and off the river, throughout the response. Air monitoring showed no measurable levels of chemicals in the air and the mysterious haze was not located. The initial source or cause of the reported haze remains unknown. There is no danger to waterways or the surrounding communities and the Lower Mississippi River has been reopened to all traffic.

Lightering operations completed, flaring operations continue on the pipeline fire. The Coast Guard & assisting agencies continue response operations for a tug and barge that struck the pipeline near Bayou Perot. After the barge was removed from the scene and taken to a secure location, offloading operations were conducted and completed at approximately 3 p.m. Friday. The crude oil from the barge has been offloaded into a separate barge. At no time was any pollution observed coming from it. As the residual liquid petroleum gas in the pipeline dwindles, the flaring operations will continue. Flaring operations use flares which are devices that burn or oxidize industrial gaseous wastes in what the Coast Guard describes as a safe, controlled and efficient manner.

The U.S. Coast Guard continues to work with the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office LOSCO, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources LDNR, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality LDEQ, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries LAWLF, the Louisiana State Police LSP, and Jefferson Parish Emergency Services to minimize environmental damage resulting from an allision between a tow vessel and a wellhead in the Barataria Waterway, which occurred at approximately 1 a.m., July 27. The Unified Command Post, established at U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans, is reporting that the wellhead was secured at 6:05 p.m. August 1 and is no longer emitting oil or natural gas into Barataria Bay. The wellhead is also equipped with a light.

Apache Corporation (NYSE:APA) reported a fire aboard its East Cameron (EC) 2 processing platform, in La. state waters of the Gulf of Mexico about two miles off the coast of Cameron Parish. The three personnel on the platform, all Island Operating employees, evacuated the platform and were rescued. They were all transferred to the hospital where Frank Richard, 34, of Mowata, La., died. The other two employees are being assessed. Island Operating provides contract operating services for Apache and other companies in the Gulf. Apache has shut in the wells that flow to the processing facilities on the EC2 platform. All production operations have been secured, and the fire has been extinguished.

A new series of seminars, starting in July and ending in September, aims to educate the maritime community on fast developing new rules and regulations, and more importantly, on how these changes will affect individual companies. Starting in July and ending in September, The Havnen Group — in conjunction with The Maritime Group, publishers of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, MarineNews and the Marine Security Sourcebook — will host a nine-seminar series, starting in the Gulf of Mexico and ending in New York. Since 9/11, the U.S. has been exerting increased security upon all means of transportation. The international maritime community perceives increased security as a necessity to continuing commerce.

There are five applicants for Louisiana's 15th and final riverboat gaming license. Once the Louisiana State Police have finished the process of evaluating the applications for completeness, they will begin background investigations to determine the applicants' suitability. If the license is awarded, it will be against the current wishes of Governor Mike Foster. His executive council, Chaney Joseph, gave the gaming board a letter signed by the governor, asking the panel delay any final decision on the 15th license, to give the Louisiana Legislature a chance to repeal authorization for it next year.

A new series of seminars, starting in July and ending in September, aims to educate the maritime community on fast developing new rules and regulations, and more importantly, on how these changes will affect individual companies. Starting in July and ending in September, The Havnen Group — in conjunction with The Maritime Group, publishers of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, MarineNews and the Marine Security Sourcebook — will host a nine-seminar series, starting in the Gulf of Mexico and ending in New York. Since 9/11, the U.S. has been exerting increased security upon all means of transportation. The international maritime community perceives increased security as a necessity to continuing commerce.

Credit: U.S. Coast Guard photographs The Coast Guard is responding to an inland oil spill at mile marker 32 of the Ouachita/Black River. These Aug. 22 photographs show the location where the motor vessel Tulsa, a dredge, sank in the middle of the channel Monday, spilling an estimated 840 gallons of diesel fuel, hydraulic oil and lube oil. All four crewmembers were safely rescued from the water and the waterway was closed to maritime traffic to facilitate the cleanup and salvage operations. Leading the cleanup and investigation of the incident are personnel from Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge, La. Also assisting are personnel from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana State Police and Army Corps of Engineers.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi River is now open in one direction to ships with a draft of 35 feet during daylight hours. Now that a route has been re-established to the Port of New Orleans and other ports on the lower Mississippi River, the port is bringing together all of the pieces that will allow it to be a major force in the reconstruction of New Orleans. "The Port of New Orleans' riverfront terminals survived Hurricane Katrina in fairly decent shape," said Port President and CEO Gary LaGrange. "In the next several weeks, almost all of the Port of New Orleans will be dedicated to military relief vessels. He added that many repairs will be needed though to bring the Port back to full capacity.