An overflight displays the affected area of marsh environment near Garden Island Bay, La., on May 1, 2025. A safety zone has been enacted in the area and boom has been placed to contain the released product. (U.S. Coast Guard)
(Tribune News Service) — The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday that it has federalized the ongoing effort to contain an oil spill that began Saturday in lower Plaquemines Parish, located near New Orleans, La.
The Coast Guard said that the unified command had more than 180 responders involved in the mitigation effort as of Thursday morning, including six MARCO skimmers and six drum skimmers. Roughly 11,700 feet of 18-inch containment boom is in place with another 2,300 feet on standby.
Responders have also deployed 544 bales of absorbent boom to protect nearby islands and the effort has thus far recovered about 32,718 gallons of oily water mixture. The Coast Guard says there have been no reports yet of impacted wildlife.
Spectrum OpCo LLC, which the Coast Guard has said is responsible for the spill, was previously in charge of the response.
The Coast Guard said it does not know how much oil has leaked from the company’s Garden Island Bay production facility into the surrounding marshland.
A well-control contractor is on the scene and well-intervention equipment, including cutting tools, a capping stack, piping, a crane and storage barges are on their way and being staged.
The Coast Guard said aerial surveys are ongoing, and air monitoring has not indicated any immediate concerns in the response area. A vessel safety zone of one nautical mile remains in place, as does a two-mile, 2,000 feet elevation flight restriction.
The cause of the leak is still under investigation, the Coast Guard said.
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