Major Response Operation Underway for Oil Spill in Mississippi Delta

The response to the ongoing oil spill in the Pass a Loutre area of the Mississippi Delta has grown into a major operation, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. As of Tuesday morning, the unified command had more than 170 people working on scene, along with a dozen skimmer boats.

The spill began last weekend at a well near the Garden Island Bay Production Facility, an oil collection point near Pass a Loutre. Operator Spectrum OpCo LLC, the Coast Guard, and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office (LOSCO) have set up a response team to manage the mixed oil and gas release, aided by multiple response contractors.

The amount of oil released by the well is as yet unknown, and the source of the spill has not yet been shut down. A well control contractor is working on source intervention, and more equipment is en route to help shut in the well and bring the spill to an end.

So far, the responders have deployed nearly two miles of containment boom, and have another 3,200 feet on hand in case it is needed. Nearly 400 bales of absorbent boom have been deployed to protect shoreline areas, and the skimmer boats have removed more than 23,000 gallons of oil-water mixture. A one-mile safety zone is in effect around the area to protect workers and the general public.

Luckily, no injuries or wildlife impacts have been reported. The spill is located far from the Mississippi’s main shipping channel, so it does not affect oceangoing marine traffic.

“Our top priority remains the safety of the public and our responders,” said Captain Gregory Callaghan, U.S. Coast Guard’s Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the incident. “The Unified Command is working around the clock to secure the source of the discharge as safely and quickly as possible. We are committed to minimizing further impacts to the environment.”