Coast Guard Federalizes Response to Mississippi Delta Oil Spill
Six days after the initial spill at a marshland well site in the Pass a Loutre area of the Mississippi Delta, the Coast Guard has taken over the response effort and activated the Oil Pollution Liability Trust Fund. The well, located near the Garden Island Bay Production Facility, continues to release an orange-brown oil mist into the surrounding water, with the flow remaining uncontrolled as of Thursday.
The spill, a mixture of oil and gas, started over the weekend and prompted a joint effort by Operator Spectrum OpCo LLC, the Coast Guard, and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office (LOSCO) to contain and clean up the area. A well control contractor is on site and actively working on intervention and control operations, with additional equipment, including cutting tools, a capping stack, and storage barges, en route to assist in stopping the flow.
Image courtesy USCG
So far, response teams have managed to collect approximately 33,000 gallons of the oily water mixture. The cleanup operation, supported by 180 personnel, 12 skimming vessels, and various collection equipment, remains ongoing. About 12,000 feet of standard containment boom have been deployed, with additional resources on standby as needed.
Fortunately, no injuries or wildlife impacts have been reported, and the spill has not affected deep-draft marine traffic due to its distance from main shipping lanes. A one-mile safety zone remains in effect around the spill site to ensure the safety of responders and the surrounding environment.
According to local reports from WWLTV, the well in question had been inactive for a decade prior to the incident, with the cause of the sudden failure still under investigation.