[StBernard] Pilings being driven in St. Bernard marsh to support a wall of protective boom; Seven shrimp trawlers patrolling looking for underwater oil or tar balls

Westley Annis Westley at da-parish.com
Sun May 23 11:39:14 EDT 2010


Pilings being driven in St. Bernard marsh to support a wall of protective
boom
Seven shrimp trawlers patrolling looking for underwater oil or tar balls

A BP subcontractor began an operation on Wednesday to drive two parallel
rows of 60-foot, 8-inch pilings 500 feet apart right off the coast of St.
Bernard Parish. Once the pilings are driven and stable, boom will be
connected to the pilings. The pilings with the boom are being put into place
starting at the northeast corner of St. Bernard Parish marshes, and they
will extend down the eastern shores of St. Bernard. This is being done as an
additional measure to stop the oil from reaching St. Bernard's marsh lands.
Three to four miles of the pilings/boom operation is completed and in place,
located one to two miles out into Breton Sound. Three jack-up barges are
stationed in the area which are supplying pilings and boom for this
operation.

Additionally, St. Bernard Parish has deployed seven shrimp boats to begin
trawling operations in parish waters. These trawling operations  are
searching for what may be submerged under the water that may not be evident
at the surface, such as tar balls.  These boats have been deployed in almost
every division along the eastern portion of St. Bernard waters between the
marshes and the Chandeleur Islands. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries
officials are concerned these activities may give the appearance that
shrimping operations have opened in previously closed fishing areas, and
parish and state fisheries officials want to make it very clear that this is
not the case. Please stay up to date on closures, and do not mistake the
trawling operations regarding the oil spill for open fishing areas.

###



More information about the StBernard mailing list