[StBernard] Multiple Confirmations of Oil and Impacted Beaches and Wildlife in St. Bernard Parish

[Westley Annis]

Multiple Confirmations of Oil and Impacted Beaches and Wildlife in St.
Bernard Parish 

 

Reconnaissance activities over the past 24 hours have confirmed several oil
sightings in multiple locations of St. Bernard Parish waters. The level of
impact varies from tar balls, to small patches of emulsified oil, to
1000x400 yards of heavy oil. Additionally, oil has impacted portions of
marsh and beach on Comfort Island, Brush Island, Curlew Island and portions
of the Chandeleur Islands including impact on wildlife in these areas. 

 

Weather conditions are favorable to conduct skimming and cleanup operations
in impacted areas today. All available skimming assets, specifically five
St. Bernard Parish Commercial Fishing Fleet vessels fitted with brush
skimmers, have been deployed with additional vessels to assist and are
actively engaged in cleanup operations. Operations is coordinating with LA
Wildlife and Fisheries to get proper direction on how to safely remediate
impacted rookeries and sensitive wildlife areas and to get assistance in the
recovery of impacted wildlife. Task forces are conducting boom
reconnaissance and repair in the Chandeleur Islands, with 23 boats and 72
personnel in the area changing out dirty or oiled hard and soft absorbent
boom.

 

Members of St. Bernard Parish Unified Command for oil spill operations are
actively engaged in reconnaissance to determine the level of response needed
and to determine if more help and resources are required.  

 

St. Bernard Parish oil spill operations has acquired the assistance of a
fixed wing aircraft that has live, full-motion video streaming and Forward
Looking Infrared capability, which distinguishes oil sheen from heavy or
emulsified oil. This aircraft can perform reconnaissance activities for up
to six hours at a time, which provides oil spill operations with the
capability to stay out longer and go further into the Gulf if needed to
search for incoming oil. This resource was acquired through the Houma
Incident Command Post.