More than 34,000 gallons of crude oil spills into Louisiana bayou, officials say

RACELAND, La. (WVUE/Gray News) - At least 34,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into a Louisiana bayou over the weekend, prompting a days-long effort to clean it up.

The spill into Lafourche Bayou was first reported around 7:50 a.m. Saturday.

Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson said it came from the Crescent Midstream facility and entered the bayou through a stormwater canal near the intersection of Highway 308 and Highway 182.

Officials said Monday evening that, in total, 820 barrels equaling about 34,440 gallons spilled on facility grounds and then into the water.

The cause of the spill has not been disclosed.

“We’ve had small releases in the bayou but nothing of this magnitude,” Chaisson said. “We have seen releases in the Mississippi River that have happened before, that have caused the Bayou Lafourche Parish water district to shut down their pump station in Donaldsonville and slow down the feed of water. But, to this magnitude, this is the first time we have seen a release like this in the southern juncture.”

The Lafourche Parish Water District No. 1 issued a water conservation notice for all customers in the parish.

Customers are asked to refrain from non-essential water use until further notice.

Officials said the oil has not affected the water treatment process and that water is still safe to consume.

“That’s our drinking water; that was the first thing that went to my mind,” Jessica Pledger, a resident, said.

The smell alerted residents to the problem before the oil became visible.

The exact volume of the spill is undetermined. However, air quality monitoring has reportedly shown levels well below actionable thresholds.

“It’s going to look weird for a while,” Chaisson said. “It’ll look worse before it gets better. As the current drives the materials south, it’s going to look like the plumes are getting bigger, the machines are getting bigger. There’s going to be some stuff that gets around the boom that we know will make it farther south.”

Chaisson said the company has been responsive to needs.

“We’ve moved their operations into our EOC so they will be with us until this is cleaned up. We’re going to make it right. The company is going to make it right,” he said. “We’re not going to let them kinda walk away or anything like that. They’ve been great partners.”

Throughout the weekend, dozens of federal, state and local crews worked to clean the bayou and have asked people living around it not to interfere.

The spill has had a noticeable impact on local wildlife. Seventeen aquatic salamanders, two turtles and one crawfish have been found deceased. Additionally, four ducks and three alligators have been observed with oil on them but have not been captured.

A hotline was set up to help get affected animals proper care: 832-514-9663.

Residents affected by the spill can report personal or property damage by calling 833-812-0877.

Gerald and Janet Crappel live yards from the origin of the leak and said they’re concerned about their health and the health of the nearby wildlife.

“There’s really no way of making it right, you can’t pay your way out of health issues,” Gerald Crappel said. “Even if they mop it up, the water, the lilies that sunk, they’re going to be under there affecting the fishing all the way down the bayou.”

The couple expressed concern at the lack of direct communication from Crescent Midstream.

The company declined to comment, citing the ongoing unified command structure.

Currently, 117 workers are on-site, utilizing a variety of resources, including 28 vessels — comprising 5 Marco skimmers, 2 barge boats, 15 response vessels and 6 Jon boats. Additional equipment includes 7 vacuum trucks, 5 drum skimmer packages, 3 wash pump packages and 4,300 feet of boom, with more on the way.

“He’s a great partner in business? How about in cleaning this mess up?” Gerald Crappel said. “How are you going to actually get rid of it? We know that this stuff can affect people for years, fishing. You can be a partner in it, but give me a solution.”

Response personnel are working along Bayou Lafourche from the Highway 182 bridge in Raceland to Highway 90.

Citizens are asked to avoid the bayou banks to prevent impeding response efforts.

The bayou is closed to mariners from the Highway 182 bridge in Raceland to the Salt Water Control Structure in Lockport.

The Federal Aviation Administration has implemented a No-Fly Zone from LA Highway 182 to LA Highway 654, one mile in either direction of Bayou Lafourche due to the ongoing oil spill incident. This restriction is to control UAS flights during cleanup operations. Unified Command is utilizing drone overflights and periodic helicopter flights to assess impacted areas.

Officials said inquiries have been received about the use of dispersants. They say dispersants are not being utilized, as they are not approved by the EPA for use in the inland environment. Cleanup operations currently consist of containment booming, skimming, and water flushing operations.

The United States Coast Guard is asking people to avoid the bayou from the Highway 182 bridge in Raceland to the Saltwater Control Structure in Lockport.

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