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NEW ORLEANS —The Coast Guard is responding to a discharge of oil Friday into a Plaquemines Parish drainage canal in Port Sulphur, La.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received notification Thursday at 2:47 p.m. of an estimated 1,260 gallons of crude oil from an undetermined source that was impacting nearly two miles of the canal.

The Coast Guard Sector New Orleans pollution response personnel conducted a preliminary investigation and hired Environmental Safety and Health Consulting Services (ES&H) as the oil spill removal organization. ES&H responders immediately placed more than 300-feet of boom for oil containment.

Active oil spill response and recovery operations with ES&H and E3 OMI Environmental Solutions began Friday and are ongoing. More than 840 gallons of oily water have been recovered so far.

Impacts to both wildlife and vegetation have been observed. To deter wildlife from further accessing oiled areas, air cannons are being incorporated in the response. These will produce large blasts of air every ten to fifteen minutes that may be audible in nearby residential neighborhoods. Air cannons will be utilized until the pollution threat to wildlife has been mitigated.

“We are working with government and industry partners to ensure an efficient and effective containment and recovery response and are committed to overseeing a timely cleanup of oil to mitigate environmental impacts,” said Capt. Kelly Denning, Coast Guard Sector New Orleans Commanding Officer and Federal On-Scene Coordinator. “The local public, the environment and protected marine species are our top priority.”

The following federal, state, and local agencies continue to be engaged with the response:

–    Coast Guard Sector New Orleans

–    Environmental Protection Agency

–    National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Scientific Support Coordinator

–    Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office

–    Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality

–    Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

–    Plaquemines Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

–    Environmental Safety and Health Consulting Services

–    E3 OMI Environmental Solutions

The cause of the discharge remains under investigation.

Questions or concerns regarding response actions may be directed to Coast Guard Sector New Orleans at secnolaimd@uscg.mil or Plaquemines Parish Emergency Operations Center at pharvey@ppgov.net.

Port conditions change based on weather forecasts, and current port conditions can be viewed on the following Coast Guard homeport webpages:

• Sector Mobile, Alabama Port Directory page.
• Sector New Orleans Port Directory page.
• Sector Houston-Galveston Port Directory page.
• Sector Corpus Christi, Texas Port Directory page.
• Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, Texas Port Directory page.
• Marine Safety Unit Houma, Louisiana Port Directory page.

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