Federal investigators will look into Bayou Lafourche crude oil spill • Louisiana Illuminator

A federal agency is sending investigators to south Louisiana to look into the cause of a crude oil spill that has tainted a portion of Bayou Lafourche, a spokesman for the company where the accident took place said Monday.

As the third day of cleanup following the Saturday morning spill progressed, officials overseeing the cleanup calculated that 34,440 gallons of crude were released from a storage tank near Raceland. The oil originated from the Crescent Midstream Crude Oil Facility, spilling through a protective dike into a stormwater canal and eventually through a culvert under Highway 308 that flows into the bayou.

Michael Smith, public information officer for Crescent Midstream and the Unified Command overseeing the spill response, said the 34,440 gallons of oil — or 820 barrels — includes the amount spilled on the grounds of the facility. The accident does not involve the large cylindrical storage tank on the property, which Smith said was empty before Saturday.

Officials from the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration will be on site within the next few days, Smith said, confirming Crescent Midstream representatives had spoken with the agency Monday. They will begin an official investigation, taking over the informal work of the Unified Command, which is composed of state and local officials along with Crescent Midstream.  

Meanwhile, work continues to capture the crude from the bayou. An advisory to conserve water remains in place for residents and business along Bayou Lafourche from south of the Louisiana Highway 182 bridge to Port Fourchon, a stretch that covers 55 miles. However, drinking water remains safe to consume, Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson said.  

Our news partners at WVUE-TV Fox 8 report that Lafourche Parish Water District No. 1 has issued a water conservation notice for all customers in the parish.

Chaisson reported Thursday evening that a fish kill was spot in the incident area. No immediate information was provided on the type or number of fish affected.

An update on the wildlife impact increased the death toll to 17 salamanders, in addition to the previously reported three turtles and one crawfish. Cleanup crews were able to capture one of three oil-covered ducks on the bayou. It was taken to a rehabilitation center for cleaning and care.

A black sheen trailing down the bayou remained visible Monday from aerial photographs. Crews were washing oil from the banks of the bayou and collecting it with skimmers, boom and vacuum trucks for disposal. More than a mile of boom — 6,800 feet — has been deployed on the bayou so far, according to Monday afternoon’s update from the Unified Command. 

Smith stressed that oil dispersants, which are not approved for inland water use, are not among the methods being used to contain the oil. 

Use of oil dispersants has been under added scrutiny since the deadly BP Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010 just off the coast of Louisiana. The chemical Corexit has been blamed for sickening cleanup workers who responded to the manmade disaster. Medical issues ranging from skin rashes to cancer have been detailed in thousands of lawsuits.  

Cleanup crews are pumping water from the bayou to remove oil from the bayouside, Smith said. As a result, it’s causing some oil to flow upstream, which could find its way back to shore if it can’t be collected from the water with booms or skimmers. 

“It could get worse before it gets better,” Smith said in an interview. “You could see oil cleaned up in front of your house one day, only to see it back again the next day.”

The bayou remains closed to boaters from the Highway 182 bridge in Raceland to the Lockport Bridge, with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office handling enforcement.