More than water could flood inland

Thirteen months ago a deadly offshore explosion and well release in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the worst oil spill in North American history. Eleven days ago, a release of water from the Morganza Spillway presented a situation that some environmentalists contend could be equally disastrous, as more than water from the Mississippi River floods the Atchafalaya Basin.

According to the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, an environmental health and justice coalition, the opening of the Morganza Spillway to relieve flood conditions on the Mississippi River and avert disaster to the cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans could result in greater than expected damage to plants, wildlife, rural residents and small towns. Oil, diesel, drilling mud and chemicals from refineries, wells and storage units could become awash in a rushing current and flow into occupied areas from north of Baton Rouge to Morgan City and, ultimately, into the Gulf of Mexico.

“I have been asking for spill prevention measures for the last two weeks and have gotten little to no information from industry or emergency response officials,” said LABB program manager Anna Hrybyk. “People living in the flood zone need to be prepared for serious chemical contamination and cleanup.”

Hrybyk said that while oil industry pipelines and installations were preparing to be flooded, no information from petroleum companies or government officials had been presented as to what the public might expect.

As millions of gallons of water rush through southeast Louisiana, an estimated “thousands of gallons” of toxic material could be part of that flow.

One target area is a waste pit in the Grand Bois area. When the disposal center was created, a total of 81 trucks containing benzene, xylene, hydrogen sulfide and arsenic delivered their loads there from an Exxon facility.

In addition to the Grand Bois pit, LABB members estimate that flood waters will sweep over approximately 13,000 oil and gas wells, 3,600 petroleum extraction operations, 4,600 abandoned oil waste pits, four storage terminals and the Alon refinery in Krotz Springs.

LABB representatives contend that added petroleum exposure during the current flooding event could be compared to the Murphy Oil spill that resulted from Hurricane Katrina.

“The best predictor of the future is the past,” said LABB founding director Ann Rolfes. “During the BP oil disaster and Hurricane Katrina, the agencies had no effective plans for dealing with pollution, and residents and the environment continue to suffer as a result.”

Rolfes and Hrybyk said that government agencies and the companies involved have not learned from past experience and have not offered the public information regarding the amount of contaminants to be released or plans to reduce damage and help with cleanup.

Last Wednesday, the LABB sent a letter to the Department of Natural Resources and requested cleanup plans and the government’s intentions for sampling soil and water for contamination.

“At this point, what they have given me are cut and paste from the regulations for contingency plans facilities are required to have, but they have not given me any specifics about any contingency plans that they actually do have,” Hrybyk said of the DNR response to LABB information requests. “What we are really concerned about are the abandoned oil waste pits, because there have been some contingency plans with the operators of oil waste pits. But those are for the active ones, [of which] companies and operators can be held accountable. But the abandoned pits, no one is discussing or providing any contingency planning for those.”

DNR Public Information Director Phyllis Darensbourg said that there has been a lot of false information distributed and fear instigated by environmentalist groups during preparations for and following the Morganza Spillway opening.

“There are no abandoned waste pits and wells in the inundated area of the Atchafalaya Basin where the flooding is expected,” Darensbourg said.

The DNR office of conservation is responsible for regulating oil and gas resources. On May 13, an executive order was issued that designated oil and gas operators as responsible parties and required those companies to have contingency plans in place in case of emergency or natural disasters.

Darensbourg said that if there is chemical or oil waste to be cleaned up after floodwaters recede the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality would be involved in restoration efforts.