T’bonne council awaits rigid boom in local passes

BP might have capped its seemingly ever-leaking well, but local government will have to be concerned about the intrusion of oil for an indefinite amount of time, and want to know what BP plans to do next, particularly with rigid pipe boom that’s being tested on the shoreline of Grand Isle.

The rigid pipe boom was originated in Terrebonne Parish by Kenneth Smith of T. Baker Smith and Son and Chet Morrison of Morrison Contractors.

“Supposedly, it was their brainchild to test and try this hard boom system,” said Terrebonne councilman Clayton Voisin. “They originally tested a small section of the HNC next to Morrison’s property, and now it appears to be working in Jefferson.”

According to Jason Kennedy, who filled in for Kenny Smith at last week’s council meeting, Morrison has laid 6,100 feet of rigid pipe boom about 7 miles east of Grand Isle in Pass Coup Able.

“I saw it firsthand and took a bunch of photos on it, and when it was first brought to the council I was a little like, ‘Well, I don’t know if this is going to work or not.’ But now that I get to see it in action in the pass on an incoming tide, it was pretty impressive,” said councilman Joey Cehan.

Cehan was also impressed at the boom’s ability to be an all-in-one removal system. He explained the oil can be deflected into one particular area and then cleaned up, versus trying to corral the oil and keep it out of a particular area. This will allow the oil to be sucked out by pump trucks.

“This is to contain it and remove [the oil] all at the same time, which is a pretty impressive set up,” he said. “When we get approval on this deal we can start protecting our coastline fairly quick.”

Terrebonne Parish Council, T. Baker Smith and Son and Morrison Contractors all await BP and the Coast Guard.

“Currently, the plan is that we are actually on hold waiting for BP and the Coast Guard to make a decision whether to use rigid pipe boom or flexible boom as a deflection at Caminada Pass,” Kennedy said.

“It’s a slap in the face that we don’t have it in Terrebonne,” said councilman Billy Hebert.

The rest of the council agreed, and asked Parish Emergency Preparedness Director Earl Eues to set up a meeting between Capt. Roger Laferriere of the Coast Guard, BP and parish council.

“We want to sit down with them and talk about how we can use this rigid boom to protect Terrebonne, especially in Whiskey Pass and Little Island Pass area. It seems that this system is working,” Hebert said. “This system was born in Terrebonne Parish.”