Cleanup from an oil spill in Bayou Lafourche enters its fourth day after about thirty-four thousand gallons of crude oil spilled into the water.
Along with concern for plants and wildlife, drinking water for residents is the main focus. The water has been deemed safe to drink, however Archie Chaisson, President of Lafourche Parish seeks to reassure residents.
“I made my coffee with it and took my medicine with it this morning. Your drinking water remains a priority.”
Inevitably, people will what to understand the who, when, and how of the situation. Chaisson says they are gathering the answers to those questions but don’t anticipate any ill-intent from the Crescent Midstream facility.
“This will boil down to some human error and control system failure.”
He does say that the facility is not a refinery but more of a “middle man” moving the oil flow, but some questions still remain.
“Have to figure out what caused the tanks to release the product and why there were no safety checks after that.”
Chaisson says that as cleanup continues, especially of surrounding vegetation, he anticipates the bayou will soon return to its natural state.
“I joked that when this whole thing was I would jump in and drink the water. The bayou is going to return to its condition and I don’t think there will be any long-term issues with fish kills.”
