Oil still adrift as Jindal jockeys for protection

Oil is moving west. It has already touched down on barrier islands lying just south of Terrebonne Parish and continues to march inland. Locals are beginning to understand that the problem is far from over. Their way of life, as unfortunate as it may seem, is at risk.

Crude, stemming from the Deepwater Horizon rig about 52 miles southeast of Venice, has already hit Fourchon Beach in Lafourche Parish, less than an hour by car from Houma. The likelihood that it reaches this area is almost certain, said Gov. Bobby Jindal. Getting ready for impact, however, seems to be easier said than done.

“Streaks” of oil were spotted in Terrebonne Bay during an aerial tour of the area last week. Wind and ocean currents are expected to push the sludge westward. If that happens, things could get ugly.

During a press conference in Cocodrie on Friday, Jindal urged officials with the Coast Guard who were present on the flyover to help secure more boom for Terrebonne, an area that many predict will see larger amounts of oil in the near future.

About 180,000 feet of the snake-like material was requested in a plan drafted by city officials on May 2. Only around 76,000 feet have been brought into the parish, half of which still sits on nearby docks waiting to be deployed, Jindal said at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. “It doesn’t do us any good to have hard boom sitting on the dock.”

With a fragmented marsh system and miles of open water, Terrebonne closely resembles Plaquemines Parish, one of the regions hardest hit by the month-old spill. For both, small barrier islands provide little relief. Boom, by many standards, is not much better, as rough seas often bounce the tubes around like a pinball machine.

During the expedition on a Blackhawk helicopter, Jindal said that land bridges constructed on Fourchon Beach seemed to be holding up well, keeping the oil out. He explained that multiple lines of defense, including the use of boom, was necessary to protect inland waters.

The governor has also requested an emergency permit to allow dredging near the eastern part of the Chandeleur Islands and Breton Sound, Barataria Bay and Timbalier Bay. Those efforts, if approved by the Army Corps of Engineers, would help rebuild the small masses of land that have deteriorated over the years due to hurricanes. It would also provide a natural barrier to, in this case, impeding oil.

“We need to implement the comprehensive plan,” the governor said. “These barrier islands will allow us to fight the oil out on the coastline, away from the wetlands.”

In a statement released by the corps on Saturday, officials said they were closely monitoring the situation in the Gulf, evaluating the application and proceeding as quickly as possible. A timeline to approve the permit has yet to be established.

Louisiana was expected to see its lowest rate of landfall in nearly 80 years this season. However, that could change if response efforts are not ramped up.

About 54 miles of the state’s shoreline has been affected by the spill so far. That number will likely increase in the upcoming weeks.

“To protect Terrebonne Parish is going to be a unique job,” said state Rep. Gordon Dove during the press conference.

He also claimed that residents were in good hands with the Coast Guard, the group leading response efforts throughout the Gulf and the ones most responsible for the botched deployment of boom.

When asked by reporters why thousands of feet of boom had not been put down to protect the parish, Capt. Edwin Stanton, the official in charge of local operations, said, “I guess I’m just slow and dumb.” The captain acknowledged BP has been doing everything it has been asked and that he was to blame for the lagging response.

“If it’s anybody’s fault, it’s mine for not pushing them hard enough, perhaps,” explained Stanton.

If oil makes its way past the barrier islands and man-made blockades, the marshes and wetlands could deteriorate in rapid fashion. With hurricane season due in about five days, those natural lines of defense, which break down high water and sweeping winds, become imperative.

Officials said Friday that until everything is restored to its pre-spill state, their job will not be finished. Local leaders echoed that statement but acknowledged a tough, windy road is ahead.

“This is probably the biggest challenge that has ever faced Terrebonne Parish,” said Michel Claudet, the parish’s president.

With the slick approaching, Claudet, along with a handful of others, vowed to push the Coast Guard and BP to fulfill their duties. Both entities have bared parish officials from taking matters into their own hands, remaining adamant that the cleanup and response is their job, despite the call of some claiming locals can act more swiftly.

Gov. Bobby Jindal and Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet highlight the sensitive areas of the parish, which are now being threatened by renegade oil from the Deepwater Horizon rig. * Photo by MICHAEL DAVIS