6K Gallons of Oil Contained from Louisiana Spill

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana – More than 6,000 gallons of oil been successfully recovered from Louisiana’s Bay Long region following a spill.

An oil spill of roughly 5,300 gallons, the estimated amount at the time a pipe was struck, was quickly contained in the region on September 4.

“Crews also were trying to safely capture and treat roughly 200 oiled birds around the Cheniere Ronquille Barrier Island and East Grand Terre Island. At least 11 birds and one sea turtle had been collected as of Sunday,” according to an Associated Press (AP) report.

The oil spill was apparently caused by the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company when a vessel doing excavation hit a pipe, as Breitbart Texas previously reported.

ECM Maritime Services has been handling the clean-up effort with the Coast Guard and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries supervising the project.

“About 3,000 feet of hard boom have been put out, and sorbent material and skimmers are collecting the oil,” the AP reported at the time of the oil spill.

The massive disaster was the second catastrophe to hit the state within weeks, after unprecedented flooding devastated the Baton Rouge, Louisiana and surrounding areas.

Over 60,000 homes were destroyed in the floods and over 100,000 residents were displaced—with many still displaced across the state.

The clean-up effort for the oil spill, however, is in direct contrast to the relief provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which has been widely criticized for failing to help homeowners.

As Breitbart Texas previously reported, a majority of residents in the flooded region did not carry flood insurance because the area had never been hit with floods in the past.

John Binder is a contributor for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.