State of Louisiana Initial Oil Spill Response Plan - Coastal ...

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In an effort to assist the removal of oil from our coastal waters, minimize the interface of oil and Louisiana’s fragile coastal wetlands, marine wildlife and the communities and economies embedded therein, the State of Louisiana provides the following initial near-shore action plan and requests that it be implemented immediately. This plan was developed in coordination with affected coastal parishes. The action is feasible and cost effective when considering the potential damage that threatens our coast. The central tenet of this plan is immediate and robust action supported by the people of Louisiana who stand ready, willing, and able to assist in anyway to protect their lives and livelihoods. The state requests that all relevant training be conducted at designated sites identified herein. These training efforts should be authorized immediately and coordinated directly with coastal parishes. Training shall include: financial management under OPA90, relevant regulatory and legal guidelines, material handling, boom deployment and monitoring, oil collection protocols, and active containment strategies (containment strategies as a second line of defense) to all interested people. Training shall be offered coast wide in Chalmette, Belle Chasse, Slidell, Houma, Golden Meadow, Morgan City, Abbeville, and Lake Charles. A concurrent action following approval of this plan is to immediately deploy booms (per the Boom Measure described below) in all of the areas identified in Appendix 1 from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Louisiana-Mississippi State line. We request that coastal parishes be authorized to lead and direct boom deployment within their respective jurisdictions. These deployment strategies may consist of: parish deployment, parish contractors (including trained fishing fleets), invoicing directly to BP, BP contractors operating under parish direction, or parishes delegating deployment to BP. Teams charged with these deployments should utilize the human resources and vessels available through trained citizens and volunteers in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. This workforce is available for deployment efforts, to aid in logistics, transport of materials to and from the boom deployment sites, as well as monitoring and operations of sites as appropriate. Additional plan elements including Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Team (SCAT) deployment, oil clean up, and remediation and environmental assessment, are to be implemented as directed by the Unified Command in concert with the above measures. Local knowledge, the experience and expertise of Oil Spill Response Organizations (OSRO), and the latest intelligence information on oil location and forecasts will drive the location and intensity of activity. It is assumed that the logistics and coordination will be executed by the OSRO tasked with the effort. However, the State stands ready to assist if any issues arise that may slow the pace of this much-needed and delayed response. All of this will ensure that the response is as efficient and effective as possible and allow for rapid reaction to changing conditions. 2
Introduction On April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred on the semisubmersible drilling platform Deepwater Horizon during deepwater drilling activities on the outer continental shelf southeast of the Mississippi River bird’s-foot delta. Two days later, as fire-fighting activities continued, the Deepwater Horizon sank into the Gulf of Mexico. Shortly thereafter, it was determined that the drilling assembly was leaking raw petroleum at an estimated 5,000 barrels (approximately 210,000 gallons) per day into the northern Gulf. That leak continues as of the writing of this report. Current well conditions remain dynamic. According to BP, the well has the capacity to produce a maximum of 110,000 to 164,000 barrels per day. In addition, it is also understood that a relief well, including a 90-day drill time, will be an integral part of efforts to cap the well. The continuing oil spill currently threatens priceless ecological, cultural, recreational and economic resources of the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. As a result, significant State resources have been mobilized to respond to the event. Several agencies of the State of Louisiana have been involved, including the following: Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration (CPRA’s implementation arm) Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Department of Transportation and Development, Louisiana Recovery Authority, Louisiana Workforce Commission, Department of Health and Hospitals, Department of Transportation and Development, Department of Economic Development, State Police, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office. Relevant resources agencies met to develop a joint plan considering many factors, including: Louisiana’s most sensitive coastal resources, potential spill impacts, deployment schedules and resource considerations. This plan presents a set of recommended actions based on current information, agency discussions and parish input. The State’s hope is that the Incident Command Structure will consider this plan for incorporation into the Incident Action Plan (IAP). These actions outline a series of steps, intended to be taken in coordination with those already identified/approved by the state and coastal parishes and those in the IAP that will support the Unified Command’s strategy of keeping the oil spill away from Louisiana’s sensitive coastal areas. The majority of this document describes necessary action to keep the oil spill from entering Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, based on the assumption that removal of the released oil will be much easier and less damaging to fragile coastal ecosystems if done in the open waters of the 3
Page 1: State of Louisiana Initial Oil Spil
Page 5 and 6: Action Plan Measures Dispersants Th
Page 7 and 8: Spud Barges Spud barges are to be s
Page 9 and 10: Appendix 1: Combined Maps and Plans
Page 12 and 13: PROPOSED POINTS OF PROTECTION PLANN
Page 14 and 15: 84 PROPOSED POINTS OF PROTECTION SI
Page 16 and 17: PROPOSED POINTS OF PROTECTION PLANN
Page 18 and 19: Initial Orleans Parish Plan Summary
Page 20 and 21: Appendix 3: Plaquemines Parish
Page 22 and 23: Initial Plaquemines Parish Boom Loc
Page 24 and 25: Appendix 4: St. Bernard Parish
Page 26 and 27: Boom Point Location Initial St. Ber
Page 28 and 29: Appendix 5: St. Tammany Parish
Page 30 and 31: 156 LITTLE LAKE 157 THE RIGOLETS Or
Page 32 and 33: Initial Cameron Parish and Calcasie
Page 34 and 35: Appendix 7: Iberia Parish
Page 36 and 37: 186 77 78 79 188 80 187 81 82 83 Ve
Page 38 and 39: Initial Jefferson Parish Plan Summa
Page 40 and 41: Appendix 9: Lafourche Parish
Page 42 and 43: Initial Lafourche Parish Boom Locat
Page 44 and 45: Appendix 10: St. Mary Parish
Page 46 and 47: St. Martin 81 82 83 SIX MILE LAKE A
Page 48 and 49: Initial Terrebonne Parish Plan Summ
Page 50 and 51: 85 153 ATCHAFALAYA BAY St. Mary 154
Page 52 and 53:
Initial Vermilion Parish Plan Summa
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