Divers are investigating the source of oil spillage off the coast of Louisiana
Click to enlarge the image toggle caption JONATHAN ERNST/POOL/AFP via Getty Images JONATHAN ERNST/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, divers were searching Sunday for the source of an oil leak approximately two miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Bay Marchand region of the Gulf of Mexico.
Lt. John Edwards, Coast Guard spokesperson, stated that Houston-based Talos Energy had hired Clean Gulf Associates to handle oil spillage in Bay Marchand.
Edwards stated that Talos also hired the dive team to determine the source of the oil spillage. Edwards stated that Clean Gulf Associates has been running skimmers to pick up oil in the region. This will help reduce any environmental impacts.
According to the Coast Guard, multiple teams are working together to assess the extent of the pollution. Edwards stated that once divers have identified the source of the pollution, the Coast Guard will begin to develop a recovery plan and control plan.
Divers are still trying to find the source of the leak, but the source is not yet known. According to the Associated Press, although Talos hired Clean Gulf Associates and divers in an effort to locate the source of the leakage, the company denied that they were responsible. The Coast Guard said that it doesn't know where the oil might be coming from.
Gabriel Wisdom, a Coast Guard spokesperson, stated that Talos took initiative to respond to the pollution reports and hired an oil spill response agency. However, the source of the product has yet to be determined.
Talos and Clean Gulf Associates didn't immediately respond to a request.
Experts believe the spillage is far enough away to prevent major damage.
The news of the oil spillage in Bay Marchand follows Associated Press reporting last week on satellite imagery from NOAA that showed other possible oil spillages in the Gulf.
According to environmental experts, the spillage is not too far from the coast so that it is unlikely to cause any damage to the local ecosystems. It is crucial to contain the damage and prevent it from reaching aquatic organisms or sediment on the shore.
It is moving along the coast. It has not yet moved inshore, and it isn't contaminating the coast area. That's why it's crucial to do as much work before it does, Wilma Subra, a technical adviser at Louisiana Environmental Action Network, said to NPR.
It can take longer to identify spills after a hurricane than you expected.
Oil and gas companies are required to evacuate personnel working on offshore rigs due to the severity of hurricanes in the Gulf. Subra explained that this can slow down the time it takes to find and address oil spillages.
Subra stated that it is difficult for most people to see the water, so satellite imagery is necessary.
People who work in the Gulf seafood industry, which is worth billions of dollars, would be affected if oil spillages reach closer to the coast. Potential harm to shrimp, crabs, fish and other marine life could impact thousands of jobs.
Subra stated that "it will have an enormous negative impact on both the environment and the ability of the communities continue to survive."
