Officials Looking to Burn Oil Spilled by Tanker Explosion off of Gulf Coast
In an effort to prevent the oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico from reaching the Louisiana shoreline, crews are discussing burning the slick. In a complicated process intended to keep the oil from reaching the sensitive marsh coastline, officials are discussing an idea that would shift the oil to a safer location where it would then be ignited in some way and allowed to burn.
The Associated Press reports
A 500-foot boom will be used to corral several thousand gallons of the thickest oil on the surface, which will then be towed to a more remote area, set on fire, and allowed to burn for about an hour, the Coast Guard said. Such burns will continue throughout the day if they are working.It was unclear what would be used to set the oil on fire and how far from shore it would burn. The slick was about 20 miles east of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
About 42,000 gallons of oil a day are leaking into the Gulf from the blown-out well where the Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank last week. Eleven workers are missing and presumed dead. The cause of the explosion has not been determined.Greg Pollock, head of the oil spill division of the Texas General Land Office, which is providing equipment for crews in the Gulf, said he is not aware of a similar burn ever being done off the U.S. coast. The last time crews with his agency used fire booms to burn oil was a 1995 spill on the San Jacinto River.
Preventing the oil from reaching the coast is inherently important because of the delicate ecosystem that exists along Louisiana's Gulf shore. As the article mentions, the oil is only twenty miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River and should that toxic material become integrated with the plant and wildlife that thrive in that area the results could be catastrophic.
The burn, on the other hand, appears to be a much safer option, according to Pollock
"I would say there is little threat to the environment because it won't coat an animal, and because all the volatiles have been consumed if it gets on a shore it can be simply picked up," he said.Authorities also said they expect no impact on sea turtles and marine mammals in the burn area.
A graphic posted by authorities fighting the slick shows it covering an area about 100 miles long and 45 miles across at its widest point.
What happens if this burn does not work is unclear but the potential harm it could cause local fisherman and businesses that operate within a clean, healthy environment is serious. The relief well that is being worked on could take months to complete while oil continues to spew into the Gulf and increasingly endanger the Gulf Coast states.
We will continue to monitor this issue and post news as it becomes available.
