After a week of uncontrolled spillage, a leak pouring more than 70,000 gallons of oil into a Louisiana marsh has been contained, according to the Coast Guard. However, cleanup of the area surrounding the 83-year-old oil well at the heart of the spill is still ongoing.
The well, operated by Spectrum Opco, was first noted as spilling an oil and gas mixture into the environment in Plaquemines Parish, southeast of New Orleans, on April 26.
The World War II-era well was capped over a decade ago, according to local outlets WWNO and Nola.com. While the Coast Guard announced on May 4 that the leak had been contained, its cause has yet to be determined.
The Coast Guard and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office (LOSCO), known together in this case as the Unified Command, took over the situation on May 1 and said as of May 4 that it had "successfully secured the discharge of oil and natural gas." The agency also said it was partnering with a litany of organizations on cleanup efforts, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
As of the May 4 announcement, responders have deployed 15,000 feet of containment boom and 740 bales of absorbent boom (devices used in spills to block and absorb substances) to recover approximately 70,812 gallons of oily water mixture. The total amount of oil discharged is still unknown at this time.
"Gaining control of the discharge is a vital milestone, but it marks only the beginning of our work," said Capt. Greg Callaghan, U.S. Coast Guard, Federal on Scene Coordinator, in a statement. "The Unified Command is fully committed to an exhaustive cleanup effort and will remain on site for as long as necessary to ensure the removal of oil and the safety of both the community and the ecosystem."
Nearby areas are protected marshlands that house wildlife like turtles, waterfowl, fish and shrimp. The impact on the ecosystem is not yet known, but the Coast Guard said at least one "oiled bird" had been seen but not captured.