PHOTOS: BP oil pollutes Louisiana marshes after Hurricane Isaac

Greenpeace researcher Jesse Coleman shows oil churned up by Hurricane Isaac that has polluted the marshes of Barataria Bay, Louisiana, one of the areas hardest hit by the BP oil disaster, September 6, 2012

Oil from the 2010 BP disaster is polluting marshes and beaches in Louisiana, churned up by Hurricane Isaac more than two years after that spill devastated this area and other parts of the Gulf Coast. After documenting oil this week on a National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama and islands off the coast of Mississippi, Greenpeace and the Gulf Restoration Network investigated the marshes of southern Louisiana, and took samples of oil among the grass, water and soil. According to the New York Times, oil sampled from these Louisiana marshes this week by state wildlife officials has been fingerprinted as oil from the BP disaster.

Oil churned up by Hurricane Isaac pollutes the marshes of Barataria Bay, Louisiana, one of the areas hardest hit by the BP oil disaster, September 6, 2012

In addition to the lasting impacts of the BP oil disaster, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that Hurricane Isaac triggered at least 93 pollution incidents, revealing the oil, coal, and chemical industries’ lack of preparedness and the consequences of allowing these industries to police themselves. We documented one of these major incidents at the Kinder Morgan coal export terminal, which is pumping coal blackened water out of the facility into the surrounding environment.

A dead crab lies in oil churned up by Hurricane Isaac in the marshes of Barataria Bay, Louisiana, September 6, 2012

Some of the oil we found in the Louisiana marshes is weathered tar balls, but much of it is viscous oil that is more toxic and difficult or impossible to remove. Despite BP’s advertising campaigns, there is a huge quantity of oil left in the marine environment from the disaster, as Garrett Graves, who oversees the ongoing BP cleanup for the state of Louisiana told CBS News, “BP has up to 1 million barrels of unaccounted oil in the Gulf of Mexico, and I think it will continue to manifest like this hurricane after hurricane for 10 to 20 years unless BP goes out and does a proactive cleanup effort.”

Oiled boom sits in the marshes of Barataria Bay, Louisiana after Hurricane Isaac churned up oil left in the Gulf of Mexico from the 2010 BP disaster, September 6, 2012

As Gulf Coast residents face years or decades of impacts from the BP oil disaster, this is a reminder of what happens when we let oil companies write this country’s energy plan and endanger our coastlines.

4 thoughts on “PHOTOS: BP oil pollutes Louisiana marshes after Hurricane Isaac”

good job

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And not surprised because theres Numerous other examples of human disregard for life in history. but the fact that im only 17 and the worst enviromental catastrophies have taken place in my life time, im nervous to see what will happen next. and now worried about having children. Crazy world we live in, isnt it?

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well i live in central florida and this news leaves me angered but not surprised.

angered because of the fact that shoreline and oceanic life has been serverly affected yet no one official seems to truly give a fuck. and outside of the enviromental issue theres a safety hazard due to the water supply being contaminated with numerous toxic chemicals and the rain becoming acidic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nylrWp29HCg
just one example^^^

but is any official gonna address this? i doubt it. but we get to shower drink and wallow in it while BP airs commercials sayying everything is fine down here. This is messed up and a disgusting reminder of how fucked up our leaders are.

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