BP completes active clean up phase of Louisiana coast

Nearly four years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, BP has announced that the “active cleanup” phase of the Louisiana coast is ending.  According to a BP press release on April 15, 2014, the U.S. Coast Guard has ended it patrols and operations on the Louisiana shoreline bringing to close the massive clean-up efforts that followed the accident.

According to Laura Folse, BP’s executive vice president for Response and Environmental Restoration, “BP has spent more than $14 billion and more than 70 million personnel hours on response and cleanup activities.”  Despite the active clean up ending, BP will keep response resources in place if Macondo oil requires removal.  BP, in collaboration with the Coast Guard and state and local agencies identified 1,104 miles of shoreline that experienced some level of oiling and 778 miles that required some measure of cleaning.

According to the press release, BP reports the following clean up facts:

         Amenity beaches were generally cleaned to depths of up to five feet, using mechanical equipment that sifts out residual oil and other debris from below the beach surface while returning clean sand to the beach.

         Non-recreational beaches and environmentally sensitive areas were generally hand-cleaned to depths of up to six inches, but deeper if it was ecologically safe and approved by the Coast Guard, stakeholders and others.

         Multiple techniques were used to treat oiled marsh areas and promote natural attenuation without causing further damage.

         A comprehensive scientific effort was launched in mid-2012 to locate and remove potential pockets of subsurface material. In Louisiana, more than 40,000 holes and pits were excavated across seven barrier islands, and the vast majority either had no visible oil or levels so low that treatment was not appropriate or required. For example, just three percent of the more than 16,000 auger holes had oiling levels that required cleanup and less than 2 percent of the over 24,000 pits had heavy or moderate oiling.

         Assessment teams continuously surveyed the shoreline and recommended treatment options. More than 100,000 tons of material was collected from the cleanup efforts. The total consists of not only the mixed residual material – which was typically 10-15 percent residual oil and 85-90 percent sand, shells and water – but during the first year of operations it also included other solid material such as debris and protective clothing.

         Under the long-standing NRC process, the Coast Guard investigates reports of oil, identifies the source, and directs the responsible party to respond if necessary. Transitioning back to this system will reduce the number of people and vehicles on beaches and other areas, further minimizing disruptions to the environment and to visitors.  People can report possible sightings of oil-based material to the National Response Center by calling 1-800-424-8802.

Despite the completion of the “active cleanup” phase, scientific research and monitoring of the environmental and health impacts are still in progress.