The Coast Guard is responding to a crude oil discharge near New Orleans today.
Authorities received a report shortly before 7:30 a.m. on Saturday that approximately 1,050 gallons of crude oil discharged into Garden Island Bay from the Whitney Oil and Gas Garden Island Bay Tank Battery 49 facility due to mechanical issues.
The source of the spill has been secured after personnel at the facility shut down the pump and isolated the line, according to the Coast Guard.
The discharge is all within previously placed containment boom, and caused a 180-foot by 60-foot dark black sheen on the water's surface in Garden Island Bay.
Whitney Oil and Gas hired OMI Environmental Solutions as the oil spill response organization. OMI has two skimmers, two boats, and personnel currently working on active recovery of the product, with 420 gallons of oily water mixture recovered.
Sector New Orleans deployed two incident management division personnel to the site with personnel from Whitney Oil and Gas and Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinators Office.
The cause of the discharge is under investigation.
