Hurricane Rita Has Gulf Coast Nervous

About 700 private contractors who are deployed each day by riverboat and helicopter are working to contain 6.7 million gallons of spilled oil at remote production sites operated by Bass Enterprises, Chevron, Dynegy, Murphy Oil, Shell and others, says Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Keith Alholm.

It is the largest oil cleanup effort in state history, more than 10 times greater than the remediation of 550,000 gallons of oil spilled by the ship Westchester in the Mississippi River in November 2000.

Roland Guidry, the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator, said that authorities are concerned Hurricane Rita could move from the Florida Keys to the Louisiana coast, threatening the safety of crews working in rugged drilling areas that the Katrina rendered inaccessible.

To provide temporary lodging on the river for several hundred emergency workers, the Federal Maritime Administration, a unit of the Department of Transportation, has deployed five ships to Louisiana, the last of which arrived over the weekend. Two of those ships are anchored in oil field cleanup areas.

The government is considering deploying two more ships with several hundred additional berths.
The U.S. Coast Guard, which continues to airlift water and ice to some workers on the ground, says a lack of electric power in the area also slows the cleanup.

The Coast Guard reported spills at these oil company installations:

? Bass Enterprises: 3.8 million gallons spilled due to damage to two storage tanks at a remote site in southern Louisiana identified on Mississippi River navigational charts as Mile Marker 35.

? Chevron: 991,788 gallons due to a ruptured tank or transfer line at Buras, La. An additional 53,592 gallons spilled at Chevron's Port Fourchon pipeline. At a third Chevron site known as Wagon Wheel, 8,400 gallons spilled. Several birds were among the reported wildlife casualties.

? Dynegy: 70,000 gallons spilled due to two tank failures near Venice, La.

? Murphy Oil: 819,000 gallons spilled at Meraux, La., due to a ruptured tank. As a result, Murphy said, two class-action lawsuits were filed against it by local residents seeking unspecified damages.

? Shell Oil: 933,870 gallons spilled due to a tank or pipeline breach in southern Louisiana identified on Mississippi River charts as Mile Marker 3. An additional 10,500 gallons spilled at Port Sulphur.