Date: Aug. 7, 2008

Contact:  Joint Information Center
(504) 393-0372

CREWS CONTINUE TO CLEAN MISSISSIPPI RIVER

NEW ORLEANS – Oil cleanup along the Mississippi River here progressed Wednesday as shoreline cleanup and assessment teams (SCAT) completed their initial surveys.

The SCATs examined every mile of river from the scene of the incident to Head of Passes, once by boat and then by land at every accessible point. Their observations helped determine what techniques and equipment will be used at oiled sites.  

Four SCATs are in the field Thursday, where they are evaluating cleanup crews’ progress.

Those cleanup crews removed about 4,900 cubic yards of oily debris by Thursday and continue to comb the river’s banks. The debris includes dead branches, thin willow roots known as shaggy beard, trash and other removable material. All debris is taken to a local landfill.

As cleanup operations continue, workers will gradually shift from their initial response phase to a managed recovery phase. The managed recovery will involve final cleanup activities, fewer workers and less equipment, as well as the final disposal of waste. Federal and state officials will continue to oversee the recovery to ensure all threats to the environment are minimized.

Editor’s note: The volume of recovered oil and water mixture from the river and shoreline areas will be available at a later date. Please note the amount of mixture reported will be the volume after separating the oil from the water. The Unified Command expects lower volume estimates than previously reported, but those estimates will represent a higher concentration of oil in the mixture.

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