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Photos released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in addition to aerial photos taken by the Associated Press appear to show oil leaks near a Gulf oil rig and oil facilities in Louisiana.
Photos taken by NOAA showed the Phillips 66 Alliance refinery, located 25 miles south of New Orleans, appeared to be severely flooded and leaking a shard commonly associated with oil spills, the news service said. reported.
A spokesperson for Phillips 66 told the AP on Monday that “water” had entered the refinery, but said that before Hurricane Ida the refinery had ceased operations. Spokesman Bernardo Fallas confirmed to the AP on Wednesday that a shard had been discovered.
“At the moment, the shard appears to be secure and contained within the refinery grounds,†Fallas told the AP via email. “Cleaning teams are on site. The incident was reported to the appropriate regulatory agencies upon discovery. “
A black slick in the Gulf also appeared to be present around a rig’s helipad, which bore the name “Enterprise Offshore Drilling”. Several attempts to reach the company were unsuccessful by the AP.
A spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources admitted to the news service that they had been informed informally that the waters south of Port Fourchon had a noticeable luster, but explained that they did not the ability to get their site yet.
Contacted on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) told the AP he had not been made aware of any major spills as a result of Hurricane Ida. However, EPA press secretary Nick Conger told the AP, after the press service provided photos to the agency, that a hotline operated by the US Coast Guard had received. several calls regarding possible leaks.
He explained that an EPA response was not required by any of the reports.
The Hill has contacted the EPA, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Phillips 66 and Enterprise Offshore Drilling for comment.
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