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The Coast Guard continues to respond to impacts on waterways and assess environmental threats in southeast Louisiana on Saturday after Hurricane Ida.
In partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), the Coast Guard continues its efforts to reopen the waterways affected by Hurricane Ida in the areas of Bayou Lafourche, the navigation channel from Houma and parts of the Gulf Intra-coastal Waterway.
They say barriers to affected waterways are identified and removed to restore the area to pre-storm conditions.
To date, 85 obstructions, consisting mainly of fishing vessels, crew vessels, barges and supply vessels at sea, have been identified in the channel of Bayou Lafourche.
As of September 19, the US Army Corps of Engineers estimated that all obstructions on the Houma shipping channel had been removed.
In Bayou Lafourche and Port Fourchon:
Bayou Lafourche is closed north of Leeville. U.S. Coast Guard crews from the Hurricane Ida Houma Incident Command Post and the U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Emergency Response Team coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the US Navy Supervisor (SUPSALV) and Port Fourchon Harbor Manager to assess sunken and damaged bottoms. vessels and other obstructions in waterways before starting rescue and removal operations.
Achieving these efforts will help protect the environment from oil and hazardous materials threats, reopen waterways and increase trade flow to the region.
In the Houma navigation channel:
The Houma navigation channel is fully open without restrictions. The Terrebonne Parish Levee and Conservation District completed repairs to the Bubba Dove valve and the width restrictions at the valve were lifted.
In the intra-coastal Gulf waterway:
The Coast Guard works with the US Army Corps of Engineers to mitigate shoals and severe obstructions in the Intracoastal Gulf Waterway, a vital trade link for barge traffic across the entire Gulf Coast. Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is closed from mile post 18-20 due to shoal formation, and from mile post 21-33 as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will conduct dredging operations . The alternative route to Port Allen is open to maritime traffic.
In local waterways:
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, many local waterways are still clogged with debris and potential dangers swallowed up. The US Coast Guard continues to assess local waterways for obstructions and severe shoals, resulting in some narrowed canals, and which are critical to the local commercial fishing industry. All mariners must continue to check in with VTS Berwick Bay at kilometer 110 on the Atchafalaya River.
Restoration of navigation aids:
From 5 p.m. on Friday:
- 14 Coast Guard units, made up of Coast Guard crews and Aids to Navigation teams, restore damaged or destroyed aids to navigation in waterways heavily affected by Hurricane Ida.
- Of the 408 damaged or offline aids to navigation, 366 aids to navigation have been fully restored or have been subject to temporary fixes, nearly 90% of those identified.
Barataria Bay Waterway
From 5 p.m. on Friday:
- Aids to Navigation Morgan City and Dulac crews are restoring damaged or offline aids in the Grand Isle / Barataria Bay area following Hurricane Ida.
- 68 of the 86 navigation aids were damaged or destroyed in the Barataria Waterway, Barataria Canal and Bayou Rigaud, accounting for 79% of all navigation signals in these waterways.
- Almost 89% of the navigation aids in these waterways have been fixed temporarily or permanently.
Response to pollution
To date, the Coast Guard has assessed 2,495 pollution reports. Of the 2,495 reports, there are:
- 2,477 reports that have been closed or transferred to the appropriate jurisdictions,
- 317 reports where the reports were not verified because there was no evidence of pollution at the site,
- 312 reports where the Coast Guard actively oversees mitigation efforts that are led by responsible parties,
- 18 reports are under investigation by the Coast Guard.
Those numbers will change as environmental response teams continue to assess and re-prioritize targets, they say.
Anyone who sees pollution is encouraged to contact NRC at 1-800-424-8802.
Those with unrequited removal costs or damage resulting from an oil spill in navigable waters or the threat of an oil spill in navigable waters may be entitled to compensation from Oil Spill Liability. Trust Fund.
Inquiries can contact 1-800-280-7118 to see if you are eligible for a claim.
Port conditions change based on weather forecasts, and current port conditions can be viewed on the following Coast Guard home port web pages:
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