Politics & Government
Coast Guard R&D To Examine Oil Washed Ashore By Isaac
New London Coast Guard facility to analyzing oil samples sent from Gulf Coast
The is analyzing oil samples from the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Isaac apparently triggered several oil and chemical leaks.
The New Orleans news website NOLA.com reports that the Coast Guard is investigating 90 reports of oil and chemical leaks following the storm. Louisiana state officials closed a 12-mile section of coastline after oil and tar balls washed ashore.
The location of the contamination led to speculation that the storm stirred up old oil spilled following the explosion at the BP Deepwater Horizon rig in 2010. Samples of the oil were sent to the New London facility, and the analysis will help determine whether the oil originated from the Deepwater Horizon spill. The analysis will take about a week.
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The Coast Guard Research and Development Center includes a marine safety laboratory, which conducts forensic oil analysis. The center expanded its focus on spill response after the Deepwater Horizon spill to include mitigating shoreline damage and several other areas, according to Signal Magazine.
