Sand berms explored as method to contain BP oil disaster

An internal BP document reveals that the company's former oil well could be spewing as many as 100 thousand barrels of oil daily into the Gulf of Mexico. That's more than 4 million gallons of oil per day and 20 times more oil than what BP had publicly acknowledged. Congress member Ed Markey released the information to the public, but a BP spokesperson said the document was based on a hypothetical worst case scenario. Either way, the spill has turned into the worst environmental disaster of its type in US history and a clear end is still not in sight.

People in the affected areas continue to seek ways to keep the oil out of the coastal wetlands. Some experts say booms have proven ineffective at holding back the oil because they haven't been laid properly and the oil hasn't been skimmed off at frequent intervals. Bumper stickers around New Orleans support a sand berm strategy promoted by Billy Nungesser, the President of Plaquemines Parish, but not all agree it's the best way to capture the oil. As this plan moves forward, FSRN heard from people on the front lines. Zoe Sullivan has more.

A series of barrier islands stands between the wetlands of Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. These islands protect a rich ecosystem of swamps and marshes. But they have been eroding at a rate of 25 square miles per year, a rate that some scientists call extreme.

With the oil spill further threatening these vulnerable wetlands, some propose creating walls of sand, called berms, to catch the oil.

British Petroleum has promised Louisiana $360 million to build berms, and they sent a check for $60 million to the state in June. Yet experts warn that a tropical storm could wash the berms away, leaving the shore exposed once more. This also raises some question of whether BP would have to pay for additional measures.

P.J. Hahn is the director of Coastal management in Plaquemines Parish. He challenges critics to present alternative proposals:

“I really believe that there is no other way. This sand berm has been analyzed, and they’ve all agreed this is the only way you’re going to stop the oil effectively.”

While some experts agree with the principles of the berm proposal, they caution that this method is not foolproof. Denise Reed is a professor in the Earth and Environmental Science Department at the University of New Orleans:

“There are going to be gaps in this berm. The tidal passes will remain open. So one of the purposes of the berm is to make sure that there are only a few locations where oil can get from the Gulf into the estuary. So, if we’re channeling it to a certain point, then we have to be able to contain it and pick it up at that point.”

Reed stressed the need for multiple strategies in the event that one fails. She also identified temporary solutions:

“Rocks are not a natural feature of our shoreline, but this is an emergency. So if there’s a small cut and we close it with rocks, then after the spill we can go in and take them out. Then I think that’s a viable option. Similarly with barges. I think strategically they could be used in some locations because you can move them.”

The Gulf Restoration Network, an environmental advocacy organization for the Gulf’s coastal wetlands, raises another issue. Members of the organization are concerned that the use of sand to build berms could deplete sediment from marshes that already suffer from land loss. Aaron Viles is the group’s campaign director:

“All this stuff needs to be done with an eye towards the ecosystem. Are we going to do more harm than good? These questions need to be raised, and I think we…probably need an independent team to look at this stuff. Politically there’s a lot to be gained by coming out forcefully for something, but we need to make sure that something does more to protect that ecosystem from the oil than it does damage to the ecosystem.”

The Gulf Restoration Network has also called for a federalized response to the disaster:

“Wouldn’t it be great if the U.S. Navy was telling the Cajun Navy what to do? I think we’d be a lot more effective taking the command and control structure of the military and..melding it with the knowledge of the local resource that our shrimpers and our oystermen bring to the table to defend these eco-systems.”

Berm construction has begun on the north end of the Chandeleur Islands. These 50 mile-long barrier islands off the Louisiana coast are part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge.