Monday, June 14, 2010

Louisiana Guard Begins Shoreline Protection Project

From a Louisiana National Guard News Release

La., June 14, 2010 - The Louisiana National Guard started shore protection operations in Cameron Parish June 12 by staging Hesco barrier wall equipment that will be placed along eight miles of shoreline by members of the 928th Sapper Company, 769th Engineer Battalion.

The shoreline protection barrier, like the 2.5 miles of wall completed by the Guardsmen in Port Fourchon, is designed to keep encroaching oil from entering the marshlands that lie along the coastline.

The Hesco barrier wall will consist of linked Hesco sections, each consisting of five linked baskets that are then filled with sand. This shoreline protection barrier is one of several key Louisiana Guard oil spill response operations.

The Guardsmen also continue to use vacuum barges to suction oil near East Grand Terre Island. More than 8,100 gallons of oil have been removed thus far.

At Pelican and Scofield Islands, the Louisiana Guard continues to drop sandbags to fill 14 key gaps in the shoreline. To date, eight gaps on Pelican Island and one gap on Scofield Island are complete. More than 4,370 sandbags have been emplaced on Scofield Island alone.

The Louisiana Guard has completed about seven miles of Tiger Dam shoreline protection system at Southwest Pass, and almost eight miles at Grand Isle. In addition, about 2,000 feet of Tiger Dam shoreline protection system has been laid on Elmer's Island to protect low-lying areas.

The Louisiana Guard is closely coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard and parish officials, officials said, to support current operations and determine future missions in support of parish protection plans.

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