UPDATE: Media outlets last night and this morning are reporting that a Houston company – Anglo-Suisse Offshore Partners – not BP, has taken responsibility for the oil that has approached Grand Isle.
GRAND ISLE, LOUISIANA – March 23, 2011 — Almost a year after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, there are new reports of a large oil slick in the Gulf that is estimated to be as large as 100 miles by 12 miles wide. Oil has also just been discovered on the shore of Elmer’s Island and other shore-side areas east of Grand Isle. The affected area is a series of small pickets spreading out over 30 miles of coastline and is not concentrated in any one area. The U.S. Coast Guard has also begun laying booms in order to protect the marshes and commented that this oil is in an area that was unaffected by the previous spill. Grand Isle Volunteer Fire Chief Aubrey Chaisson said that he believed the situation is currently under control and from a finite source, although there is still no way to tell as of now.
Now is the time to come together and start creating and implementing solutions for our Gulf Coast. Please join us on April 19-21 (on the one year anniversary of the oil spill) at the Gulf Coast Leadership Summit in New Orleans. We are bringing together more than 1,000 local, state and national leaders to empower a better future for the U.S. Gulf Coast. Leaders and experts will discuss the continuing impact of the oil spill, how our residents can find new and better jobs, what new economic sectors and clean energy we should be investing in, and identifying resources and programs for small businesses.
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