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Case: Lake Barre, LA
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Date of incident: May 16, 1997.
Location: Lake Barre, Louisiana.
Trustees:
Case status: Settled November 15, 1999.
Overview: On May 16, 1997, 6,561 barrels of crude oil (approximately 275,560 gallons) were released after a pipeline ruptured in Lake Barre, Louisiana. Extensive areas of marsh were oiled, and shrimp, small fish, and invertebrates were killed. The spill area was closed to oyster harvesting for 74 days.
NOAA staff worked with co-trustees to conduct the natural resource damage
assessment. They found that the major impact of the discharge was to marsh
habitat on the north and northwest portions of Lake Barre. The discharge also
affected marine and estuarine fish and bottom-dwelling species, birds,
sediments, and public use. The trustees conducted an ecological analysis to
determine the scale of marsh creation necessary to compensate for injuries to
all trust resources and services while minimizing the cost and duration of the
assessment so restoration could commence as soon as possible.
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