‘Thick, thick brown stuff’ covers 2-mile area of Breton Sound.
Capt. Ron Price was heading out to Breton Sound to put his clients on some fish this morning (June 8), but was surprised when he came across an oil slick about 2 miles northeast of Baptiste Collette.
“It stunk really bad,” Price said.
Photos and a short video showing the slick are being obtained by LouisianaSportsman.com, and will be posted as soon as possible.
The spill, which currently is being investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard, covered an area roughly 2 miles across, he said.
“There were parts of it that were really thick: thick, thick brown stuff on top,” said Price, who owns Fish Intimidator Pro-Guide Service.
The Coast Guard’s Lt. Sue Kerver told LouisianaSportsman.com that her agency had yet to determine the source of the slick, but that helicopter overflights and water samples had been conducted.
Kerver said it normally takes two or three days to identify the source of an oil slick.
Price said the slick was in open water but heading toward the marsh.
“That’s what concerned me because one it makes contact, it’s made contact and you can’t do anything about it,” he said.
The Coast Guard said in a news release that Oil Mop had been contracted to clean up the sheen.
“Oil Mop … has deployed three barge boats, two workboats and a containment boom trailer, which are currently en route to Venice,” the release reads.
And Price said he saw trucks from the company heading south on Highway 23 about 3:15 p.m.
“Apparently whoever they are is jumping on it,” he said.
