Petrochemical gumbo: One year (2009) releases in the Louisiana environment

Large petroleum spills such as the Deepwater Horizon blowout on April 20, 2010, gain the headlines, but petrochemical spills are not unusual in the Louisiana environment. This research analyzes the toxic chemical releases as reported the National Response Center in Louisiana in 2009. The National Response Center is the federal point of contact for toxic releases into the environment, and investigations and cleanup responses are launched from these reports. In 2009, there were 3,638 incidents reported to the NRC in Louisiana. Of these, platform incidents make up the majority – 56 percent. Equipment failure and hurricanes from previous years are top causes for these releases, and most are occurring in shallow Gulf of Mexico waters. Additional information about the communities affected by releases and the substances and negative health effects from these spills will be discussed, as well as mitigation recommendations including coastal restoration to protect petrochemical infrastructure and stricter regulations on maintenance and repairs on platforms.