Louisiana oil and gas salt mine storage sinkhole

[Shannon Dosemagen]

I'm not sure if anyone caught this story recently from Louisiana, but thought some would be interested... a Texas company has been using salt mines to store waste from oil and gas drilling operations in Assumption Parish and a massive (526x640 feet and 400 feet deep) sinkhole has opened up in the marshes. Back in 95 the LA DNR actually gave the Texas company a permit to use the site to "dispose of naturally occurring radioactive material" all without telling residents in the surrounding area that any of this was happening. 

Here's a story about whats been going on: http://abcnews.go.com/US/louisiana-sinkhole-engulfs-boat-workers-rescued/story?id=17021557#.UC4lFGP9MwQ

And here is a much better piece from the the Institute for Southern Studies on the background of how it got to this point: http://www.southernstudies.org/2012/08/environmental-disaster-on-louisiana-bayou-highlights-radioactive-hazards-of-oil-and-gas-dril

[Scott Eustis]

Note well:  that article lists Louisiana as the first state to regulate NORM.  in 1992. Most interior oil and gas drilling was done between 1930 and 1980.  

In many instances, waste drilling fluids, called "muds", were disposed of on site. 

There are thousands of these waste pits next to old drilling sites scattered across the state.  My grandfather, still a petroleum geologist, always wanted me to go into the business of cleaning them up.

Unfortunately, oil exploration and production wastes are except from most federal environmental laws, including the ones that created superfund.  And LA state law is weak, so there is a trickle of money for the few companies that do these clean ups.

There are many lawsuits, called "legacy lawsuits," over this issue, between the companies that own the land, and the oil extraction companies.  many of these lawsuits have been going on for decades. 

s 

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Scott Eustis
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