restoring and protecting Louisiana’s coast

Barrier Plan

June 16, 2010

Kyle GrahamDeputy Director of Planning and ProgramsOffice of the Governor – Coastal ActivitiesKyle.graham@LA.gov; 225.342.9036

"There is on the globe one single spot…"

Coastal Louisiana

7,721 miles of tidal shoreline

Coastline/Shoreline

Response Efforts - Multiple Lines of Defense

1. Well capping

2. Dispersant3. Skimming

4. Burning

5. Freshwater Diversions

6. Boom plans7. Gap-filling/Air-drops

8. Barrier Island Sand booms

Comprehensive Plan

• April 20th – Rig Explosion• April 22nd Rig Sank• May 3rd – Continued efforts to engage BOP• May 6th Containment Vessel lowered • May 8th Containment Vessel Removed• May 11th Top Hat Lowered• May 17th Riser Insertion Tool Tube Engaged• May 21st Insertion Tube Collection amounts drop• May 29th – Top Kill Failed• Spill Controlled – Date Undetermined (August???)• Oil in Gulf contained – 2020?

Timeline of Unfortunate Events

Oil in Wetlands Almost Impossible to Remove

•Burning wetlands

•Leaving oil in place

•NIC recognizes preference of shoreline impact versus coastal wetland impact

Where is the Oil?

Sand Barriers Proposed

Contingency Plans

Contingency Plans

Area Contingency Plan

• 4530.8 Berms and Dams•• Coastal shores are barriers to spreading oil. Temporary berms, dikes and dams can also

serve as effective barriers against oil contamination of sensitive natural resources and economic amenities. Berms, dikes and dams are simply another form of booming and are subject to the same environmental stresses.

• Generally, sediment berms, dikes and dams will most often be used to protect small coastal inlets or perhaps tidal channels serving wetlands and marshes when these channels are accessible. The object of berms, dikes and dams is to keep oil outside an inlet because there are often abundant natural resources and economically significant areas that use the sheltered waters of bays and estuaries within. Occasionally, dikes and dams have been used across a channel to contain the oil within a portion of marsh in order to prevent widespread contamination of other resources.

Sand Barrier Proposal Overview• Initially proposed by Deltares and Van Oord

– Deltares is a world renown Dutch independent research institute for water, soil and subsurface issues that specializes in finding innovative solutions for life in deltas.

– Van Oord one of the leading dredging and marine contractors in the world.

• Concept modified by State Engineers and Scientists; Submitted for Section 404 permit on May 11th.

• Corps of Engineers issued permit for partial project authorization on May 27th.– Corps of Engineers found project qualified as “an emergency as defined by those

regulations as an unacceptable hazard to life, a significant loss of property, or an immediate, unforeseen, and significant economic hardship…”

1. Shorten the coastline and focus protective measures (ratio: roughly 100 miles to over 3000 miles)

2. Beaches are effective barriers for oil spill and beaches can be cleaned better than marshlands

3. Sand can be nourished to create barrier beaches in front of the delta.

Proposal Principles

During construction the berm may be translated landward to take advantage of existing island footprint.

Implementation

• May 11th USACE permit submitted• May 27th -USACE Proffers Permit for 6 segments issued• May 27th USCG recommends construction of 1 segment• May 31st – H-SERT meeting• June 1st – Admiral Allen evaluation• June 2nd – All 6 segments recommended for

construction• June 4th- Shaw contracted for implementations• June 14th – Dredge depositing sand

Equipment and Schedule

Reach Project Estimates (months)

E3 5E4 - South 3E4 - North 4

W8 5W9 3W10 3W11 5

Approximately 80 pieces of equipment including 5 hopper dredges and 6 cutter head dredges will be engaged in this project.

Could They Work?

Kyle GrahamDeputy Director of Planning and ProgramsOffice of the Governor – Coastal ActivitiesKyle.Graham@LA.gov; 225.342.9036

Thank You