Online:
Visits:
Stories:
Profile image
By Deborah Dupre (Reporter)
Contributor profile | More stories
Story Views

Now:
Last Hour:
Last 24 Hours:
Total:

29-Acre La. Sinkhole Gulps More Trees, More Disastrous

Wednesday, March 26, 2014 17:43
% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

(Before It's News)

 

Correction: The infamous Louisiana sinkhole is 29 acres now, not 26 as this article originally stated.

 

The Louisiana sinkhole disaster grew even larger Wednesday, according to officials who advised at 6:25 PM CT that the gigantic 29-acre sinkhole again burped and swallowed more land, this time almost taking a well pad with it.

 

"At approximately 3:45 this afternoon, a burp and slough-in occurred on the sinkhole," Assumption Parish officials said in a written statement.

 

According to the officials, debris is present and floating on the sinkhole and trees near Pad #3 sloughed in.

 

The giant 5-acre hole appeared in August 2012 and has been spewing dangerous chemicals ever since. It was 400 yards in diameter when first discovered, after months of locals compaining to the state environmental and related agencies that methane was bubbling and earthquakes were happening. The chemical hole prompted a mandatory evacuation in early August that has been in place since.

 

"A slight odor of hydrocarbons is present in the Bayou Corne community," officials say after today's slough-in and increasing in size.

 

The sinkhole formed when an underground salt cavern collapsed in the 1-mile by 3-mile Napoleonville Salt Dome storage facility for fossil fuel-related industries. 

 

A pattern has been noted in regard to the sinkhole's growth spurts. In the past, seismic activity is reported, the sinkhole burps up debris and more chemicals, and a slough-in happens - bringing down hundred-year-old trees and whatever else is around.

 

Workers are risking their lives in attempt to stop what seems unstoppable. Earlier today, officials had given the all clear for workers to be on the job there. Many have requested and others have demanded that government and industry protect these workers by halting all work in and near the site. These assertions have fallen on deaf ears, and seemingly will continue to do so until serious injury or worse occurs. 

 

This scandal should be enough for any American with regard for human life to dismiss Gov. Bobby Jindal's aspirations to be president of the nation, critics say.

 

"Burps" happen when air and methane gas from deep in the sinkhole bubble up. It can cause debris and an oily substance to float to the top and begin seeping throughout the nearby Cajun communities. A slough-in is when the sinkhole swallows trees and land on the edge of the ever expanding sinkhole.

 

The swampy area has over 100 places, including in neighborhood yards, where methane is percolating and seeping in underground cracks, crevices and an aquifer.

 

Report abuse

Comments

Your Comments
Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

Total 5 comments
  • All very depressing, and all indications are that the industry will continue converting our country into a patchwork of sacrifice zones, until we all hurt enough to say “enough.”

  • Isn’t this from last year?

    • The report is current, video is from last year.

  • And workers are out there on the job every day, risking their lives, as they were earlier today. Anything for our fossil fuel industries.

    Want more disasters like this? Yes? Then be sure to support oil/gas puppet Bobby Jindal for president of the nation – or Hillary… Yes, Virginia. It can get even worse.

    Time for Wave of Action, my friends.

  • The Extensive salt mines underneath this giant swamp land didn’t help the situation.

Top Stories
Recent Stories

Register

Newsletter

Email this story
Email this story

If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.