GRAND BAYOU, LA (WAFB) -
Increased bubbling on the western side of the sinkhole and increased
seismic activity have stopped all work in and around the giant sinkhole
in Assumption Parish Friday.
The Office of Conservation announced
the sinkhole alert status has been raised to code three, which means
all work inside and around the area have to stop until further notice.
The statement on the Assumption Parish Police Jury website
says "Seismic monitoring has detected elevated subsurface activity in
the area around the sinkhole and Oxy 3 area indicative of fluid and gas
movement below the sinkhole, and water movement in the sinkhole has
been observed, along with increased bubbling along the western side of
the sinkhole. The seismic activity is limited to the Oxy 3/sinkhole
area, showing no indication of impact to the Oxy 1 area. Monitoring is
constantly ongoing in the area and Conservation will advise the public
of significant changes in subsurface conditions."
Bubbles were spotted in Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou in June 2012. Two months
later, the ground opened up and left a nine acre sinkhole. Residents were
evacuated and have been for the past seven months. Most affected residents
began receiving weekly checks from Texas-Brine in the amount of $875 per week. The
sinkhole is now about 12 acres in size.
Governor Bobby Jindal visited the sinkhole site and spoke to residents earlier this week. It was his first visit since the sinkhole appeared.
Jindal's visit came 10 days after California based environmentalist Erin
Brockovich visited residents at Bayou Corne with California based attorney Tom
Girardi. Girardi has offered his legal services to any resident who decides to
take further action against Texas Brine and all parties responsible for their
troubles over the past seven months. Brockovich says litigation, if things come
to that, could take months or even years to resolve. She says her role, as it
has been for nearly two decades in dozens of cases like this one, would be to
keep the community united.
On March 13, Texas-Brine, a Houston based company which owns the salt dome
that caused the sinkhole, announced they would begin assessing the homes and
offering buyouts and settlements for the 350 people evacuated.
"Our commitment from that state is we will hold Texas Brine
accountable. We're going to make sure they're responsible for cleaning up mess
they have caused. We are going to do everything we can to make sure that they
truly make this right," said Governor Jindal during his visit to the sinkhole.
Copyright 2013 WAFB. All rights reserved.
Flyover picture of sinkhole on 3-21-13 (Source: Assumption Parish OEP)
