The first known patch of oil washed up on Freemason Island, in the Chandeleur Islands chain off Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish, Coast Guard officials reportedly said.
Although small traces of oil were reported on the shores of Louisiana over the past few days, a larger more destructive part of the BP oil disaster spreading toward Gulf state shores now is beginning to arrive.
The landfall, reported Thursday, also appeared off New Harbor Island, another part of the chain. Wildlife was also seen swimming in and around the oil, which is now spreading from the Mississippi River Delta to about 50 miles off Pensacola, Florida. Concerns are for wildlife -- and the damage to the livelihoods of residents in the Gulf --- that the increase in oil making landfall will affect. Louisiana officials have already closed the area to fishing, immediately taking its toll on a multibillion-dollar industry.
A weather forecast for later in the week has winds shifting toward the south, which should keep the oil from the coast for a little longer In the meantime, BP towed a four-story-high containment vessel to the well site overnight and will lower it over the leak in order to collect the leaking oil - except that placing huge structure in the correct position could take days in the deep water. At the same time, two specially created burn rigs are setting fire to patches of oil near in an attempt to destroy the oil before it reaches the coast.
If the oil from the disastrous BP spill takes a toll on your livelihood, you need to know your rights under the law. The Doan Law Firm has extensive experience in personal injury and negligence litigation. For more information on your rights as a Gulf Coast resident, contact The Doan Law Firm at 1 Riverway, Suite 1700, Houston, TX 77056. Phone: (713) 869-4747 or (800) 910-FIRM.