The response to BP/Transocean's Deepwater Horizon incident responders scheduled a controlled, on-location burn on April 28, 2010. This controlled burn removed oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and marine and other wildlife. Workboats consolidated oil into a fire resistant boom approximately 500 feet long. This oil was then be towed to a more remote area, where it will be ignited and burned in a controlled manner. The plan called for small, controlled burns of several thousand gallons of oil lasting approximately one hour each.

No populated areas are expected to be affected by the controlled burn operations and there are no anticipated impacts to marine mammals and sea turtles. In order to ensure safety, the Environmental Protection Agency continuously monitored air quality and burning was halted if safety standards could not be maintained. The other ongoing response activities, such as on-water skimming, dispersant application, and subsurface wellhead intervention operations, continue in conjunction with the controlled burning.

A toll free number has been established to report oiled or injured wildlife. To report affected wildlife, call (866) 557-1401. Individuals are urged not to attempt to help injured or oiled animals, but to report any sightings to the toll free number. For more information regarding the Deepwater Horizon incident, contact the joint information center at (985) 902-5231/5240

Additional Resources

www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com