More Dead Fish and Oil Mississippi River Outlet

Florida Oil Spill Law

State authorities say fish kill in St. Bernard Parish waters likely caused by low oxygen levels, Times Picayune, August 23, 2010:

The fish were found Sunday afternoon, floating near boom that had been deployed in the area to catch oil from the BP oil leak, and washed up on the shoreline, St. Bernard Parish government said in a news release.

“Different species were found dead including crabs, sting rays, eel, drum, speckled trout, red fish, you name it, included in that kill,” St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro said.

Taffaro said there was oil in the area…

[Also] a thick, orange substance with tar balls and a “strong diesel smell” was located Monday morning around Grassy Island, the news release said. Skimmers were dispatched to the area.
Large fish kill found at mouth of Mississippi River Gulf outlet, CNN, August 23, 2010:

[T]he president of St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana [said] “I’m talking about 5,000 to 15,000 dead fish,” Craig Taffaro said of the Sunday discovery…

According to Taffaro, there is some “recoverable oil” in the area but there also have been “oxygen issues,” so officials don’t know yet if the fish kill is related to the BP oil spill. Officials from the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department are investigating.
St. Bernard reports fish kill at mouth of MRGO, New Orleans CityBusiness, August 23, 2010:

Authorities in St. Bernard Parish report a large fish kill was found Sunday afternoon at the mouth of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet. Thousands of dead fish were found floating on top of the water, collected in boom and washed up on the shoreline….

St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro… said oil from the Deepwater Horizon leak was believed to have been in the area as well, but he stopped short of blaming it for the fish kill. …

St. Bernard Parish Government also reported a half-mile long orange thick substance with several tar balls and a strong diesel smell was located this morning around Grassy Island. Skimmers were sent to recover the substance.
The Times Picayune reports that state officials say the massive fish kill does not appear to be directly related to oil from the BP leak, “Randy Pausina, head fisheries biologist for the state, said Department of Wildlife and Fisheries workers are investigating the fish kill and that the initial conclusion is that it was caused by low levels of oxygen in the water.”

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