In case anyone was still wondering, the sinkhole in Bayou Corne — now approximately 10 acres — continues to swallow surrounding lands. So far, there’s no end in sight.
What’s going on in Bayou Corne is somewhat similar to the 1980 Lake Peigneur incident when an oil rig drilled through the Jefferson Island salt mine, draining the lake, taking the rig and a few barges all in a couple of minutes. However, maybe today’s sinkhole did not have such an immediate wowing effect, but it has developed to be a more long-term and complicated catastrophe.
Of course, the major problem is the fact that the earth is caving in, but what may be more lethal is the apparent presence of hydrogen sulfide, an explosive gas.
Small earthquakes or tremors have occurred in the thousands since August because of the void in the salt dome.
Consequently, the natural gas has begun to leak up through the formation making the surrounding atmosphere dangerous. Texas Brine LLC, the corporation at fault, has established vents to burn off the gas, but it is unclear how much gas is really left.
Texas Brine has been the only corporation held accountable, and as of today, its attempts have not done much to stop this widening earthly orifice.
What residents have come to fear most is the establishment of the area as a “sacrifice zone,” which would result in their permanent removal — something that seems all too common in Cajun history.
Texas Brine has been paying affected residents $875 a week, but since no permanent fix of the hole seems to be in the making, it is apparent these residents need to be compensated enough to enable them to move on. Residents have been seeking more long-term compensation for means to re-establish themselves elsewhere. They should be getting it soon, as Gov. Bobby Jindal finally began putting pressure on Texas Brine.
This is where things always get interesting and draw more attention — corporate buyouts or lawsuits and settlements.
Texas Brine has been charged with resolving the problem and has been under strict scrutiny by Louisiana officials. Fines and penalties have been issued swiftly to Texas Brine on the occasions they have failed to obey directives.
The Office of Conservation has kept the most watchful eye, monitoring subsurface activity and keeping locals up to date on the levels of dangerous natural gases. The Assumption Parish Police Jury maintains a daily blog that posts the most recent updates including periodic flyovers of the sinkhole.
This has been a long and lingering issue in Louisiana.
I don’t mean to harp and complain that nothing has been or is being done or that the sinkhole does not get enough attention. Of course our public officials acknowledge the severity of the situation, and experts are at work, but this situation is complicated. Because of the lack of a precedent, it cannot be a quick fix.
It is a dismal situation as of now, mainly because of its uniqueness — as it has been noted that such a sinkhole has not occurred anywhere else in the world. Since there has not been a precedent to approach these circumstances, much of what is being done is all of calculated estimates, probing through different measures to a resolution.
Unfortunately, I would expect this issue to be drawn out for many years. Maybe the sinkhole will be maintained, but I do not see residents being allowed back into the zone for a long time, and I anticipate battles in court to last years, possibly decades.
Chris Ortte is 22-year-old political science senior from Lafayette.
