2:10 p.m. Activity Update from the Office of Conservation

Bayou Corne/Grand Bayou Response Activity

Wednesday, July 31 work-

Sinkhole Activity Code 1 – lowest level, indicating little seismic activity detected near sinkhole/Oxy 3

– Continuing sub-slab pressure monitoring at 107 Crawfish Stew and 135 Crawfish Stew, 1418 Jambalaya

– Installing two sub-slab monitoring probes at 135 Crawfish Stew

– Installing pressure monitor at 1433 Sauce Piquante

ORW/CPT Wells

– Well work on ORW 38 (northern part of community, just behind Sauce Piquante) and ORW 23 (north side of La. 70, west of Texas Brine facility)

–  Repairing CPT rig hydraulic pump and re-completing CPT-61 (north side of La. 70, west of Texas Brine facility)

– Completing CPT 107W (southwest of community, west of Bayou Corne)

– Taking water level measurements of industrial water wells and aquifer monitoring wells

Containment Berm/Roads/Sinkhole

– Moving gravel from sides of berm to top where the gravel has shifted

– Aerating top of berm near southwest corner

– Clay and gravel hauling still suspended due to wet conditions on berm

– Starting prep work on containment culverts

– Conducting weekly subsidence survey at Texas Brine facility

– Conducting settlement plate survey for containment berms and centerline survey on the south berm

10:50 a.m. Update #2: Water Line Repairs

The water line has been repaired and full service has been restored. 

9:05 a.m. Update: Water Line Repairs

The 6″ water line has been identified as the broken line and is currently being repaired. Assumption Parish Waterworks has advised that they anticipate this to be a quick repair. APWW customers from the Gator Corner to the Bayou Corne community will experience water loss throughout the repair. We’ve also been advised that there should be NO INTERRUPTION of water service to the Pierre Part community. 

4:20 p.m. LA-70 Waterline Break

There is a waterline break along Highway 70 near the Texas Brine road. Assumption Parish Waterworks is aware of the situation and will start performing repairs at 8:00 tomorrow morning. We’re uncertain at this time if any outages will occur due to this incident; however, APWW has assured they will do their best to limit the length of time of any outage that might occur as well as repair the issue as quickly as possible.

We strongly encourage residents along Highway 70 and in the Pierre Part community to conserve water accordingly.

If any additional information becomes available, it will be posted here.

3:55 p.m. Activity Update from the Office of Conservation

Bayou Corne/Grand Bayou Response Activity

Tuesday, July 30 work-

Sinkhole Activity Code 1 – lowest level, indicating little seismic activity detected near sinkhole/Oxy 3

– Continuing sub-slab pressure monitoring at 107 Crawfish Stew and 135 Crawfish Stew

– Removing cut concrete at 1467 and 1433 Sauce Piquante to begin excavation for installation of sub-slab ventilation system

– Installing pressure monitor at 1433 Sauce Piquante

ORW/CPT Wells

– Well work on ORW 38 (northern part of community, just behind Sauce Piquante) and ORW 23 (north side of La. 70, west of Texas Brine facility)

– Installing privacy fence around ORW 21 (northwestern part of community, behind Crawfish Stew) and ORW 38

– Completing CPT-61 (north side of La. 70, west of Texas Brine facility)

– Mobilizing barge to complete CPT 108W (southwest of community, west of Bayou Corne)

Containment Berm/Roads/Sinkhole

– No work on berms due to wet conditions – will resume placement of clay and limestone on south and west berms when conditions allow

– Conducting weekly subsidence survey at Texas Brine facility

– Conducting settlement plate survey for containment berms and centerline survey on the south berm

9:30 a.m. LA 70 Bypass and Detour Routes, Public Meeting 8/13/2013

PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING

LA 70 Bypass and Detour Routes

4910 Highway 308
Stage 0 Feasibility Study
State Project No. H.010571.1

Assumption Parish

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) authorized a Stage 0 Feasibility Study and Stage 1 Environmental Assessment for the LA 70 Bypass and Detour Routes.  This project will investigate several alternative routes for LA 70 should it be closed due to subsidence associated with the collapsed cavern near the Napoleonville Salt Dome. 

The purpose of this Public Meeting is to provide an overview of the proposed project and obtain input from the public regarding possible alternatives. Representatives of LADOTD and the consultant team for the Stage 0 Study will be present to receive comments and answer questions related to the proposed project. All interested parties are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting. The Public Meeting is scheduled for the time, date, and location below. 

August 13, 2013
Assumption Parish Community Center
4910 Highway 308
Napoleonville, Louisiana
6:00 pm -8:00 pm

Interested persons may attend the meeting at any time between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Comments may be submitted at the meeting by recording verbal statements or by submitting written statements. Written statements can also be mailed to the address shown below and must be postmarked within 10 calendar days following the meeting.

Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc., a CB&I company,

Attention: Kara Moree
4171 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA  70809 

Should anyone require special assistance due to a disability to participate in this meeting, please contact the Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc. (a CB&I company) at the address shown above, or by telephone at (225) 932-5803, at least five working days prior to the meeting.

5:35 p.m. Activity Update from the Office of Conservation

Bayou Corne/Grand Bayou Response Activity

Monday, July 29 work –
Sinkhole Activity Code 1 – lowest level, indicating little seismic activity detected near sinkhole/Oxy 3
– Sub-slab pressure monitoring at 107 and 135 Crawfish Stew
– Began cutting concrete slab at 1467 Sauce Piquante for vent system excavation
– Stem wall coring and sub-slab probe installation at 116 and 135 Crawfish Stew
– Performing under-slab vapor monitoring at 108 Crawfish Stew
ORW/CPT Wells
– Well work on ORW 2 (north side of La. 70, west of Texas Brine facility) and ORW 13 (near Oxy 9 well pad)
– Completing CPT-60 (near ORW 29, north side of La. 70, west of Texas Brine facility entrance)
– Completing CPT-106W (swamp location south of community, east of Bayou Corne)
– Mobilizing barge to CPT 108W (southwest of community, west of Bayou Corne)
Containment Berm/Roads/Sinkhole
– Placing clay on south berm
– Placing limestone on southern portion of west berm
– Compacting and aerating south berm in preparation for density testing

7:25 p.m. Update

Assumption Parish OEP Director John Boudreaux, DNR Secretary Stephen Chustz, and Dr. Gary Hecox, CB&I Bayou Corne Science Lead, and other members of DNR and CB&I staff met today at DNR in Baton Rouge with Texas Brine officials and consultants to provide the company with guidance on several issues related to determining gas extent and location in the aquifer and shallower soils and venting it more efficiently, including:

∙ Moving forward with CB&I-recommended method to improve vent well performance of existing wells through actively swabbing plugged perforations and installing pumps to continuously remove water from wellbores to minimize buildup of sand/clay in well perforations and ensure water weight in well bore does not prevent flow of gas to flares. The initial test of the new vent well operation method is to be applied to existing vent wells within the next two weeks.

∙ Based on results of this initial testing, alterations to vent well design for future vent wells will be determined as part of the ongoing efforts to improve venting performance overall. Analysis of vent well data requested by the Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) and provided by Texas Brine is currently ongoing by CB&I. The goal is to improve the vent well design and operations for removing gas from the aquifer. This initial analysis is being reported to the BRC Friday.

∙ Following detailed technical discussions regarding the ongoing with cone penetrometer testing (CPT) program to define gas in the aquifer, it was agreed that the current CPT equipment and procedures can continue to be used to identify gas zones in the aquifer. In addition, it was agreed that an enhanced direct push method based using a new probe (Membrane Interface Probe/Hydraulic Profiling Tool) – which, in limited use in Bayou Corne area, thus far has shown promise for direct detection of natural gas–has the potential to more readily determine the location of gas zones in the aquifer and shallower subsurface. This agreement includes analysis of the early CPT to determine if some of the initial CPT work needs to be repeated.

∙ Standards for safe operations in conducting CPTs and plugging CPT boreholes, as well as communicating to the public when and where work will be conducted in the community, will have to be met if Texas Brine is to be allowed to resume CPTs in the community.

State and parish officials also made clear to company officials and all contractors working in the Bayou Corne response that they are to be respectful of members of the community and their property when working in the residential areas, and that even when conducting work on property for which they have access agreements, contractors are to ensure that property owners are notified of what work is to be conducted and when.

1:50 p.m. Update

John Boudreaux has reported another depth survey has been completed in the center of the sinkhole. A video has been posted on YouTube showing that 750′ of cord was used and all 750′ went down to bottom. This information has been sent to the Blue Ribbon Commission for there review.

http://www.youtube.com/user/assumptionla

10:30 a.m. Sinkhole, Increased Activity

There is lots of activity on the sinkhole this morning. Dr Horton reports that this increase in activity started about 5:00 a.m. (this morning). 

There is abundant surface water movement, as you can see in the video posted (from Pad 3) on our YouTube site, http://www.youtube.com/user/assumptionla

Also, currently, a burp event is occurring in the center of the sink hole.

We will keep everyone posted of any events that may occur.