February 22, 2013 - UNITED STATES - The state is taking a closer look at what residents say are bubbles in Lake Peigneur in Iberia Parish.
The departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality took samples from Lake Peignuer today to find out what is causing the bubbles.
Last night, public officials, residents and other groups spoke out against AGL Resources, which wants to expand natural gas storage below salt caverns under the lake. Residents fear it could be another disaster waiting to happen--like the current sinkhole in Assumption Parish.
Residents near Lake Peigneur are already on edge since a 1980 accident involving an oil drilling rig. A miscalculation sent the rig's drill directly into the salt mine instead of under the lake. The whirlpool that was created swamped several acres of land and was strong enough to swallow barges from a nearby canal.
Fast forward to today--this is AGL's second attempt to get its permit. Several concerned residents want AGL's permit denied.
"We have unknown bubbling, it's definite. There's no two ways about it," Nara Crowley, President of Save Lake Peignuer, Inc. said.
Crowley is worried that the bubbles indicate big problems, and she's against AGL's proposed expansion of an underground natural gas storage facility.
"They should deny this permit. We should have the environmental impact statement we've always asked for because that's all we've ever asked for, and stop this project," Crowley said.
"If we get a big sink hole what's going to happen? We don't know. The previous accident in 1980 took in 150 acres of land, What's this one going to do," concerned resident David Lecompte said.
DNR says that its investigation into the bubbles is not related to AGL's permit process. But what they find out could have an effect.
"We want to get to the bottom of it too, and discover if this is something that requires some action, or if it's something that ends up being harmless. It might be something that needs to be acted on," Patrick Courreges, Department of Natural Resources, Director of Communications said. - KATC.
WATCH: State Officials Investigate Bubbling Lake Peigneur.
Residents in the area have reported sporadic bubbling in the past and have raised concerns that similar bubbling was observed in the Bayou Corne area in northern Assumption Parish before a large sinkhole developed there last year.
The Bayou Corne sinkhole is believed to be related to the collapse of a large underground storage cavern in a salt dome.
DNR spokesman Patrick Courreges said field agents did not directly observe bubbling at Lake Peigneur on Thursday but did see foam on the lake’s surface.
“We found foaming residue on the top,” he said. “... The foam is the result of something happening.”
Courreges said it is too early to speculate on what might be causing the bubbling and that DNR will follow up on any future reports in an attempt to determine the cause through observation and testing of gas or other substances in the bubbles.
Save Lake Peigneur President Nara Crowley said residents have observed 79 instances of bubbling at the lake since 2006.
The group has been fighting a plan to expand natural gas storage operations under the lake.
Crowley said the latest instance of bubbling seems to have gone on longer than any other episode, with bubbles observed for several hours on Wednesday and on Thursday morning.
She said that lines of bubbles stretched for a few thousand feet across the lake.
Prior tests at the lake have not identified the source or reason for the bubbling.
Atlanta-based AGL Resources, which owns the two natural gas storage caverns, has maintained the bubbles are not coming from the gas storage caverns and that tests have confirmed the stability of those caverns.
AGL is seeking permits to scour out two new salt caverns under Lake Peigneur.
The company’s plans have been met with vocal opposition from residents in the area and environmental groups. - The Advocate.
WATCH: Lake Peigneur Bubble Concerns.
The departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality took samples from Lake Peignuer today to find out what is causing the bubbles.
Last night, public officials, residents and other groups spoke out against AGL Resources, which wants to expand natural gas storage below salt caverns under the lake. Residents fear it could be another disaster waiting to happen--like the current sinkhole in Assumption Parish.
Residents near Lake Peigneur are already on edge since a 1980 accident involving an oil drilling rig. A miscalculation sent the rig's drill directly into the salt mine instead of under the lake. The whirlpool that was created swamped several acres of land and was strong enough to swallow barges from a nearby canal.
Fast forward to today--this is AGL's second attempt to get its permit. Several concerned residents want AGL's permit denied.
"We have unknown bubbling, it's definite. There's no two ways about it," Nara Crowley, President of Save Lake Peignuer, Inc. said.
Crowley is worried that the bubbles indicate big problems, and she's against AGL's proposed expansion of an underground natural gas storage facility.
"They should deny this permit. We should have the environmental impact statement we've always asked for because that's all we've ever asked for, and stop this project," Crowley said.
"If we get a big sink hole what's going to happen? We don't know. The previous accident in 1980 took in 150 acres of land, What's this one going to do," concerned resident David Lecompte said.
DNR says that its investigation into the bubbles is not related to AGL's permit process. But what they find out could have an effect.
"We want to get to the bottom of it too, and discover if this is something that requires some action, or if it's something that ends up being harmless. It might be something that needs to be acted on," Patrick Courreges, Department of Natural Resources, Director of Communications said. - KATC.
WATCH: State Officials Investigate Bubbling Lake Peigneur.
DNR Agents See Foam, Not Bubbles At Lake Peigneur.
The state Department of Natural Resources sent field agents to Lake Peigneur in Iberia Parish on Thursday to investigate reports of bubbling at the lake, where natural gas is stored in massive underground caverns scoured out of a large salt dome.Residents in the area have reported sporadic bubbling in the past and have raised concerns that similar bubbling was observed in the Bayou Corne area in northern Assumption Parish before a large sinkhole developed there last year.
The Bayou Corne sinkhole is believed to be related to the collapse of a large underground storage cavern in a salt dome.
DNR spokesman Patrick Courreges said field agents did not directly observe bubbling at Lake Peigneur on Thursday but did see foam on the lake’s surface.
“We found foaming residue on the top,” he said. “... The foam is the result of something happening.”
Courreges said it is too early to speculate on what might be causing the bubbling and that DNR will follow up on any future reports in an attempt to determine the cause through observation and testing of gas or other substances in the bubbles.
Save Lake Peigneur President Nara Crowley said residents have observed 79 instances of bubbling at the lake since 2006.
The group has been fighting a plan to expand natural gas storage operations under the lake.
Crowley said the latest instance of bubbling seems to have gone on longer than any other episode, with bubbles observed for several hours on Wednesday and on Thursday morning.
She said that lines of bubbles stretched for a few thousand feet across the lake.
Prior tests at the lake have not identified the source or reason for the bubbling.
Atlanta-based AGL Resources, which owns the two natural gas storage caverns, has maintained the bubbles are not coming from the gas storage caverns and that tests have confirmed the stability of those caverns.
AGL is seeking permits to scour out two new salt caverns under Lake Peigneur.
The company’s plans have been met with vocal opposition from residents in the area and environmental groups. - The Advocate.
WATCH: Lake Peigneur Bubble Concerns.