Sandbags flown to shore up Louisiana barrier islands

[ProSense]

Source: AP

At a National Guard staging area in southern Plaquemines Parish, a steady line of helicopters swept across the sky Tuesday to scoop up massive sand bags being used to fill gaps in offshore barrier islands. Soldiers on the ground fastened the bags to cables hanging from the hovering aircraft.

The operation, designed to keep oil from the Deepwater Horizon from making its way past the islands and into marshes, is expected to continue for several days, said Guard spokesman Col. Mike DeVille.

Filling the gaps in the islands "creates, much like booming, another layer of protection for the marshes," Deville said.

State, local and federal officials were to meet later Tuesday on a plan to dredge sand for protective berms along the coast.



Read more: http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/06/sandbags_flown_to_shore_up_lou.html

[aquart]

1. It took them 40 days?

IOW, no disaster plan was in place.

[ProSense]

3. It's likely the efforts have been stepped up

They've been doing this.

[rzemanfl]

2. But a $500,000.00 acoustic blow out protector was too expensive.

As someone here said earlier today we are so far beyond fucked that it will take years for the light from fucked to reach us.

[Iliyah]

4. My understanding

that the people in charged wanted to make sure that the barriers would not create additional problems to the area. Not everything that the locals wants would be good for the area and may create more problems than help. The Environmental Organizations also have to approve these devices/barriers from what I have read and heard from the people down there.

The gusher needs to be contained, simple fact. Over 20,000 are there now including the locals trying to keep the areas clean as possible, but it's an up hill battle.

[TatonkaJames]

5. Those barriers will be gone

as soon as the outer edge of a CAT 4 hurricane hits this season.
Seen it for the past 20 years with beach replenishing. Year after year
they widen the beach a hundred yards and every winter Nor Easter drags it back out.
Mother Nature will do what she wants.
Every effort should be put into stopping the leak.