EPA recovered most of the additional free-standing oil in Cow Bayou and booming material has been successfully removed from key areas along the Bayou that were restricting boating traffic. Cow Bayou has been restricted for recreational traffic by the Orange County Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Orange County OEM will re-open the bayou to boating traffic on June 17, 2024. Containment boom was pulled from all locations except an impacted shoreline area located across from the Highway 105 boat ramp and the shoreline adjacent to where the release occurred. Additional sorbent material and boom were secured in place at the waterside where the release originated to capture any additional migration of product into the waterway from the facility. The Railroad Commission has established several earthen berms to prevent any additional off-site migration of oil from the facility where the spill originated. Railroad Commission also blocked outflow from an oil-contaminated pond at the facility that drains into the Bayou to reduce additional migration of product off-site.

Planned activities:

Cleanup activities will halt over the weekend and resume after forecasted heavy storm activity into the week of June 17, 2024. ERRS will conduct a visual inspection of boom material at the Site on Sunday June 16, 2024, to ensure boom is secure ahead of the storm event. Removal activities will resume once the weather is stable and cleanup crews can safely perform work.

Key issues: