This "coastal erosion" is an unsubstantiated damage in so many ways I don't where to start. At the largest scale, there is the problem of isostacy. The melting of glaciers ten thousand years ago on the Canadian shield allowed that part of the tectonic plate to begin rising, thus having an effect on the Gulf Coast of a teeter-totter, and pushing it downward. This has been documented in published work. Next, the redirection of the Mississippi River away from the Atchafalaya caused this region to be deprived of sediment that would have been naturally deposited over time. Even NASA can document this. But finally, (and I know this because I have worked on oil fields in Plaquemines Parish) this area was mined using solution mining for sulfur back in the 1920's and 1930's. It was the major industry here. In many places surface land became submerged land due to sulfur mining. Port Sulphur has its name because of this, and Freeport Sulphur Company (now Freeport McMoRan) was one of the largest companies. Then there is salt mining in the same area, which isn't always the cause of subsidence, but it can be. Then you add major growth faults in the area, and all along the Gulf Coast, and these huge faults are constantly sliding down to the ocean, and often have salt diapirs pushing their way up the faults. Avery Island, in Iberia Parish, is one of these salt diapir islands that became the home of Tabasco Sauce. Then there is subsidence due to natural gradual compaction of millions of years of deposits of sand and mud by the Mississippi River. The whole Parish, and indeed the whole coastline here is geologically unstable. For what it is worth, I have lived there. I have seen all of this firsthand, in seismic data, in wells drilled, and on the surface. How Chevron can be blamed for any small percentage of this is beyond any scientific integrity, and must be purely political in nature. I can't believe Chevron could not or would not defend themselves with facts.
Great information, carbonates. Yes, there are so many factors involved in coastal erosion, some natural and some not, that it is impossible to single out oil and gas activities as solely responsible. Hopefully, this case will be reversed on appeal. Otherwise, the door will be open for unlimited lawsuits. It is hard to believe this is happening in Louisiana. Thanks for the comment! Ed
Excellent reply. As a lifelong Louisiana resident, I could also have quickly mentioned that the levee system redirecting the Mississippi River is the largest contributor to this. Look at any map that shows the previous Mississippi River paths and it’s obvious. There are several large oxbow lakes that once were part of the river. The nearest to me is False River in New Roads, LA but there are plenty others as you drive along the river to the north.
And with the spillway systems constructed in Bonne Carre and Morganza, it virtually guarantees that the state will not sacrifice Baton Rouge or New Orleans if the river ever gets too high. Essentially the land will not receive natural sediment ever again.
There has been plenty of research on preserving our coast but our controlling of the beast that is the MS River does the most damage. Life is all about trade offs.
Thanks for the comment, B Apple. Yes, so many factors are involved in coastal erosion that it is unbelievable that a court could single out oil and gas. Surely, this decision will be reversed on appeal. Thanks for being a long-time reader and commenter, B Apple. Ed
This "coastal erosion" is an unsubstantiated damage in so many ways I don't where to start. At the largest scale, there is the problem of isostacy. The melting of glaciers ten thousand years ago on the Canadian shield allowed that part of the tectonic plate to begin rising, thus having an effect on the Gulf Coast of a teeter-totter, and pushing it downward. This has been documented in published work. Next, the redirection of the Mississippi River away from the Atchafalaya caused this region to be deprived of sediment that would have been naturally deposited over time. Even NASA can document this. But finally, (and I know this because I have worked on oil fields in Plaquemines Parish) this area was mined using solution mining for sulfur back in the 1920's and 1930's. It was the major industry here. In many places surface land became submerged land due to sulfur mining. Port Sulphur has its name because of this, and Freeport Sulphur Company (now Freeport McMoRan) was one of the largest companies. Then there is salt mining in the same area, which isn't always the cause of subsidence, but it can be. Then you add major growth faults in the area, and all along the Gulf Coast, and these huge faults are constantly sliding down to the ocean, and often have salt diapirs pushing their way up the faults. Avery Island, in Iberia Parish, is one of these salt diapir islands that became the home of Tabasco Sauce. Then there is subsidence due to natural gradual compaction of millions of years of deposits of sand and mud by the Mississippi River. The whole Parish, and indeed the whole coastline here is geologically unstable. For what it is worth, I have lived there. I have seen all of this firsthand, in seismic data, in wells drilled, and on the surface. How Chevron can be blamed for any small percentage of this is beyond any scientific integrity, and must be purely political in nature. I can't believe Chevron could not or would not defend themselves with facts.
Great information, carbonates. Yes, there are so many factors involved in coastal erosion, some natural and some not, that it is impossible to single out oil and gas activities as solely responsible. Hopefully, this case will be reversed on appeal. Otherwise, the door will be open for unlimited lawsuits. It is hard to believe this is happening in Louisiana. Thanks for the comment! Ed
Excellent reply. As a lifelong Louisiana resident, I could also have quickly mentioned that the levee system redirecting the Mississippi River is the largest contributor to this. Look at any map that shows the previous Mississippi River paths and it’s obvious. There are several large oxbow lakes that once were part of the river. The nearest to me is False River in New Roads, LA but there are plenty others as you drive along the river to the north.
And with the spillway systems constructed in Bonne Carre and Morganza, it virtually guarantees that the state will not sacrifice Baton Rouge or New Orleans if the river ever gets too high. Essentially the land will not receive natural sediment ever again.
There has been plenty of research on preserving our coast but our controlling of the beast that is the MS River does the most damage. Life is all about trade offs.
Thanks for the comment, B Apple. Yes, so many factors are involved in coastal erosion that it is unbelievable that a court could single out oil and gas. Surely, this decision will be reversed on appeal. Thanks for being a long-time reader and commenter, B Apple. Ed