Previous Experience

Each environmental emergency is unique. It could be large or small, near or far, on a waterway or roadway, involving oil and gas or hazardous chemicals. Emergencies also vary greatly by external factors such as weather, risk to life, and more. We have deep experience responding to all types of spills. Notable examples include:

Propane Explosions on Highway (Houma, LA)

August 2007: An 18-wheeler carrying over 1,000 bottles of propane caught fire causing hundreds of mini-explosions and closing down a major Louisiana highway for twelve hours. The parish and state agencies on site commended our response crew for a speedy and efficient response.
We also bring valuable experience to bear in working with the regulatory agencies that have jurisdiction over environmental emergencies. Our personnel maintain professional relationships with these agencies to facilitate trust, understanding, and a better working relationship between your company and the regulators.

Chemical Release (Baton Rouge, LA)

July 2007: A faulty valve at a chemical plant caused a release of ethylene dichloride, a chemical that is harmful to come into contact with or to inhale. Our responders used positive pressure respirators and full chemical suits to work the site, safely pumping the chemical into frac tanks for disposal.

Vessel Collision (Port Fourchon, LA)

July 2007: Two vessels collided causing 9,000 gallons of #2 diesel fuel to be released into the main slip of the port. A quick response was essential to restore port operations and protect the sensitive environmental areas outside of the slip. We were on site before the Coast Guard arrived, and the port was able to reopen just four hours after the collision.

Wellhead Collision (Bayou Perot, east of Larose, LA)

January 2007: This spill on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway was the largest spill in the country in 2007. The Coast Guard ruled it a “hit and run” on a wellhead that was properly marked with appropriate navigational aids. Damage caused approximately 8,500 barrels of oil to be released, and weather conditions carried the spill over a distance.

Tank Overflow (Sulphur, LA)

June 2006: Torrential rainstorms overwhelmed the tank pumps at a refinery causing 47,000 barrels of oil to flow over the tops of the tanks and spill into the Calcasieu Ship Channel, which remained blocked for ten days. The blocked channel triggered a rise in oil prices, and there was incredible pressure to get the job done quickly. ES&H sent 130 oil spill supervisors, foremen, and responders and 25 response vehicles to contribute to the cleanup, as well as Environmental Consultants who assisted with managing the efforts.

Sunken and Abandon Vessels (Lake Charles/Cameron, LA)

January 2006: In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, ES&H was hired to assist in the removal and demolition of sunken and/or abandoned vessels. Since the majority of the vessels still contained fuel and oil, ES&H had to be on site in the event of a leak. We were also responsible for removing any leftover oil and gas substances from the vessels prior to demolition.

Hurricane Katrina Oil Spills (Meraux, Buras, Pilottown, Potash, Nairn, Port Fourchon, LA)

September 2005: Ten major oil spills were reported in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina resulting in over eight million gallons of oil spilled along the Mississippi River from Chalmette to Venice to Port Fourchon. ES&H responded to seven of those ten oil spills simultaneously and served as the primary OSRO for two of the spills.

Motor Vessel Rupture (near Paulsboro, NJ)

November 2004: A 750-foot single-hull tanker struck a submerged object, resulting in a release of 265,000 gallons of heavy crude oil from the vessel’s storage tanks into the Delaware River. ES&H was one of nearly ten OSROs responding to the spill.

July 2007: Two vessels collided causing 9,000 gallons of #2 diesel fuel to be released into the main slip of the port. A quick response was essential to restore port operations and protect the sensitive environmental areas outside of the slip. We were on site before the Coast Guard arrived, and the port was able to reopen just four hours after the collision.

Chemical Pipe Rupture (Houma, LA)

July 2003: A lifeguard accidentally dropped a wrench on a pipe containing Sodium Hydrochloride causing 75 gallons of the pool-cleaning chemical to release into the air. The facility was shut down and evacuated, and ES&H’s HAZMAT team responded to contain and clean the spill. We transferred the spilled chemicals to 55-gallon containment drums.

Pipeline Rupture (Golden Meadow, LA)

September 2001: A segment of the 12-inch mainline was damaged resulting in the release of 200 barrels of crude oil into a portion of Catfish Lake. Our 20-man crew deployed over 10,000 feet of 18-inch containment boom, as well as a substantial amount of sorbents. Using these in conjunction with two Marco skimmers and three drum skimmers, we recovered the oil in two days.

Fuel Pump Rupture (Thibodaux, LA)

June 2001: When a customer drove away with a fuel nozzle still inserted in his vehicle, it caused the entire gas pump to fall down leaking 100 gallons of gasoline onto the parking lot and local streets. We stuffed the drains with sorbents to minimize the flow of fuel into the city’s drainage lines. We contained the spill using an absorbent polymer that allows water to continue to flow through drains but collects the unwanted petrochemicals. We cleaned up the spilled fuel and used blower fans to suck fumes out of the drains.

Train Derailment (New Iberia, LA)

May 2000: A 12-car train containing the chemical Xylene derailed causing a 400-gallon leakage, which eventually migrated into the storm sewer. ES&H plugged the leak in the rail car and recovered fifteen barrels of water/Xylene mixture from within Bayou Teche. Residents within a half-mile radius of the scene had to be evacuated, the damaged rail cars removed from the area, the remaining chemicals transported to another site, and approximately 300 cubic feet of contaminated soil excavated from the area where the Xylene had spilled.

Pipeline Rupture (Cocodrie, LA)

May 1997: A section of 16-inch pipeline, located under eight feet of mud and water, experienced a 34-inch gash, causing nearly 5,000 barrels of sweet Louisiana crude oil to spill into Lake Barre. As the primary OSRO, ES&H assisted the client's response team with spill management and offered expertise and knowledge of the region.

Well Blowout (Franklin, LA)

November 1996: During re-completion operations the well lost pressure control and released approximately 8,000 barrels of oil during a seven-day interval. We served as the primary OSRO, with the majority of the Gulf Coast region’s OSROs working under our team.