PROTOCOL FOR ASSESSING THE EXTENT OF CRUDE OIL SPILLED IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA FOLLOWING HURRICANE KATRINA, ST. BERNARD PARISH, LOUISIANA

ABSTRACT Floodwater associated with the Hurricane Katrina'S storm surge (August 29, 2005) displaced and damaged a 250,000 barrel above ground storage tank at Murphy Oil Corporation'S Meraux Refinery in Chalmette, Louisiana. Crude oil was released and was dispersed into the nearby and evacuated residential and commercial area by the retreating floodwaters. The assessment, which began September 18, involved biased sampling and “chemical fingerprinting” of interior and exterior wipe samples (from the visually-evident “bathtub rings” on structures) and interior and exterior sediments from over 6000 homes, businesses, churches, and schools. Crude oil from the failed tank was thoroughly characterized using chemical fingerprinting. Over 14,000 Tier 1 (GC/FID) chromatographic (EPA Method 8015B) analyses were conducted as a means of mapping the overall lateral extent, concentration, and continuity of the crude oil impact. These Tier 1 GC/FID analyses revealed the extent of crude oil contamination in the area, as w...