Gulf hurricanes have tripled requests for rigs-to-reefs

Associated Press ^ | Tuesday, December 27, 2005

[WestTexasWend]

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Damage to offshore oil and gas platforms from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has tripled the number of requests to convert rigs into artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries usually gets 10 to 12 requests each year to use abandoned rigs to create fish habitat. But that number has soared to 40 requests this year, Rick Kasprzak, program manager of the Louisiana Artificial Reef Program, told The Advocate of Baton Rouge for a story in Monday's editions.

Oil and gas platforms in the program are located in federal waters, more than three miles off the Louisiana shore, with most between 35 and 75 miles out, clustered in nine approved planning areas. To date, 144 have been used as reefs.

This year's hurricanes damaged another 166 rigs.

The Louisiana Artificial Reef Council will soon decide evaluation criteria for which rigs are suitable to serve as artificial reefs, Kasprzak said. The assessments include potential effects on the environment, navigation and fishing interests.

Hurricane Ivan in 2004 didn't hit the Gulf of Mexico nearly as hard, passing over about 150 platforms, said Larry Wall, a spokesman for the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association. Hurricane Katrina swept over 1,500 platforms, and Hurricane Rita passed over 1,600, he said.

[kindred]

[The Louisiana Artificial Reef Council will soon decide evaluation criteria for which rigs are suitable to serve as artificial reefs, Kasprzak said. The assessments include potential effects on the environment, navigation and fishing interests.]

This from those who want America to weaken America, herd people into the cities, and make oil and nuclear power inaccessable to the working class under the guise of clean air, clean water, pristine enviorment,etc.
Anwar would be a good place for stable oil drilling and oil refineries yet the pols fight against it.

[Pessimist]

If I were a fish, this would be exciting news. Seriously..

[LachlanMinnesota]

Is there any way that we can leave the wreckage and detritus from the New Orleans carnage the way it is to promote sort of a landed reef to attract fish to New Orleans?

[CajunConservative]

*Louisiana Ping List

If you would like on or off the Louisiana Ping list please FReepmail me and your name will be added or taken off of the list.

[Vob]

If the the federal government continues to encourage people to move into areas that are at risk from hurricanes it would seem wise to plan for the removal of debris ahead of time. Perhaps a plan by FEMA to use all hurricane related concrete and steel debris from beach front destruction could be used as artificial reef material.

After a major storm barges could be pushed up on the beaches to load up with reef material. It is far more valuable as habitat and less costly than placing it in a landfill.

vob

[Recon Dad]

Florida doesn't know what it's missing out on.

[Vob]

Some of us do indeed know what we are missing.

http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/offshore/safety/safealt/SA_234.pdf