That's the total weight of the tar mats that have been removed so far from Elmer's Island following Hurricane Isaac.
44,000 pounds
-That's the total weight of the tar mats that have been removed so far from Elmer's Island following Hurricane Isaac. As predicted, Isaac, the first major storm to pass through the Gulf of Mexico since the BP oil spill devastated the Gulf Coast in 2010, churned up massive tar mats and left tar balls floating for miles along Louisiana's beaches and marshlands. At Keelboat Pass in St. Bernard Parish and in several areas from Keelboat to Elmer's Island, officials have found a toxic mix of tar mats and liquid oil. The U.S. Coast Guard, in a joint effort with BP, will investigate the 89 locations along the coast where oil has been reported, but the state's coastal restoration chief, Garret Graves, says the cleanup effort should go beyond the areas where oil has been spotted. He has yet to be assured that BP/Coast Guard officials will inspect surrounding marshes and beaches as well.
Source: Nola.com