Hurricane Ike Takes Environmental Toll

WASHINGTON (AP) - Hurricane Ike's winds and massive waves
destroyed oil platforms, tossed storage tanks and punctured
pipelines. The environmental damage only now is becoming apparent.
According to an analysis of federal data by The Associated
Press, at least a half million gallons of crude oil spilled into
the Gulf of Mexico and the marshes, bayous and bays of Louisiana
and Texas. In the days before and after the deadly storm, companies
and residents reported at least 448 releases of oil, gasoline and
dozens of other substances into the air and water and onto the
ground in Louisiana and Texas.
According to the AP's analysis, the hardest hit places were
industrial centers near Houston and Port Arthur, Texas, as well as
oil production facilities off Louisiana's coast.
The Coast Guard, with the Environmental Protection Agency and
state agencies, has responded to more than 3,000 pollution reports
associated with the storm and its surge along the upper Texas
coast. Most callers complain about abandoned propane tanks, paint
cans and other hazardous materials containers turning up in
marshes, backyards and other places.
No major oil spills or hazardous materials releases have been
identified, but nearly 1,500 sites still need to be cleaned up.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)