GRAND ISLE, La. -- New computer models show the giant oil spill drifting west of the Mississippi River. That is causing deep concerns in the coastal communities of Lafitte and Grand Isle in lower Jefferson Parish.
Thursday morning, state and local leaders toured the waters off of Grand Isle by helicopter, then met with Gov. Bobby Jindal at a local community center.
The governor announced plans to block the four cuts in the island, known as passes, leading inland to the sensitive coastal wetlands.
"If we can stop the oil at the passes, if we can keep it out of the Barataria Bay, we can keep it out of the interior where the wetlands are much more fragile, they'll be much harder to protect," said Jindal.
Jindal said 89,000 feet of hard boom and 50,000 feet of absorbent boom are now on their way to Grand Isle.
Long sandbags known as "boudin bags" and sand filled tubes known as "burrito levees," both used to protect the island from hurricanes, will also be deployed in the coming days.
A staging area is also expected to be set up on Grand Isle.
"Jefferson Parish has 21 miles of coastline that we are working to protect between Plaquemines and Lafourche Parishes," said Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts.
Over the years, Louisiana's only occupied barrier island has weathered many hurricanes, rebuilt and bounced back.
Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle admits, recovering from an oil spill, especially one the size of the Deepwater Horizon spill, is new territory for the storm battered island.
"I can handle hurricanes, but to handle an oil spill is a whole different ball game, but we're going to handle it," said Camardelle.
Fishermen land more than 12 million pounds of seafood a year in the Barataria Basin and in the waters just off Grand Isle.
Their busiest time is May through December.
Keeping the oil from getting into the marsh will not only protect a fragile eco-system, but a way of life along the Louisiana Gulf Coast.
"If they can't catch their crabs and shrimp and fish and the charter boats don't go out, that's these people's livelihoods," said Jefferson Parish Councilman At-Large Tom Capella.
Jindal expects it to cost about $300,000 a day to protect Grand Isle and the rest of lower Jefferson Parish from the oil spill.
