NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Coast Guard has burned off oil that spilled last week in a marsh about 42 m42 miles (more than 65 kilometers) from New Orleans.
Petty Officer John Michelli says the oil was set afire about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday and had burned itself out by 1 p.m.
He says that first, a boat was driven around the area to create a firebreak by temporarily bending marsh plants down into the water.
The Coast Guard says about 800 to 1,000 gallons (3028 to 3785 liters) of oil spilled last week from a pipeline owned by Time Energy LLC at Cox Bay in Plaquemines Parish.
Officials say the spill doesn't appear to have hurt wildlife, and federal agencies agreed that a controlled burn was the best way to handle it.
