Sunday, September 12, 2010, 3:01 AM
Bob Marshall, The Times-Picayune Bob Marshall, The Times-Picayune


A new wave of black oil suddenly came ashore west of the Mississippi River on Friday and Saturday, coating beaches and fouling interior marshes, according to anglers' reports. Ryan Lambert, owner of Buras-based Cajun Fishing Adventures, said about 16 miles of coastal beaches in Plaquemines Parish from Sandy Point to Chalon Pass were lined with black oil and tar balls. Meanwhile anglers returning to Lafitte told Sidney Bourgeois, of Joe's Landing, that new oil was surfacing on the eastern side of Barataria Bay in the Bay Jimmie, Bay Wilkerson and in Bay Baptiste areas.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries confirmed the following oil sightings in Plaquemines Parish on Friday:

half mile of oil located in the marsh of an unnamed marsh island on the SW side of Bay Jimmy.

One-mile long by 20 yards wide area of tar patties located in West Bay 2.15 miles NW of Outlet W-2.

Large area of 6 foot to 12 foot diameter tar balls locate in Scott Bay .8 miles NNW of Double Bayou.

2500 feet long by 300 feet wide area of heavy oil sheen with surface oil droplets and submerged oil located offshore .85 miles west of the Southwest Pass East Jetty.

"It's just suddenly came up Friday and it's along the beach for mile and miles, and drifting inside in some spots, " Lambert said. "There were quite a few dead red fish on the beach, and just thousands of dead pogies (menhaden) inside the bays. And there a really big areas of sheen right off the beach.

"Everyone thinks this is over, but it's not - not if we can still get soakings like this."