Heavy Sludge Oozes into Marshes of Louisiana

It may be the most disturbing site yet: the first heavy sludge now oozing into the marshes of Louisiana as the slick continues to grow in size out in the gulf.

CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella reports it's an ominous sight. The oil is thick and black and stretches about a quarter mile down a beach. It goes beyond the booms into the sensitive marsh lands which are home to migratory birds.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal flew over it Tuesday.

"This wasn't just sheen, we were seeing heavy oil out there," Jindal said. "This wasn't just tar balls. It shows you how quick the oil showed up."

When CBS News tried to reach the beach, covered in oil, a boat of BP contractors with two Coast Guard officers on board told us to turn around under threat of arrest. Coast Guard officials said they are looking into the incident.

The impact on wildlife is unclear. Government officials say that 162 sea turtles have died, about half a dozen bottle nose dolphins have died. The sea turtles have not been thoroughly examined yet but federal officials say this seems related to the oil spill. And they admit they have no idea what's happening in the deeper waters because they can't watch it.

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Also on Tuesday, nearly two dozen tar balls were found off Key West, Fla., the U.S. Coast Guard said, but the agency stopped short of saying whether they came from the massive oil spill.

Some 5 million gallons of crude has spewed into the Gulf and tar balls have been washing ashore in several states along the coast.

Government scientists are surveying the Gulf Coast to determine if oil has entered a powerful current that could take it to Florida.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator Jane Lubchenco says aerial surveys show some tendrils of light oil close to or already in the loop current, which circulates in the Gulf and takes water south to the Florida Keys and the Gulf Stream. But most oil is dozens of miles away from the current.

Lubchenco says it will take about eight to 10 days after oil enters the current before it begins to reach Florida. But scientists from the University of South Florida are forecasting it could reach Key West by Sunday.

The Coast Guard said the Florida Park Service found the tar balls on Monday during a shoreline survey. The balls were 3-to-8 inches in diameter.

Coast Guard Lt. Anna K. Dixon said no one at the station in Key West was qualified to determine where the tar balls originated. They have been sent to a lab for analysis.

[LuciusMichael]

"Some 5 million gallons of crude has spewed into the Gulf.."

5 million? Is this figure for real? University scientists who have studied the rate of flow have estimated it is between 50,000 and 124,000 barrels per day. Given the conservative figure of 70,000 barrels per day that's over 100 million gallons spewed to this point. Not the 5 million CBS is reporting. 5 million gallons over 34 days = 147,058 gallons a day and not even BP which has consistently downplayed the rate of flow has issued such a ridiculously low figure.

If this isn't an example of shoddy reporting and corporate disinformation I don't know what is.

[suenoir]

BP Contractors telling anyone what do do is appalling, especially the media. Public ocean, public beaches and the 2 Coast Guards on the boat stood by? We want answers. Keep on this story CBS.

[I_am_me1953]

I'm reading a lot of these responses and I wonder why so many waited for a day to ask why BP is telling the CG what to do.

I asked the same question yesterday after seeing the story on CBS news Tuesday.

[noloyalisti]

So here is a red state who elected the nightmare Bobby Jindal as their governor. So are they going to cry for government assistance to save them? Or defend the rights of rich corporations to pollute in their never ending quest for profits?

[Reframe_Collection]

Government obedience to corporate interests has gone too far. To see a portrait in courage, consider Diane Wilson, 4th generation shrimper. She has been battling the petro-chemical industry in the Gulf for years. Watch her struggle to maintain the health of the Gulf and the health of the local economies dependent upon the Gulf in TEXAS GOLD: http://reframecollection.org/films/film?Id=1557

[noloyalisti]

Yes, but these corporation finance their campaigns, decide the elections and write all the regulations for their own profit. The only thing that will work is a General Strike to shut it all down and bring the filthy rich to their knees.

[Turbidite]

It seems incredible that the entire United States Government is stopped by BP's CEO Hayward. Instead of angry words, our government should simply remove BP from the scene under martial law and take over the emergency response, using energy and environmental contractors to stop and clean up the gusher. Legally this matter falls under the jurisdiction of Homeland Security. BP should have all rights to U.S. offshore drilling revoked and then fined for the the entire cleanup and subsequent maintenance of the injured environments. This would no doubt bankrupt the company, and good riddance I say. The ongoing arrogance of BP's management and dismissal of anything their American cousins do is well known among the members of the energy industry.

[jayboat]

Ain't this just dandy.

Maybe they're afraid someone will steal their oil from the beach.

This really pizzes me off. First, these greedy ba$tards ***** up the place and then have the nerve to try and prevent people in PUBLIC waters from viewing their mess. I hope they all burn in hell.

[okeeheepkee13]

i've got a question for kelly cobiella, did you even ask them what law you were violating? pretty shameful. if cbs doesn't get to the bottom of this then, well then it won't be surprising.

[okeeheepkee13]

how is BP telling the coast guard to arrest people? isn't bp a foreign corporation? i hope every reporter and film crew in the SE heads for the public waterways on the louisiana coast. are they gonna arrest dozens of reporters? for violating what law? this is nuts.

[Observer1504]

Obama is the commander in chief or our armed forces yet BP seems to be giving orders to the Coast Guard. This country is in very deep trouble.

[thomderr1]

You are correct. Very strange.

At least most journalists are allowed access to crime scenes after the area has been cleared.

Oops! Did I say 'crime scene'? If it is not, then why the petrol police?

B.P.'s concern should be directed to stopping the leak, not the reporting of it's environmental effects. Unless the government 'steps up to the plate' and allows unbridled coverage of the leakage and the problems that the leak is causing, we may only get our information from B.P.'s deep water camera's.

Unless the present administration acts immediately, our shorelines die.

This is your 'Katrina' Mr. President. The Captain is always responsible for all of the errors under his command. Whether you made them, or your mining secretary made those mistakes.