AUSTIN — The United States Coast Guard today called on Texas General Land Office Oil Spill Prevention and Response teams to assist in the recovery of New Orleans. 

The Texas oil spill experts will travel to Zephyr Field in Kenner, La., and will receive a specific mission upon arrival, said Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office. Kenner is about 15 miles west of downtown New Orleans.  

“We’re just happy to help,” Patterson said. “We know that Louisiana would do the same thing for us if we were in similar circumstances.” 

The Land Office team is mobilizing a whole array of oil spill response equipment and personnel, including:

Seven boats, including three airboats, three 18-foot boats and one 24-foot boat

One bird rehabilitation trailer that will be used to provide air conditioned-sleeping quarters for team members

One mobile command post

10 trucks

One equipment storage trailer

16 personnel from all five Land Office oil spill field offices, located in Nederland, La Porte, Corpus Christi, Brownsville and Port Lavaca

Seven personnel from the La Porte and Nederland offices will arrive in Kenner early this evening.

Crews will muster in the parking lot of the Nederland field office (2300 Highway 365 in Nederland) at 2 p.m. and will leave later this afternoon. The remainder will stay in the Beaumont area overnight and will arrive in Kenner on Friday morning. 

The teams are self-sufficient, carrying their own food and water. They also will be carrying many extra gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel. Satellite communications capability has been arranged because telephone and cellular phone services have been disrupted in the New Orleans area. 

J.T. Ewing, the Region 1 Regional Director for the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Division, will be the task force leader, and is directing the operation.