U.S. EPA responds to report of oil spill after Ida by activating special aircraft

The Associated Press had reported the apparent oil spill on Wednesday and published aerial photos https://bit.ly/2YeT5L7. "EPA's ASPECT aircraft – the Agency's airborne real-time chemical and radiological detection, infrared and photographic imagery platform – has been activated to support the state of Louisiana.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said a special aircraft carrying photographic and chemical detection equipment was dispatched from Texas to Louisiana to fly over an area hard hit by hurricane Ida, including a Phillips 66 refinery along the Mississippi River where an apparent oil spill was reported. The Associated Press had reported the apparent oil spill on Wednesday and published aerial photos https://bit.ly/2YeT5L7.

"EPA's ASPECT aircraft – the Agency's airborne real-time chemical and radiological detection, infrared and photographic imagery platform – has been activated to support the state of Louisiana. ASPECT will generate data on a list of priority sites identified by the state of Louisiana, which includes the Phillips 66 site", an EPA spokesman told Reuters on Thursday.