Three arrested in 20,000-gallon oil spill at Entergy substation

ST. BERNARD PARISH, La. (WVUE) - Three men have been arrested, accused of spilling around 20,000 gallons of oil from an Entergy substation in Chalmette, officials say.

According to Entergy, valves to two large oil-filled transformers were removed between 24-48 hours before an oil leak was discovered on Sunday, Sept. 25.

About 20,000 gallons of oil leaked into a nearby waterway and the marsh of Bayou Bienvenue. Detectives worked with a local scrap yard to identify three men as the perpetrators.

On Thurs., Sept. 29, deputies in St. Bernard arrested Ronald Clark, 55, and Gerard Henninger Jr., 30, and Jeremy Johnston, 34, all of the 2300 block of Esteban Street, and booked them into jail on charges of damage to a critical infrastructure and simple burglary.

Entergy says the oil did not contain PCBs, or carcinogenic compounds.

“The resultant oil sheen appears to be consolidated, intact, and contained within a floating containment boom,” Entergy says.

Entergy says the substation was de-energized since a tornado struck the area in March.

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