Giant Louisiana sinkhole swallows access ramp and more trees

BAYOU CORNE, LA (WAFB) - Work at the sinkhole in Bayou Corne has come to a halt again. This comes after the giant sinkhole swallowed an access ramp to a well pad and more trees Thursday morning.

Assumption Parish leaders say seismic monitors have picked up fluid and gas moving beneath the surface.

The monitoring alert status for the Oxy 3 well has been raised to Code 2. This requires all work directly in and over the sinkhole to cease until further notice.

Assumption Parish leaders say "the seismic activity is limited to the Oxy 3/sinkhole area, showing no indication of impact to the Oxy 1 area. The slough-in that consumed the ramp and the trees was on the southeastern side of the sinkhole."

The Assumption Parish Police Jury website says "Monitoring is constantly ongoing in the area and Conservation will continue to advise the public of significant changes in subsurface conditions."

According to the Assumption Parish Police Jury website, the giant Louisiana sinkhole in Assumption Parish swallowed 25 trees Monday night as well.

Bubbles were spotted in Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou in June 2012. Two months later, the ground opened up and left a nine acre sinkhole. Residents were evacuated and have been for the past seven months. Most affected residents began receiving weekly checks from Texas-Brine in the amount of $875 per week. The sinkhole is now about 12 acres in size.

On March 13, Texas-Brine, a Houston based company which owns the salt dome that caused the sinkhole, announced they would begin assessing the homes and offering buyouts and settlements for the 350 people evacuated.

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