400 ft. of protective berm sinks around giant Louisiana sinkhole

BAYOU CORNE, LA (WAFB) - There are more problems at the site of the giant sinkhole in southeast Louisiana.

Officials said between 400 and 500 feet of the berm on the south side of the sinkhole, which was set up to help keep possible contaminants from leaking into other parts of the swamp, has now sunk underwater.

They also say trees on the southwest side sinking. Some have sunk up to 10 feet.

Texas Brine, the company who owns the salt dome that caused the sinkhole, was required by the Louisiana Office of Conservation to build the berm to prevent the brine in the sinkhole from leaking into the surrounding waterways.

The berm area is about 82 acres surrounding the now 15-acre sinkhole. Seismic monitors were placed in and around the sinkhole area to monitor tremors. Tremors usually result in a "burp" that brings debris from the bottom of the sinkhole to the top. These burps have been known to swallow trees surrounding the sinkhole.

It's been almost a year since a massive sinkhole near Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou began causing problems. Bubbling in the bayou led to the sinkhole. About 350 people have been forced out of their homes since August.

It has been 10 months since hundreds living near the giant sinkhole were forced from their homes.

Bubbles were spotted in Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou in June 2012. Two months later, the ground opened up.

Most affected residents began receiving weekly checks from Texas-Brine in the amount of $875 per week.

Nine months after the sinkhole first appeared in Bayou Corne, Texas Brine began making offers to buy out the residents living there.

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