Large oil spill in Gulf of Mexico after Ida, cleanup underway

US Coast Guard says cleanup boats are at the scene of a sizable oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Ida.

The United States Coast Guard says cleanup crews are responding to a sizable oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico following Hurricane Ida, while a private team of divers are set to descend underwater to locate the source of the leak. Lieutenant John Edwards, spokesman for the US Coast Guard, said on Saturday that the Clean Gulf Associates, a nonprofit oil-spill response cooperative, has placed a containment boom in the area to prevent the further spread of the oil. The company’s vessels are also running skimmers that can remove oil from the water, though only about 42 gallons (about 160 liters) has been removed so far.