Reported by: Evan Anderson, Reporter
Email: eanderson@fox8tv.net
Last Update: 8/15 11:55 pm

The search for oil ‘on the surface’ of the water has been hard to find during the last few days.

Certainly some good news… a week ‘before’ that temporary cap was placed on the broken well, BP crews were collecting around 25-thousand barrels of oily water, everyday.

BP Spokesman John Curry says, “and now we’re down to essentially not having any barrels to skim.”

Seventy-four percent of the oil, BP says… has been boomed, skimmed, captured and contained.

Task Force Team Leader Jesse Shaffer III says, “oh it’s a lot better, yes sir, but it’s not gone.”

For this task force, formed a couple of months back by Plaquemines Parish president Billy Nungesser, it’s not what’s ‘on’ the water that’s their concern.

Jesse’s son and fellow Task Force Team member, Jesse Shaffer IV says, “I dont think they understand the fact, how much oil is really left in this marsh, everywhere you look, there’s oil around all the grass and it just gradually melts out.”

Jesse Shaffer the ‘Fourth’ has been working with a team of 5 boats, in Nungesser’s task force, paid for by BP, and run by the parish… sucking up oil in tight areas around the parishes marshes for 80 days now.

It’s not even close to over. It’s just coming up from the mud. It’s straight oil back there look, just sinking staright in, as it warms up, it comes back up, just ooozes out, ” says Shaffer III.

Jesse says oil is about 30 feet into the marsh. Right now, they’re collecting between 20 to 30 barrels of oil a day. (FULL STORY)