La.: Isaac could stir up oily gunk from 2010 spill

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana officials say Hurricane Isaac may stir up oil and oily gunk left behind from the 2010 BP oil spill.

Scientists had said after the spill dumped more than 200 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico that oil could surface from time to time for years.

The state did not say it had reports of oil sightings, but warned people not touch tar balls, tar mats or other oily debris that washes ashore.

Sightings should be reported to the National Response Center and the state hazardous materials hotline.

The National Response Center is at 800-424-8802 and the state hazardous materials hotline is 877-925-6595.

The spill began after the BP-leased rig Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20, 2010 about 50 miles off the southeast Louisiana coast.