OCS Study BOEM 2014-617 Offshore Oil and Deepwater Horizon: Social Effects on Gulf Coast Communities Volume I: Methodology, Timeline, Context, and Communities U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Gulf of Mexico OCS Region OCS Study BOEM 2014-617 Offshore Oil and Deepwater Horizon: Social Effects on Gulf Coast Communities Volume I Authors Diane Austin Brian Marks Kelly McClain Tom McGuire Ben McMahan Victoria Phaneuf Preetam Prakash Bethany Rogers Carolyn Ware Justina Whalen Prepared under BOEM Contract M10AC20003 by Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, School of Anthropology, University of Arizona 1009 E. South Campus Dr. Tucson, AZ 85721-0030 Published by U.S. Department of the Interior New Orleans, LA Bureau of Ocean Energy Management June 2014 Gulf of Mexico OCS Region DISCLAIMER This report was prepared under contract between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the University of Arizona, School of Anthropology’s Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology. This report has been technically reviewed by BOEM, and it has been approved for publication. Approval does not necessarily signify that the contents reflect the views and policies of BOEM, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. REPORT AVAILABILITY To download a PDF file of this Gulf of Mexico OCS Region report, go to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Environmental Studies Program Information System website and search on OCS Study BOEM 2014-617. This report can be viewed at select Federal Depository Libraries. It can also be obtained from the National Technical Information Service; the contact information is below. U.S. Department of Commerce National Technical Information Service 5301 Shawnee Rd. Springfield, Virginia 22312 Phone: (703) 605-6000, 1(800)553-6847 Fax: (703) 605-6900 Website: http://www.ntis.gov/ CITATION Austin, Diane; Marks, B.; McClain, K., McGuire, T., McMahan, B., Phaneuf, V., Prakash, P., Rogers, B., Ware, C., Whalen, J. 2014. Offshore oil and Deepwater Horizon: Social Effects on Gulf Coast Communities, Volume I. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, LA. OCS Study BOEM 2014-617. 266 pp. iii CONTENTS List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii Preface............................................................................................................................................ ix Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 1 Social Effects of the Macondo Well Blowout .......................................................................... 1 Social Effects of the Response .................................................................................................. 3 Chapter One: The Study.................................................................................................................. 6 1.1. Approach and Methods ...................................................................................................... 6 1.2. Overview of the Study Communities ............................................................................... 11 1.3. References ........................................................................................................................ 17 Chapter Two: The Spill, Response, and Cleanup ......................................................................... 22 2.1. Overview of the Response and Cleanup .......................................................................... 22 2.2. Timeline of Key Events ................................................................................................... 25 2.3. References ........................................................................................................................ 39 Chapter Three: Context ................................................................................................................. 54 3.1. The Petroleum Industry in the Region ............................................................................. 54 3.2. Hurricanes ........................................................................................................................ 59 3.3. Socioeconomic Impacts of Oil Spills and Other Technological Disasters ...................... 62 3.4. Legal and Regulatory Framework for Responding to Oil Spills ..................................... 69 3.5. References ........................................................................................................................ 76 Chapter Four: The Interplay of Migration, Ethnicity, Social Networks along the Gulf Coast ..... 90 4.1. Migration.......................................................................................................................... 91 4.2. Race and Ethnicity ........................................................................................................... 95 4.3. Social Networks ............................................................................................................. 101 4.4. Native Americans........................................................................................................... 105 4.5. Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Americans ....................................................................... 111 4.6. Hispanics ........................................................................................................................ 119 4.7. References ...................................................................................................................... 122 Chapter Five: Bayou La Batre and Mobile County, Alabama .................................................... 135 5.1. Mobile County History .................................................................................................. 135 5.2. Bayou La Batre and its Environs ................................................................................... 137 5.3. Specific Effects of the Spill ........................................................................................... 147 5.4. References ...................................................................................................................... 151 Chapter Six: Biloxi and Harrison County, Mississippi ............................................................... 156 v 6.1. Harrison County History ................................................................................................ 157 6.2. Biloxi and its Environs................................................................................................... 159 6.3. Specific Effects of the Spill ........................................................................................... 170 6.4. References ...................................................................................................................... 174 Chapter Seven: Pointe-a-la-Hache, Empire, Port Sulphur, and Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana 178 7.1. Plaquemines Parish History ........................................................................................... 179 7.2. Pointe a la Hache and its Environs: Introduction........................................................... 185 7.3. Empire and its Environs: Introduction ........................................................................... 192 7.4. Port Sulphur and Environs ............................................................................................. 199 7.5. References ...................................................................................................................... 203 Chapter Eight: Larose, Cut Off, and Lafourche Parish, Louisiana ............................................. 210 8.1. Lafourche Parish History ............................................................................................... 210 8.2. Larose-Cut Off ............................................................................................................... 216 8.3. Specific Effects of the Spill ........................................................................................... 226 8.4. References ...................................................................................................................... 232 Chapter Nine: Dulac and Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana ............................................................ 239 9.1. Terrebonne Parish History ............................................................................................. 240 9.2. Dulac and its Environs ................................................................................................... 243 9.3. Specific Effects of the Spill ........................................................................................... 252 9.4. References ...................................................................................................................... 255 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1. Population Change within the Study Areas, 2000 to 2010 .......................................... 13 Table 1.2. Educational Attainment within the Study Areas, 2010................................................ 13 Table 1.3. Educational Attainment