Recent test results at Lake Peigneur have sparked renewed controversy between AGL Resources and the Save Lake Peigneur group.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey information from AGL Resources, gas bubbling up from the lake contains 70 percent methane and 6 percent oxygen.

“Every test conducted by the state and federal agencies, as well as our own company, continue to show that there is absolutely no connection between our operations and the reported bubbling,” said Jack Holt, the AGL Resources spokesman. “There is nothing in the results to indicate a combustible mixture since methane will not ignite at that concentration.”

Advertisement

Nara Crowley, president of Save Lake Peigneur, says she believes that there is still a number of unknown factors.

“There is 70 percent methane and 30 percent air,” said Crowley.

“That is significant for volatility. We got these figures from the USGS. There should be no expansion (of the gas storage caverns).”

AGL has been seeking to expand its natural gas storage using the salt mines below the lake. The company is already using two caverns for this purpose. The Save Lake Peignuer group, consisting of residents around the lake, has been constantly fighting the expansion.

“We have significant foaming,” said Crowley. “We’ve got bubbling going on today (Monday). They (AGL) say it means nothing. How can you say there’s nothing wrong when you don’t know what it is? It has to be something.”

Holt said that although testing so far “continues to eliminate our gas storage caverns as a source of the bubbling,” AGL will continue to work with officials to determine a cause.

“There is also nothing to suggest pressure pushing naturally occurring methane to the surface since it is lighter than air and will always rise,” said Holt.

Robert Braun, Ph.D., department head of chemistry at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, said he believes that it is unlikely something will happen, but isn’t entirely sure.

“It’s highly unlikely it would hurt people around the lake,” he said. “It’s always dangerous though. Methane will burn. The only way something would happen to the dome is a direct path for ignition.”

AGL Resources is  posting its opinions on a  Web site at www.lakepeigneurfacts.com. The Save Lake Peigneur group is posting its opinions online at www.savelakepeigneur.org.