Sinkhole Buyouts By Texas Brine For Assumption Parish Residents in Louisiana

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal says a Texas company blamed for the sinkhole will offer buyouts from residents of Bayou Corne community in Assumption Parish on Wednesday.

Houston-based Texas Brine company will send appraisers to the location starting on March 18 to assess home values and to speak to each homeowner's about their interest regarding the sinkhole buyouts. Jindal said the company promised to complete the appraisal and assessment process within weeks.

Scientists say the sinkhole formed after the collapse of an underground salt cavern operated by Texas Brine into the underground Napoleonville salt dome. It extracted brine and piped brine collected at the site to nearby petrochemical facilities.

"They caused the situation," the governor explained. "They've got to make this right."

"More than 350 lives have been uprooted by the Bayou Corne sinkhole. For months, our administration has been pressuring Texas Brine to step up to the plate and do the right thing for the residents of Bayou Corne. Texas Brine is responsible for the sinkhole, and we've remained committed to holding them accountable," Jindal said in the announcement.

The massive sinkhole in the area first appeared last August roughly 40 miles of Baton Rouge. Nearly 350 residents were forced to evacuate.

"What we're looking forward to is trying to get some relief for the residents of Bayou Corne who have been fighting this for seven months, who have been relocated, living in trailer parks and other locations outside their home. And we want these people to have the financial wherewithal to be able to relocate and move on with their lives," said Assumption Parish Police Jury President Marty Triche, who attended Wednesday's meeting.

There are expressed concerns by state officials regarding the stability of a second Texas Brine salt dome cavern in the area.

"Regarding the concerns with the second Texas Brine salt dome cavern-according to the Department of Natural Resources, there are no data at this time to suggest a failure is occurring or that a failure is imminent. But, we are not taking anything for granted," Jindal said.

Texas Brine issued a statement where the president Ted Grabowski said the company will meet with U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey about settlement offers.

"Our legal counsel was able to bring the governor up to speed on where things stand with the current legal filings and explain that Texas Brine is preparing to engage either directly or through counsel with those residents interested in discussing a possible resolution to their claims," Grabowski said in the statement.