Oil spill turning point: Tar balls in Lake Pontchartrain

By Ethan Harp
CNN

(CNN) Tar balls have begun showing up on Lake Pontchartrain in a huge psychological blow for the people of New Orleans. The salt water lake sits right on the northern edge of the Crescent City. It’s the largest lake in Louisiana, a lake where people live, fish and enjoy the water.

Appearing on CNN's Campbell Brown Wednesday evening from New Orleans, local officials told Brown that isn't the only new problem they're facing.

"There's water actually on the street, just from this outside wind, and it's getting dangerous. We hope it starts receding," Jean Lafitte, Louisiana Mayor Tim Kerner said. "We're actually worried any kind of disturbance or hurricane would actually put water and oil into homes in my area."

Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts told Brown about the effects of the Lake Pontchartrain tar balls on his community, which sits along the lake's edge. "The lake is one of last areas still open for fishing, for recreation. It's an area a lot of people will go out to in order to enjoy themselves," Roberts told Brown. "Now we're not just seeing this oil along the coast, like in Lafitte and Grand Isle, we have it on the back side now... Every bit of shoreline that surrounds the city is some way impacted."

Brown also asked the officials about criticism of their proposal for rock barriers to help stop the spread of the oil, including concerns raised by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"Our engineers are telling us completely opposite," Roberts told Brown. "This is the same Corps that constructed the floodwalls that basically flooded (New Orleans) following Hurricane Katrina," adding "The Corps really doesn't have much credibility in this community at all. We saw firsthand what their engineering does and we're looking at, you know, trying to provide some temporary protection to these communities at the height of hurricane season."

Kerner told Brown, "What I'd like is for them to come over and tell me right now, when we actually almost have water in our homes, and... I tell you, it would be hard not to stick one of them's head in the water. I'm sorry, I've just had enough."