SUSPECTS BEING SOUGHT IN ATTEMPTED THEFT OF AMMONIA

The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office is searching for those responsible
for an attempted theft early Monday that left a portion of South Lafourche
evacuated and the area's main thoroughfares closed to traffic. Spokesmen
for the Sheriff's Office and State Police say La. 1 and Bayou Lafourche
were reopened to traffic about 10 a.m. Monday after an all-clear from the
State Police's Hazardous Materials unit and the state Department of
Environmental Quality.

At just after 4 a.m., State Police were notified of a possible chemical
leak at a local shrimp shed, one that produced a cloud.

That leak turned out to be the result of a bungled attempt to steal
anhydrous ammonia - a coolant used to keep shrimp frozen and a common
ingredient in methamphetamines -- from Hubert Lafont Shrimp Shed just south
of the Leon Theriot Floodgate in Golden Meadow.

Because of the leak, officials evacuated residents and businesses within a
half-mile radius and closed traffic on La. 1 and Bayou Lafourche, resulting
in a jam of traffic on the only highway south of Golden Meadow.

Larry Weidel, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office, said the attempted
theft, while causing temporary problems for the area, did not result in any
severe injuries.

The chemical - which officials say is not life threatening -- resulted in
medical treatment for one firefighter who experienced skin irritation.

No other injuries were reported.

The condition of nearby vegetation - which experienced a "severe burn" -
indicates the person attempting to steal the anhydrous ammonia could have
experienced burns as well.

"We have contacted medical personnel and hospitals for anybody that might
come in with that type of injury," said Weidel.

Detectives were able to lift fingerprints from the makeshift container
brought in to receive the anhydrous ammonia.

About 200 gallons of anhydrous ammonia, all that was contained within the
700-gallon tank, was released during the attempted theft, police say.

"They had converted a butane bottle to make it into a receptacle for this
anhydrous ammonia, which didn't work very well," said Weidel, who added
that the rubber hose that was attached to the main tank to retrieve the
anhydrous ammonia had broken off.

"It looks pretty amateurish as far as the attempt," said Weidel. "He wasn't
the smartest cookie in the box."

Detectives are questioning people in the area and looking through files for
leads as to who might be responsible. They are also looking at similar
events in other areas.

"There have been other anhydrous ammonia thefts in South Louisiana, and
we're checking with other jurisdictions to see what their MOs were to
determine if someone from outside the area might be responsible for this,"
said Weidel.

The closure of La. 1 - the only road leading to Grand Isle, Port Fourchon
and offshore activity in the Gulf of Mexico - did have an affect on the
local port, though officials say it is impossible to quantify it.

Port officials have estimated that the port's inability to operate for a
day equals to an economic loss of about $50 million.

"That did not happen, however, because the port was able to operate," said
port director Ted Falgout, who added that the effects hindered the overall
operation of the port, and possibly the Gulf of Mexico, in terms of
inefficient crew changes and delayed deliveries.

"It certainly was an eye-opener into what a major threat to the activity of
the port that closures and storms present," he said.

Officials say the agencies involved - including law enforcement, local fire
departments and other emergency responders, performed well under the pressure.

The effort was also aided by some good weather.

"I think it went smoothly," said State Police spokesman Trooper Matt
Trahan. "Once the sun came up, it helped to evaporate the cloud."