Oil slick creeps west of the mouth of the Mississippi in area of less attention, cleanup

Oil creeping west of the mouth of Mississippi

ON THE GULF OF MEXICO — Streaks of putrid, orange and rust-colored oil snaked well west of the mouth of the Mississippi River in an area that has received less attention.

An Associated Press reporter saw hundreds of dead jellyfish in the area Thursday. The oil is in streaks ranging from a few feet wide to much larger swaths.

Much of the oil west of the river was still miles out in the Gulf, but there appeared to be little or no effort to contain it or clean it up.

Jefferson Parish officials asked BP and the Coast Guard on Wednesday to bring booms, skimmers and workers to Grand Isle when oil was spotted about 50 miles away. The oil drifted closer by Thursday.