BP Gulf Coast Restoration Organization President Mike Utsleron Tuesday announced thatthe company has requested permission to "deep clean" beaches on Grand Isle, Grand Terre Island, Fourchon Beach and Elmer's Island to remove oil that was uncovered during Hurricane Isaac. The plan would be aimed at weathered oil deposited in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and covered by sand during Tropical Storm Bonnie later that year.

The deep cleaning process is a beach equivalent of steam cleaning a home's carpet, but would wash sand deeper along the beach than had occurred in earlier removal efforts along those beaches. The process was used extensively along "amenity" beaches used by tourists in Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle.

Utsler said the plan would have to be approved by the Deepwater Horizon Incident Management Team led by the U.S. Coast Guard. Such a plan was rejected in the immediate aftermath of the spill as too dangerous to the environment along those beaches, as the process kills microorganisms and small animals that live in the sand.

Utsler said initial indications are that there has been no additional oiling of inland wetlands in Louisiana, but that high water remaining in the wetlands continues to slow checks. He also said that the tar balls and tar mats found in the aftermath of Isaac was in areas where oil was known to have been onshore, and no new areas have been oiled.

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BP proposes deep cleaning of Louisiana beaches in aftermath of Hurricane Isaac