AUBURN — Oil containment booms tested off the Alabama coast on Wednesday took on water, but fared better in rough water tests on Thursday, according to Jana Lapoint, who sits on the board at Packgen, the local manufacturer hoping to break into the boom market.

After two audits and lobbying by some of Maine’s Congressional delegation, the BP oil company agreed to test the boom last week. A water test planned for Monday was delayed, Lapoint said.

Packgen, which makes containers out of woven polypropylene, hasn’t sold boom commercially before. She said in tests in shallow water on Wednesday, it appeared to take on water. That didn’t appear to happen during the rough water test.

“There have been no significant changes in the manufacturing of boom in the last 10 years,” Lapoint said, adding that alterations can be made to their own product. “When something is new you can understand why it has to go through more hoops.”

She said her son, company President John Lapoint III, was cautiously optimistic.

“Things look promising,” she said.

They hoped for word early next week from BP “to whether or not they’re going to buy it,” Jana Lapoint said. BP needs boom as it works to clean up the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Packgen, on First Flight Drive, has thousands of feet of boom in stock and material to make a half-million feet more.

kskelton@sunjournal.com

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