Guest LAW Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 Press Briefing by National Incident Commander June 25, 2010 ADMIRAL ALLEN: Thank you. Good afternoon. Just an update on a few numbers that we track on a daily basis. The production capacity that went to midnight last night resulted in us producing 22,735 barrels. That was 7,946 off the Q4000 remainder off the Discoverer Enterprise. The relief wells continue to go at pace. The Development Driller III, which is the primary relief well, is now at 10,968 feet below the mud line. Development Driller II is 4,697 feet below the mud line. In regards to Development Driller III, there are two points to be made there. They are starting what they call “ranging activity.” This is where they withdraw the drill pipe and put down an electrical cable into the end of the wellbore, and they put out an electrical signal, and they actually could pick up the magnetic field around the wellbore. This tells them how close they are getting. They have made contact with this electromagnetic field. What they will do is continue to drill down in short intervals, withdraw the pipe, put that sensing device down, and slowly close on the wellbore to the point where they're ready to do the intercept drilling. This last part takes some time, because they only do several hundred feet at a time, withdraw the drill pipe, and then put the sensor down to figure out how close they're coming. After a series of these readings, they can have a very precise idea of how close they are to the wellbore and then how to actually turn the drill in and make the intercept. But then we'll get much slower, because they have to basically drill, withdraw the drill pipe and put the sensor down. They also have a vessel standing by that's full of mud on the top, in the event they get really close, they could potentially knick the wellbore they could actually put mud down to control any hydrocarbons that might come out. Regarding the longer-term containment, we should by next week have the additional vessel in place to start producing off of the kill line. That's the other line that's available to bring oil to the surface. That will bring us the three production vessels and the 53,000-barrel capacity we were looking for by the end of June. Moving beyond that, we're very close to completing the first free standing riser pipe that will allow us to go to the new mooring configuration, and ultimately that will allow us to actually be producing from four different platforms by mid-July, increasing our rate from 60,000 to 80,000 barrels. In addition, we had our visit with Florida regarding claims processing. Tracy Wareing's group was down there meeting with them, and they are assisting the state of Florida and facilitating their claims processing. And as of this date, BP has gone over $125 million in claims that have been paid. A couple of travel announcements. Secretary Napolitano and Assistant Secretary to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner are returning to the Gulf next week to continue their inspection and oversight of the response. I will be down there and participate in meetings with them. Then on Tuesday, the Vice President will be traveling to the region to assess efforts to counter the oil spill. They will visit our unified area command in New Orleans and also visit the Florida Panhandle. And, again, I'll be joining the vice president on that trip, as well. We continue to produce a very aggressive skimming strategy. For the last several weeks, we've been trying to flow additional skimming capability into all parts of the gulf. This is one of those types of capability, as the spill expands from Louisiana to the entire panhandle of Florida, we are looking at every possible opportunity to bring skimmer capability in there. And in the last two weeks, we've actually increased the skimming capability there by threefold, and we'll continue to pursue that as—as we move forward. And with that, I'd be glad to take any questions you might have for me. Q: Everyone’s watching the weather down in the Gulf, Admiral, can you tell us what kind of storm threat you got and who gets to make the call when the ships have to go in—if they do and how long does it take to get them back (inaudible)? ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, as you know, this has been an issue of ongoing discussion between BP, ourselves, all of our federal partners, DOD, and the state and local governments. We have a very robust hurricane contingency plan that has been produced by our incident commanders. In general, our threshold to start taking action is 120 hours before gale-force winds are forecasted. That can be a different set of mileage, just depending on the track and the speed of the storm. But in general, at about 120 hours out of the onset of gale-force winds, we will start to redeploy the equipment from the well site, redeploy other equipment to safe venues, and then come in after the storm to re-establish production or to take part in rescue activities with the Coast Guard. We're also looking at continuity of operations plans at our incident command posts, how we'd evacuate our personnel, and so forth. We’re also working very closely with DOD regarding air space coordination. This week, we are standing up an air space coordination function at Tyndall Air Force Base to help us manage the consistent amount of air traffic that's over the gulf region. Tyndall is also pre-designated as the node for rescue and coordination after a hurricane, so there's a natural synergy there between how we would manage the response to a hurricane while we're doing the response to the oil at the same time. Also, there’s an extensive amount of work going on between the Coast Guard and FEMA. I’m working closely with Craig Fugate and Secretary Napolitano on our preparations of how we would co-mingle, if you will, the command structures of the national contingency plan for oil spill respond and Stafford Act response by FEMA. Q: I didn’t actually hear though, who gets to make the call as to when the ships have to break and go and can you also give us the (inaudible)? ADMIRAL ALLEN: I'm sorry, that would be the federal on-scene coordinator decision, as all of them are. But right now, the threshold for that decision nominally is the onset of gale-force winds in 120 hours, which is five days. Male: And on survivability, can you translate that to the Simpson Scale on what it takes to get these ships to (inaudible)? ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, we're not even waiting, because you don't know—it could move into a 2, 3 or a 4 hurricane by the time it gets there. What we're looking at is gale-force winds, about 40 knots, onset of those, 120 hours in advance, storm moving that way, you start moving. If you wait to get a clear delineation or the strength of the storm, you may be too late. And, again, the 120 hours is a time factor related to the onset of gale-force winds. Depending on the speed of the storm that could produce a different distance depending on how fast the storm is traveling. Q: Admiral what's your assessment of if this does happen, if the storm does come into the area, your assessment of efforts on the containment and the clean-up of the Gulf? ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, obviously, it's going to be a very negative effect on it, because at some point we're going to have to break production and get those production units to a safer locale. I would say, you know, overall goal in this whole thing is the safety of our personnel. And there are a lot of people on those rigs out there. And some of the rigs are easier deployable than others. For instance, the Q4000 is a lot easier to disconnect than the Discoverer Enterprise. This ranges anywhere from, I would say, 48 to 56 hours up to the whole 120 hours we might need, but it depends on the type of platform. Q: There could be significantly vast more amounts of oil coming out? ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, once we disconnect, whatever the flow rate that we've estimated—as you know right now, it's between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels a day. Whatever that flow rate actually is—and we don't know that to a precise certainty—but that will be unattended. Yes? Q: Senator Nelson is calling for a ship surge if there is such a possibility that you would (inaudible) all this extra oil flow (inaudible). Any response to that or the assets around? ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, at the time we would break away is the time you need to be seeking shelter. And I understand the need to skim the oil as soon as we can, but it's going to be after the storm passes. I don't think anybody wants a vessel out there trying to skim oil with the weather building beyond gale-force winds. So the goal would be to get to a safe quadrant of the hurricane, come in behind it, and as soon as we can that we have the ability to do that, to do that. Q: Do you have a replacement cap in the works right now (inaudible)? ADMIRAL ALLEN: That's a good question. We will be making a decision some time in the next seven days on whether the ships and the new containment cap and the new production system that I just briefed on, dependent on when a storm might appear, we could either be dealing with the current mooring configuration or the new one. The new mooring configuration has greater flexibility and allows us to disconnect and reconnect quicker, but that won't be in place until around the middle of July. In the meantime, we're going to be faced with the reality that the Discoverer Enterprise, for example, is actually fixed to the wellhead through that riser pipe. We're trying to go to what we're calling freestanding risers that are connected back to the well through flexible hoses and then to the production units on scene through flexible hoses, so it does make a difference on which production structure we have in place. Q: (inaudible) have you taken any steps to keep them from bumping things again and pull them up (inaudible) ADMIRAL ALLEN: Oh, they'll be recovered, as well, yes. Q: And what steps… ADMIRAL ALLEN: And I would say that we've had two incidents in the entire conduct of the entire operation, which is not a large amount. Both of them ended up being consequential in relation to exacerbating the oil flow. But there is a lot of oversight and technical supervision that goes in to the operation of those things simultaneously and there are a lot of them down there sometimes operating very closely. Q: (inaudible) to change things? ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, I think the procedures in place are the ones that are followed by industry practice, but, again, these have been two exceptions to that. But as far as I know, they're following industry practice. MODERATOR: Operator, at this time, we're prepared to take questions from the phone. OPERATOR: Your next question is from Kristen Hays with Reuters. Q: Hello, Admiral. ADMIRAL ALLEN: Hello. Q: I just wanted to check with you on what—if you just go over this one more time. Just how bad does the weather have to be to disconnect? You said on Wednesday that eight foot waves might—would mean the vessels need to move. And gale force winds, how fast is that? ADMIRAL ALLEN: Yes, let me clarify that. Our normal operations out there, which means we're doing offshore supply vessels, skimming operations, in situ burning, just our normal operations, when you get to an eight-foot sea state, it starts to become very problematic for us to continue operations. But the threshold for actually stopping production and redeploying is going to be when we encounter gale-force winds, which is winds 40 knots or greater, 120 hours out. OK? OPERATOR: Your next question is from Vivian Kuo with CNN. Q: Good afternoon, Admiral. I was just wondering, last week, you had said disconnecting from the Discoverer Enterprise would take approximately six to seven days. And being that the Q4000 is on flexible couplings, how long would it take for it to disconnect? That's my first question. And my second question has to do with the ranging. Earlier you had said that you successfully detected the presence of the well. Have you now moved into the next stages of drilling downward at an angle for eventual intercept? ADMIRAL ALLEN: We have. Let me take your second question first. They have made the first electromagnetic contact with the wellbore. What they have done now is they're going to drill down several hundred more feet and then take another reading, and these sequential readings allow them to slowly close the wellbore, so they have the first contact. They are now drilling several hundred more feet, and we would expect within the next day or two they would have the ability to make the second contact, and I'll report that as we—as we move along. We have some more refined times in regards to the redeployment of these assets, because I went back and actually—to confirm that, because we were given rough estimates, in terms of days. What we need for the Discoverer Enterprise, time to secure and evade, and that including giving them at least 24 hours to make a transit out of the area right now is 114 hours for the Discoverer Enterprise and 54 hours for the Q4000. And that's an update and refinement of the earlier estimates. Was that responsive? Q: Yes. ADMIRAL ALLEN: Next question? OPERATOR: Your next question is from Bertha Coombs with CNBC. Q: Admiral, thanks for taking my question. In terms of these contingency plans, where would these facilities go? And where would all of the personnel go? And how long would it take to get them back into place once a storm threat passed? ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, first of all, we would designate essential and non-essential personnel, and non-essential personnel would basically take shelter. Ideally, we would not do this at the same time they are trying to do an evacuation of citizens, so there's a staging of this, and we actually would coordinate that with FEMA and the local governments. We are identifying continuity of operations where we could locate some of the background operations. Of course, we would continue to coordinate with the state and local governments and would be collocated with them and their emergency operations centers to make sure we maintain continuity of operations. So the answer kind of varies depending on what you do, how essential your job is, how do we maintain the command-and-control communications, but most importantly, it's how we maintain connections with the local states and local governments. So they're nuanced plans, and they're scalable, and they're rated based on what your function is, and at what point you might need to be evacuated. Is that responsive? Q: It is. One more follow-up question. In terms of the drilling of the wellbore, if it stops at this stage, is there any danger in terms of a storm of basically setting you back on this and you'd have to start again or impeding the progress of getting closer to capping this well? ADMIRAL ALLEN: We wouldn't have to start again, but we would definitely stop where we're at, and we would have to re-initiate it. And just—and I didn't talk about the relief wells. For the Development Driller III, which is leading the first relief well, they would need 104 hours from the notification of onset of gale-force winds to be able to disconnect and then evade the storm, in other words, to make 24 hours progress to get away from it. That's included in these number of hours. OPERATOR: Your next question is from Jim Polson with Bloomberg News. Q: I'm sorry, Admiral. I'm still sort of going on this same track. These hours, for example, with the—the Discoverer Enterprise, 114 hours means 114 hours before they pull the cap and begin to move, or would it be earlier or later than that? ADMIRAL ALLEN: What it would mean is, 114 hours in advance of the severe weather that's predicted to meet the threshold, they would disconnect. Q: OK, thank you. OPERATOR: Your next question is from Debbie Elliott with NPR. Q: Admiral, thank you for taking my call. I'd like a little more information on the relief well apparatus and how—what the hurricane plan is for those and how you would restart that and what kind of a setback it would be, how many days it would be before you would begin again after a storm. ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, they have—they can disconnect right now from the wellhead in relation to both the drilling rigs, and they would move away and simply redeploy and re-initiate the drilling. There's a way they have to secure it. There is a riser pipe and a drill pipe. The riser pipe would have to be removed. They would have to secure the wellhead and hold it in place and then re-initiate the drilling when they return. Was that responsive? Q: Yes. How would they secure the wellhead? ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, I can give you a technical brief on it, but basically they have to hold the drill pipe in suspension of where it's at so they can reconnect to it, and they have a way where they actually close seals around it to hold the drill pipe. They basically stop and disconnect and then would come back and reconnect at a later date. OPERATOR: Your next question is from Zach Warmbrodt with Argus Media. Q: Hi, thanks. Could you update us on the status of the plan to attach a pipeline to the well? And I was also wondering if you could walk us through how that plan developed. Did that come from other companies other than BP and then BP got on board later? ADMIRAL ALLEN: That's still being developed conceptually, and I think it has to do with the availability of the pipe. And the pipe, as I understand it, is specially treated pipe, because it has to be heated. This gets back to the issue, as you know, with the low temperature and the presence of gas and water together, the potential that hydrates are created. That's still being scoped out by BP. It came about as a result of a meeting that was chaired by Secretary Salazar and Secretary Chu that included, among other folks, industry partners with BP and the American Petroleum Institute. And at that meeting, during some sidebars and informal conversation, I think it just came up that this could be an option and they're pursuing that right now. They have not come back to us with any firm proposal yet. All we know is they are scoping it out, and we will advise you as soon as we learn something. OPERATOR: Your next question is from Carol Rosenberg with the Miami Herald. Q: Admiral, thanks for taking my call. Whatever came of the idea to have the Navy provide skimmers to this effort? And have you guys waived the Jones Act? And if so, where are the foreign vessels? ADMIRAL ALLEN: Carol, at the outset of this event, we went to the Navy supervisor of salvage and asked for any oil skimming capability they had that they could give to us. The supervisor of salvage is the one that contains most of the Navy's skimming and booming response capability, and they worked with us on many of these large spill responses. And they, in effect, at that point, released all their strategic stockpiles of boom and skimming equipment to us. The discussions we are having with the Navy and other folks right now is the availability of skimmers that are on standby because they might be needed for a spill someplace else and how we might go about assessing the availability of those resources. So I would separate out the resources that the Navy had that they've already given to us and the discussions we're having across the entire country where we have equipment that's out there as a requirement—legal requirement to cover spill response of those areas and how we might free those up, and that's a work in progress inside the administration right now. And what was your second question, Carol? I missed it. Q: Sir, about the Jones Act, has this been waived? And if so, where are the foreign vessels? ADMIRAL ALLEN: Oh, there are a lot of foreign vessels operating offshore, Carol. The Jones Act—we have had no request for Jones Act waivers. If the vessels are operating outside state waters, which is three miles and beyond, they don't require a waiver. All that we require is an Affirmation of Reciprocity, so if there ever was a spill in those countries and we want to send skimming equipment, that we would be allowed to do that, as well, and that hasn't become an issue yet, either. To the extent that there is a waiver required and they come to us, we're more than happy to support it in making that request to CBP. But to date, since they're operating outside three miles, no Jones Act waiver has been required. OPERATOR: Your next question is from Susan Daker with Dow Jones Newswires. Q: Hi, Admiral. Thanks for taking my question. With the forecast for the possible development of a tropical storm over the weekend —and tropical storms have about, I guess, wind speeds of about 40 knots —that would—with it entering the gulf on Monday or Tuesday, that means the whole operation could be halted next week, right? ADMIRAL ALLEN: We'd be dependent on the conditions, as I said earlier. We would want to know when the forecasted winds would increase to a point where they were gale force, and then 120 hours in advance of that, we would want to move. Q: So five days. ADMIRAL ALLEN: This could be—this could be in advance of a declaration of what level of storm it was. Just in an abundance of caution, that would be our threshold to move. And, of course, we're watching that tropical depression very closely right now. MODERATOR: Operator, we'll take two more questions. OPERATOR: Your next question is from Denise Haywald with ClearWater Perspective. Q: Yes, hi, Admiral. Thank you for taking my call. I have two quick questions for you. One, I have been hearing that there is a methane -- another methane gas bubble very close to the proximity of the initial one that caused the explosion. That's my first question, if you know of any information on that, if you can confirm or deny that. And then, also, can you tell us a little bit more about the floating device—the floating riser package? And why would you not be trying to get that installed now before the really active part of the hurricane season? ADMIRAL ALLEN: First of all, I'm not aware of any methane bubble. That doesn't mean that it might not have happened in the few minutes that it took me to come here for the conference, but we will follow up and make a statement if anything like that has occurred. Regarding the vertical risers, one of the things we're trying to do to increase production is bringing some methods to produce oil into the gulf that they don't normally use. Most of the oil that's produced in the gulf is produced by the drilling rigs and is actually piped to shore. And as you also know, we have the Louisiana offshore oil port, and all these—there's a huge network of underground pipes that is used to transport oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Because of that, the notion of having a production—floating production vessel on the surface that would transfer to a shuttle tanker is not a normal means of production in Mexico—I mean, in the Gulf of Mexico. So what we've had to do is we had to go around the world and bring in the equipment, the type of flexible hoses that you need and the mooring systems to be able to create that. The shuttle tankers that actually are involved in this type of production are common in the North Sea, some places in the Mediterranean off South America. And, in fact, they're actually coming this way. the Loch Rannoch, which is the large shuttle tanker we're going to use for the first vertical riser package, just arrived in the area this week from the North Sea, and several others are en route. The ultimate goal is to take the existing cap on the well, replace it with a new cap, and exploit four ways to produce oil through vertical riser packages. Now, each vertical riser package is a free-floating riser that's vertically suspended. It's about 4,000 feet. It's anchored to the seabed and floats just below the surface. That then is connected back to the wellhead through flexible hoses at the bottom and through flexible hoses to the production platform at the top. The production platform cannot store a lot of oil, so there has to be paired with a shuttle tanker that is capable of dynamic positioning, which means it can station, keep right next to it without having a lot of risk being introduced if the vessels might collide or anything like that. What's going to make all this work is replacing the current containment cap with a bolted-on different type of a cap that will allow us to use the choke and the kill lines through (inaudible), and then two more pipes coming out of the containment cap, which will go to two other vertical riser packages to production platforms. That's where you get four production platforms that takes you to the 60,000 to 80,000 barrels per day. Was that responsive? Q: Yes, it was. Just for clarification purposes, you're saying that it could contain up to 60,000 to 80,000, but right now the estimate is it's 35,000 to 60,000 barrels a day. So how's that possible? ADMIRAL ALLEN: That'll give us that capacity. What we're trying to do is have capacity to produce out there that exceeds the current flow rate estimate so there would be no oil leaking. That's the reason, when the president made the statement, we wanted to at least contain 90 percent of this oil in the near future. What that means is putting a new containment cap on and create the ability through the four vertical riser packages to produce more oil than we think the flow rate is and get us ahead of the game here. And that does a couple of things. It gives us excess capacity and redundancy, so if we have a system go down, and we've seen the Discoverer Enterprise go down several times, either to mechanical, lightning strikes, or things like that, that we could continue to operate among the four of them and mitigate our risk not only in terms of the capacity of the oil we're producing, but the redundancies of the system so we could continue to operate. MODERATOR: Operator, we'll take a final question. OPERATOR: Your final question is from Tim Dickinson with Rolling Stone magazine. Q: Thank you for taking my call. And I guess this leads right into my question. What has been the limiting factor right now? Has it been the capacity of the Discoverer Enterprise or the building of this new four-pronged new cap? I'm just sort of—we've been waiting for a long time for these ships. I'm just trying to understand whether it's the lack of the ships or the—the building of this containment cap that's been the limiting factor so far. ADMIRAL ALLEN: It's actually a combination of both. If you can imagine, we have a pipe of a set diameter, and there's product coming up through that. There are three ways to take oil out of that. One is through the riser pipe, and the other one is through the kill and the choke line. Those are the pipes that go down. We actually used them during the top kill to actually pour some mud down the wellbore. We've got the Discoverer Enterprise producing from the riser pipe by putting the fitting over where the riser pipe was cut and running another riser pipe up to the Discoverer Enterprise. We have taken the choke line and have run that to the Q4000. All this has (inaudible) manifolds and fittings and couplings and control systems that did not exist before the event at the well. To be able to go beyond the riser pipe and the kill and the choke line, which gets us to 53,000 barrels, we're going to have to come up with a new containment cap and go to a production system that's not—did not formally exist in the Gulf of Mexico. Then that requires you to bring the vessels in from out of the hemisphere, basically. So you're right. It's a combination of both the points you raised. It's pretty technical. Male: (inaudible) tropical depression possibly coming, it's possible that operations (inaudible) how long, 5 to 10 days? ADMIRAL ALLEN: I think, realistically, over an abundance of caution, with the 114, 120 days, and then time to come back on station and waiting for the hurricane pass, I think (inaudible) looking at a window of 14 days. I think that's generally the planning factor that we're looking at. Male: (inaudible) ADMIRAL ALLEN: That's a good question. There are actually three different containment caps being considered. We're going to be in a meeting in Washington next week and bring in the best science minds we've got inside the government and outside the government. That'll be a meeting that will be hosted by Secretary Salazar and Secretary Chu, and we're going to talk about that decision point, how we make it. Obviously, we're going to unbolt at some point that stub of the riser pipe and try and bolt a new system on as a flange there. We do have some options where we could leave that in place and put a better system around it. And if you look at the three—and I can go into more detail maybe in a subsequent briefing. That might be good. There are three different containment options, one of which is actually remove it and bolt a new one on, or how would you go around and encase it better than the system we've got right now? And they range in size from one or two tons to 20 tons as far as how big they are. And so what we're looking at is the technical issues associated with removing the riser pipe and have an unimpeded flow at that point until you get the new cap on versus the -- what you're able to gain from and able to go to four production platforms. And the other thing we're looking at, too, if we know we're going to put one of these cap devices on, in the past, we wanted to know what the pressure readings were in there, because it helps us understand the flow rate. We think there's an opportunity to actually have them build sensors into those containment caps and get the information we need as part of the recovery. When they gave us the proposal to increase the capacity and improve the redundancy, we went back and actually sent them another letter saying, You need to give us the technical drawings for all three devices, because we want to sit down and have a conversation on how you can put remote sensors in there so we can get good information and have empirical data on the flow rate. MODERATOR: Thank you all very much. ADMIRAL ALLEN: Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BP Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 Subsea Source Control and Containment Two systems continue to collect oil and gas flowing from the Deepwater Horizon's failed blow-out preventer (BOP) and transport them to vessels on the surface. The lower marine riser package (LMRP) containment cap, installed on June 3, takes oil and gas to the Discoverer Enterprise where oil is collected and gas flared. The second system, which began operations on June 16, takes oil and gas to the Q4000 vessel on the surface where both oil and gas are flared. Oil and gas collection through the LMRP cap containment system was suspended for approximately 10 hours on June 23 following an unexpected release of seawater from the Discoverer Enterprise. Capture of oil and gas through the system connected to the Q4000 continued throughout the day. On June 23, a total of approximately 16,830 barrels of oil were collected or flared by the two systems and 36.7 million cubic feet of gas were flared. Specifically, the LMRP containment system connected to the Discoverer Enterprise collected 8,300 barrels of oil, and the Q4000 flared an additional 8,530 barrels of oil. To date, the total volume of oil recovered or flared by the containment systems is approximately 364,500 barrels. Information on the volumes of oil and gas that are captured or flared is updated twice daily on BP's website, www.bp.com. The LMRP containment cap and Q4000 systems never before have been deployed at these depths and conditions, and their efficiency and ability to contain or flare the oil and gas cannot be assured. Preparations continue for the next step in containment operations. Preparation of the first floating riser containment system that will be connected to the Helix Producer vessel remains on schedule. It is currently anticipated that this system will be available to begin first operations at the end of June or in early July. Plans also are being developed for additional containment capacity and flexibility. These projects are currently anticipated to begin operations around mid-July. Work on the first relief well, which started May 2, continues. The well reached a depth of 16,275 feet on June 23 before the drillstring was removed from the well to carry out the first 'ranging' run using wireline. During the ranging run, the MC252 well was successfully detected. Subsequent ranging runs will be needed to more precisely locate the well. Drilling and ranging operations will continue over the next few weeks towards the target intercept depth of approximately 18,000 feet, when 'kill' operations are expected to begin. The second relief well, which started May 16, is drilling ahead at a measured depth of 10,500 feet. Both wells are still estimated to take approximately three months to complete from commencement of drilling. Surface Spill Response and Containment Work continues to collect and disperse oil that has reached the surface of the sea, to protect the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico, and to collect and clean up any oil that has reached shore. Approximately 37,000 personnel, more than 4,500 vessels and some 100 aircraft are now engaged in the response effort. Operations to skim oil from the surface of the water now have recovered, in total, approximately 610,000 barrels (25.6 million gallons) of oily liquid. In addition, a total of 275 controlled burns have been carried out to date, removing an estimated 239,000 barrels of oil from the sea's surface. The total length of containment boom deployed as part of efforts to prevent oil from reaching the coast is now almost 2.8 million feet (530 miles), and about 4.2 million feet (800 miles) of sorbent boom also has been deployed. Additional information To date, almost 74,000 claims have been filed and more than 39,000 payments have been made, totalling almost $126 million. The cost of the response to date amounts to approximately $2.35 billion, including the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs. On June 16, BP announced an agreed package of measures, including the creation of a $20 billion fund to satisfy certain obligations arising from the oil and gas spill. It is too early to quantify other potential costs and liabilities associated with the incident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest David Lester Young Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 I am getting more upset with the Real Change that only gets worse in Washington ineptness. With all those Conservative Military bases in the Redneck Riviera, they could use these troops there to clean up the beaches. I am sure if they made it even mandatory, they would show the flag of the compassionate American soldier. With all the training flights they could fly over the gulf spill beaches providing extra recon. At least these images can then show the worst of the worst. In addition, seeing military planes might bring up the spirits of those working the skill with a few signs from the pilots tipped wings. That the military might even use this as training for any future event scenario. I imagine had the dolphin that dies had a military helicopter there might have been a better conclusion. I am not saying to use it on everything but on dolphins it would be good PR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael L. Owens Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 Construction of 8.5 miles of wall barriers by the Louisiana National Guard's 225th Engineer Brigade continues in six areas along the coast of Cameron Parish in an effort to keep oil-tainted water from moving inland. Guard members assigned to engineer battalions from the 527th headquartered in Ruston, La., 528th headquartered in Monroe, La., and 769th headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., are working together to assemble and fill the barriers that will stretch along Highway 82, one of the parish's main highways. "We are working in six different sites along the coast and once the project is complete, there will be about eight miles of (barrier) laid out," said Capt. Jeffrey L. Giering, the commander of the 928th Sapper Company, 769th, and one of the project managers. Giering said that though the oil is not currently coming on shore, it is important to build the wall now in order to protect more than 4,000 acres of marsh if the oil moves westward. More than 150 Soldiers are working on the month-long project. Even though many of same Guardsmen helped build a similar barrier wall last month in Port Fourchon, La., the approach to building this barrier had to be altered to deal with the different terrain. "In Port Fourchon, we were basically isolated on the beach and it was easier to maneuver through the sand," said Giering. "Here, we are working in soft, grassy areas only 30 feet from the main highway where traffic is a constant factor. We have to use tracked vehicles instead of the wheeled ones we used in Port Fourchon because they had a tendency to get stuck." The barrier is made up from a multi-cellular wall systems manufactured from welded coated steel wire mesh and linked with vertical coil joints. Once erected, the units are filled with sand to form an effective barrier against possible oil encroachment. "The (barrier) baskets are good because they can serve two purposes," said Staff Sgt. Clancy Kirk, of the 928th. "Their main purpose is to help keep oil from moving on the shore, but they can also serve as a surge protector when the water reaches high tide." As with every mission given to them, the Guardsmen from all three battalions said they are proud to get another chance to help the state of Louisiana. "I volunteered for this mission on day one," said Spc. Alan Stevens of the 769th. "Although we spend time away from family and friends, we know that this mission and all of the other missions we have done are important and we are here to do them correctly." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Desert Rat Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 I am getting more upset with the Real Change that only gets worse in Washington ineptness. With all those Conservative Military bases in the Redneck Riviera, they could use these troops there to clean up the beaches. I am sure if they made it even mandatory, they would show the flag of the compassionate American soldier. With all the training flights they could fly over the gulf spill beaches providing extra recon. At least these images can then show the worst of the worst. In addition, seeing military planes might bring up the spirits of those working the skill with a few signs from the pilots tipped wings. That the military might even use this as training for any future event scenario. I imagine had the dolphin that dies had a military helicopter there might have been a better conclusion. I am not saying to use it on everything but on dolphins it would be good PR. Better wipe the bullcrap off your face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Feigan Posted June 27, 2010 Report Share Posted June 27, 2010 Too much money is invested in the energy market. Companies will say anything to make the population look the other way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LAW Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 White House Conference Call Briefing by Ben Rhodes, Mike Froman, Ambassador Jeff Bader, and Danny Russel Q All right. My question is, going into the meeting, Prime Minister Cameron had told an interviewer here in Canada that he planned to “make the case through quiet diplomacy for BP.” And I’m wondering if he did do that. MR. RHODES: Well, the President and the Prime Minister have had conversations about BP at several times leading up to this bilat. My understanding is that it did come up in the bilat and that, again, the leaders have been in agreement that BP has certain obligations to cap the leak and to clean up the damage and to provide compensation to those who have legitimate claims and that -- they’re in agreement that BP must pay out those obligations. Again -- so my understanding is, yes, it did come up and that they reiterated their agreement on those issues. And again, we can see if there’s anything to add to that. I can check with my colleagues, but that was my understanding of how the conversation went. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BP Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 Two systems continue to collect oil and gas flowing from the Deepwater Horizon’s failed blow-out preventer (BOP) and transport them to vessels on the surface. The lower marine riser package (LMRP) containment cap, installed on June 3, takes oil and gas to the Discoverer Enterprise where oil is collected and gas is flared. The second system, which began operations on June 16, takes oil and gas to the Q4000 vessel on the surface where both oil and gas are flared. On June 26, a total of approximately 22,750 barrels of oil were collected or flared by the two systems and 52.9 million cubic feet of gas were flared. Specifically, the LMRP containment system connected to the Discoverer Enterprise collected 14,730 barrels of oil, and the Q4000 flared an additional 8,020 barrels of oil. To date, the total volume of oil recovered or flared by containment systems is approximately 435,600 barrels. Information on the volumes of oil and gas that are collected or flared is updated twice daily on BP’s website, www.bp.com. Preparations continue for the next step in containment operations. Work on the first floating riser containment system, which will be connected to the Helix Producer vessel, remains on schedule. It is currently anticipated that this system will be available to begin first operations at the end of June or in early July. The system is intended to provide additional oil containment capacity of approximately 20,000-25,000 barrels a day. Together with the LMRP cap and Q4000 systems, the addition of this new system should increase total oil containment capacity to 40,000-50,000 barrels a day. The floating riser system is designed to allow more rapid disconnection and reconnection of the system, reducing the time that collection may be impacted in the case of, for example, inclement weather. Plans also are being developed for potential additional containment capacity and flexibility, including a second floating riser system and additional capacity through a new cap on the BOP. These projects are currently anticipated to be available to begin operations around mid-July The LMRP containment cap system, the Q4000 system, and the planned additional containment systems never before have been deployed at these depths or under these conditions, and their efficiency and ability to contain or flare the oil and gas cannot be assured. The first relief well, which started drilling May 2, has reached a measured depth of 16,546 feet and has successfully completed a second ”ranging” run using specialist equipment inserted into the well to help more precisely locate the MC252 well. Drilling and ranging operations will continue over the next few weeks as the well progresses towards the target intercept depth of approximately 18,000 feet. Once intercept has occurred, operations are expected to begin to kill the flow of oil and gas from the reservoir by pumping specialised heavy fluids down the relief well.The second relief well, which started May 16, is at a measured depth of 12,038 feet. Both wells are still estimated to take approximately three months to complete from commencement of drilling. Surface Spill Response and Containment Work continues to collect and disperse oil that has reached the surface of the sea, to protect the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico, and to collect and clean up any oil that has reached shore. Over 39,000 personnel, almost 5,000 vessels and some 110 aircraft are now engaged in the response effort. Operations to skim oil from the surface of the water now have recovered, in total, approximately 652,000 barrels (27 million gallons) of oily liquid. In addition, a total of 275 controlled burns have been carried out to date, removing an estimated 238,000 barrels of oil from the sea’s surface. The total length of containment boom deployed as part of efforts to prevent oil from reaching the coast is now over 2.9 million feet (over 550 miles), and over 4.7 million feet (almost 900 miles) of sorbent boom also has been deployed. Additional information To date, more than 80,000 claims have been submitted and almost 41,000 payments have been made, totalling more than $128 million. The cost of the response to date amounts to approximately $2.65 billion, including the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs. On June 16, BP announced an agreed package of measures, including the creation of a $20 billion fund to satisfy certain obligations arising from the oil and gas spill. It is too early to quantify other potential costs and liabilities associated with the incident. Note: A video describing progress of the relief wells is now available. A telephone media briefing on this subject by Kent Wells, BP senior vice president, Exploration and Production, will be held at 15.30BST, 09.30 CDT, June 28. Details of this call are available on www.bp.com. Video: Relief well overview and ranging animation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwJRY5N08hk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DHIJIC Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill Prepared by the Joint Information Center UPDATED June 28, 2010 7 PM PAST 24 HOURS Secretary Napolitano and Carol Browner Visit to New Orleans to Inspect the Response Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner traveled to New Orleans to receive updates from National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen and senior federal officials leading the frontline response to the BP oil spill. In their meetings, Secretary Napolitano and Ms. Browner discussed ongoing efforts to prevent oil from reaching the shoreline along the Gulf Coast and to mitigate its impact where it does. They were also joined by Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate for a portion of the briefings to discuss preparations in the event a hurricane or tropical storm should strike the Gulf Coast. Admiral Allen, Secretary Napolitano & Carol Browner Provide Daily Operational Update Secretary Napolitano and Carol Browner joined Admiral Allen to provide a briefing to inform the American public and answer questions on the progress of the administration-wide response to the BP oil spill. Secretary Napolitano and Ms. Browner reiterated that the federal government’s aggressive response efforts and oversight of BP will continue until BP stops its leaking well, the damage is cleaned up, and Gulf Coast communities are made whole, and stressed that the federal government is working closely with state and local authorities to ensure that they have the resources they need to meet the evolving threat from this oil spill. BP Continues to Optimize Oil Recovery Rates from its Leaking Well Under the direction of the federal government, BP continues to capture some oil and burn gas at the surface using its containment dome technique—collecting oil aboard the Discoverer Enterprise, which is linked by a fixed riser pipe to the wellhead, and flaring off additional oil and gas on the Q4000, which is connected to the choke line. BP has finished installing the first free standing riser, which has greater survivability than a fixed riser and will be connected to a third vessel, the Helix Producer—a redundancy measure also taken under the direction of the federal government. Progress Continues in Drilling Relief Wells; Ranging Process Continues The Development Driller III continues to drill the first relief well to a depth of approximately 16,545 feet. The Development Driller II has drilled the second relief well—a redundancy measure taken at the direction of the administration—to a depth of more than 12,000 feet below the Gulf surface. BP continues the “ranging” process—which involves periodically withdrawing the drill pipe and sending an electrical signal down to determine how close they are getting to the wellbore. NOAA-Supported Scientists Predict Increase in Area Containing Depleted Oxygen Levels While it is unclear what impact, if any, will be linked to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a team of NOAA-supported scientists from the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Louisiana State University, and the University of Michigan, predict that the northern Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone, an underwater area with little or no oxygen known commonly as the “dead zone,” could be larger than the recent average by 500-1,800 square miles. This forecast is based on Mississippi River nutrient flows compiled annually by the U.S. Geological Survey. Dead zones off the coast of Louisiana and Texas are caused by nutrient runoff, principally from agricultural activity, which stimulates an overgrowth of algae that sinks, decomposes, and consumes most of the life-giving oxygen supply in the water. The federal government continues to engage the best scientific minds available to monitor the impacts of the BP oil spill on all aspects of the environment, including oxygen levels in the water column. NOAA Expands Fishing Restriction in the Gulf; More than 66 Percent Remains Open As part of continued efforts to ensure the safety of seafood from the Gulf of Mexico and protect consumers, NOAA has expanded the closed fishing area in the Gulf of Mexico to include portions of the oil slick moving beyond the area’s current northern boundary, off the Florida panhandle’s federal-state waterline. This boundary was moved eastward to Cape San Blas. The closed area now represents 80,228 square miles—approximately 33.2 percent—of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico. This closure does not apply to any state waters. This leaves more than 66 percent of Gulf federal waters available for fishing. Details can be found at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/. Approved SBA Economic Injury Assistance Loans Top $8 Million SBA has approved 121 economic injury assistance loans to date, totaling more than $8 million for small businesses in the Gulf Coast impacted by the BP oil spill. Additionally, the agency has granted deferments on 493 existing SBA disaster loans in the region, totaling more than $2.25 million per month in payments. For information on assistance loans for affected businesses, visit the SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance, call (800) 659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Administration Continues to Oversee BP’s Claims Process The administration will continue to hold the responsible parties accountable for repairing the damage, and repaying Americans who’ve suffered a financial loss as a result of the BP oil spill. To date, 82,351 claims have been opened, from which more than $128.4 million have been disbursed. No claims have been denied to date. There are 933 claims adjusters on the ground. To file a claim, visit www.bp.com/claims or call BP’s helpline at 1-800-440-0858. Those who have already pursued the BP claims process and are not satisfied with BP’s resolution can call the Coast Guard at (800) 280-7118. Additional information about the BP claims process and all available avenues of assistance can be found at www.disasterassistance.gov. By the Numbers to Date: * The administration has authorized the deployment of 17,500 National Guard troops from Gulf Coast states to respond to this crisis; currently, 1,675 are active. * Approximately 38,600 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife and cleanup vital coastlines. * More than 7,200 vessels are currently responding on site, including skimmers, tugs, barges, and recovery vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts—in addition to dozens of aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units. * Approximately 2.75 million feet of containment boom and 4.86 million feet of sorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill—and approximately 883,000 feet of containment boom and 2.14 million feet of sorbent boom are available. * More than 28.2 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered. * Approximately 1.58 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied—1.03 million on the surface and 552,000 sub-sea. More than 446,000 gallons are available. * 275 controlled burns have been conducted, efficiently removing a total of approximately 10 million gallons of oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife. Because calculations on the volume of oil burned can take more than 48 hours, the reported total volume may not reflect the most recent controlled burns. * 17 staging areas are in place to protect sensitive shorelines. * Approximately 213 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled—approximately 69 miles in Louisiana, 45 miles in Mississippi, 45 miles in Alabama, and 54 miles in Florida. These numbers reflect a daily snapshot of shoreline currently experiencing impacts from oil so that planning and field operations can more quickly respond to new impacts; they do not include cumulative impacts to date, or shoreline that has already been cleared. * Approximately 80,228 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters remain closed to fishing in order to balance economic and public health concerns. More than 66 percent remains open. Details can be found at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/. * To date, the administration has leveraged assets and skills from numerous foreign countries and international organizations as part of this historic, all-hands-on-deck response, including Canada, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization and the European Union's Monitoring and Information Centre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NOAA Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 The northern Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone, an underwater area with little or no oxygen known commonly as the “dead zone,” could be larger than the recent average, according to a forecast by a team of NOAA-supported scientists from the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Louisiana State University, and the University of Michigan. Scientists are predicting the area could measure between 6,500 and 7,800 square miles, or an area roughly the size of the state of New Jersey. The average of the past five years is approximately 6,000 square miles. It is the goal of a federal state task force to reduce it to 1,900 square miles. The largest dead zone on record, 8,484 square miles, occurred in 2002. This forecast is based on Mississippi River nutrient flows compiled annually by the U.S. Geological Survey. Dead zones off the coast of Louisiana and Texas are caused by nutrient runoff, principally from agricultural activity, which stimulates an overgrowth of algae that sinks, decomposes, and consumes most of the life-giving oxygen supply in the water. It is unclear what impact, if any, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill will have on the size of the dead zone. “The oil spill could enhance the size of the hypoxic zone through the microbial breakdown of oil, which consumes oxygen, but the oil could also limit the growth of the hypoxia-fueling algae,” said R. Eugene Turner, Ph.D., professor of oceanography at Louisiana State University. “It is clear, however, that the combination of the hypoxic zone and the oil spill is not good for local fisheries.” Hypoxia is of particular concern because it threatens valuable commercial and recreational Gulf fisheries. In 2008, the dockside value of commercial fisheries was $659 million. The 24 million fishing trips taken in 2008 by more than three million recreational fishers further contributed well over a billion dollars to the Gulf economy. “As with weather forecasts, this prediction uses multiple models to predict the range of the expected size of the dead zone,” said Robert Magnien, Ph.D., director of NOAA’s Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research. “The strong track record of these models reinforces our confidence in the link between excess nutrients from the Mississippi River and the dead zone.” “The 2010 spring nutrient load transported to the northern Gulf of Mexico is about 11 percent less than the average over the last 30 years,” said Matthew Larsen, Ph.D., USGS associate director for water. “An estimated 118,000 metric tons of nitrogen in the form of nitrate were transported in May 2010 to the northern Gulf.” The collaboration among NOAA, USGS, and University scientists facilitates understanding of the linkages between activities in the Mississippi River watershed and the downstream effects on the northern Gulf of Mexico. Long-term data sets on nutrient loads and the extent of the hypoxic zone have improved forecast models used by management agencies to understand the nutrient reductions required to reduce the size of the hypoxic zone to the established goal. This year’s forecast is an example of NOAA’s growing ecological forecasting capabilities that allow for the protection of valuable resources using scientific, ecosystem-based approaches. An announcement of the size of the 2010 hypoxic zone, which is an annual requirement of the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force Action Plan, will follow a NOAA-supported monitoring survey led by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium between July 24 and August 2. Information on the extent of hypoxia will also be available on the NOAA’s Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Watch Web page, which displays near real-time results of the NOAA Fisheries Service summer fish survey in the northern Gulf of Mexico currently underway and scheduled to be completed by July 18. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest American Ingenuity Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 With so much spillage,what is the possibility of putting a large inverted funnel on this leak so that the oil comes through the stem and at the end of the stem some pumps to safe ground. Great minds think alike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Planet Resource Recovery Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 About Planet Resource Recovery, Inc. Houston, Texas-based Planet Resource Recovery, Inc. is the developer, manufacturer, and marketer of unique, environmentally friendly proprietary chemical compounds and processes that will usher in a new paradigm shift in industry. The company is primarily focused on three distinct sectors: 1) Oil & Gas Industry with PetroLuxus™, 2) Remediation of mining toxic byproducts and 3) mining of base and precious metals. The company has developed multi-dimensional compounds and their related processes, technologies and methodologies to provide these sectors enhanced benefits and revenue opportunities. For more information visit: www.planetresource.com or www.petroluxus.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest collegehumor Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest American4Progress Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 Last year, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ® -- a rising star in the GOP and potential nominee for the presidency in 2012 -- gave a widely mocked rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union address, prompting many pundits to conclude that his national political career was over before it began. But, taking a cue from Rudy Giuliani's exploitation of the 9/11 attacks while mayor of New York City, Jindal saw a chance rebuild his political capital by using the Gulf oil spill. He sprang into action with press conferences and helicopter rides to show he's a take-charge leader. The governor quickly became Obama and the federal government's chief critic, relentlessly attacking their allegedly slow response to the spill and lambasting the "red tape and bureaucracy" preventing him from getting the job done. Jindal's theatrical deployment of these trappings of leadership has been largely rewarded by favorable press coverage, reigniting speculation of a 2012 run. But new revelations and a close inspection of the facts suggest that Jindal's sound and fury is little more than political grandstanding for the Fox News set, and it serves to obscure Jindal's own serious failings in the spill response effort. While Jindal has been relentless in attacking the federal government for dragging its feet, he has delayed the deployment of National Guard troops, led a crusade to build artificial sand berms that most experts say won't work, and confused the planning of the spill response. Moreover, experts said his "antagonism could actually slow down that response." "When that stuff happens, you actually take away the ability of the unified command to get their job done," said former Coast Guard official Doug Lentsch, who was involved in the Exxon Valdez disaster and helped develop the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. But the true impact of Jindal's blustery leadership may never be known, as Jindal vetoed a bill Friday that would have required him to make public all of his office's documents relating to the spill. "His excuse is he is afraid that BP would find out something Louisiana did, and I always thought justice was about the truth and facts," said Republican state Sen. Robert Adley. NATIONAL GUARD: Nowhere has Jindal's hypocritical grandstanding been more apparent than on the issue of National Guard troops. Jindal demanded 6,000 Guard troops in the early days of the spill -- a request the Department of Defense quickly approved. "We are absolutely in a war to protect our way of life," Jindal has said. Despite his constant attacks on the federal government for supposedly under-resourcing his efforts, almost two months after the troop request was approved, "only a fraction -- 1,053 -- have actually been deployed by Jindal to fight the spill," a CBS News investigation found. This prompted Obama, in his Oval Office address, to specifically and publicly urge Jindal and other Gulf state governors "to activate these troops as soon as possible." In response to the CBS investigation, Jindal predictably blamed the federal government for the delay, saying, "the Coast Guard and BP had to authorize individual tasks." But Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the national incident commander, flatly denied this claim. "There is nothing standing in the governor's way from utilizing more National Guard troops," Allen said. "In fact, the Coast Guard says every request to use the National Guard has been approved, usually within a day," CBS noted. Finally, Jindal's office admitted that the governor "has not specifically asked for more Guard troops to be deployed," but failed to explain why Jindal had not used the troops. As Washington Monthly's Steve Benen noted, "Jindal is either deeply confused about something he should understand, or he was lying." Jindal's failure here underscores the need to bring in the military to take charge of the disaster response, as the Center for American Progress has urged. SAND BERMS: In recent weeks, Jindal has launched a crusade to build artificial barrier islands off the Louisiana coast, on the theory that they would prevent the oil from washing ashore. Jindal has repeatedly blasted the federal government for being hesitant to approve this plan, an offensive which Fox News has dutifully supported. "We don't have time for red tape and bureaucracy," Jindal told reporters of the berms. "We're literally in a war to save our coast." But most experts have expressed serious doubts about the effectiveness of Jindal's plan, noting the exorbitant costs are probably not worth it and warning that the berms could actually cause more harm than good. Rob Young, the director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University, warned in the Yale Environment 360 blog that "there are many potential negative impacts of this structure on the coastal environment." "I have yet to speak to a scientist who thinks the project will be effective," he added. Young explained that the berms will be "extremely susceptible to erosion" and "could disappear within a few months" -- much faster if struck by a hurricane. Meanwhile, the project will be "incredibly expensive," and many experts argue that the resources used to construct berms could be better applied elsewhere. Before approving the project, the Army Corps of Engineers gave other federal agencies less than one day to submit comments, but even in the limited time, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Interior expressed deep reservations. The EPA "directly questioned the proposed berm's effectiveness," while Interior said that it did not "think the risks inherent in proceeding without more environmental study and knowledge are acceptable." Risks include actually worsening the spill's impact on marshes by trapping oil behind the berms and increasing the speed of oil flowing through the remaining openings in the artificial shield of islands, effectively pumping oil into the delicate marshes. Above all, the barrier will take at at least nine months to complete, and the first berms will be complete "no sooner than August," according to the contractor building them. Many -- including the EPA -- say this will be too late to have any impact. As Mother Jones noted, "griping about the berms has...become Jindal's plan to keep the spotlight on him and his criticism of the federal government, long-term damage to the state's ecosystem be damned." PLANNING: Another favorite line of attack of Jindal's is to insist that the government did not properly plan for the disaster. "We kept being assured over and over that they had a plan, that there was a detailed plan, that it was coming; we never got that plan," he said. But as the New York Times noted, "under the law, oil spill experts said, there are only two kinds of government plans pertaining to spills, and the state is partly responsible for both." Response officials confirmed that Jindal's own office approved plans that are currently in use, despite his feigned ignorance. More troubling, some of the plans prepared by the state "are rife with omissions, including pages of blank charts that are supposed to detail available supplies of equipment like oil-skimming vessels." For example, "a draft action plan for a worst case is among many requirements in the southeast Louisiana proposal listed as 'to be developed.'" When pressed at news conference as to why the state had not developed better plans, Jindal once again reverted to attacking the federal government. As the Baton Rouge Business Report observed after the exchange, "The impression left that afternoon on several members of the media was that the state hadn't done any oil-spill planning before [the Deepwater Horizon explosion], instead choosing to rely on other entities for protection." Moreover, Jindal keeps moving the goal posts of the plan, such as when he "requested three times as much boom as the state's plan had called for -- and 50% more boom than existed in the entire nation." Soon thereafter, he switched gears to the sand berm approach, which is barely mentioned in the state's plans. But it's not surprising that Louisiana's planning has been lacking, considering that Jindal undercut the state's ability to prepare for an oil spill. He cut $750,000 from the budget of the oil spill research and development program and moved the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's office from the governor's direct oversight into "a basement in Facility Planning" at the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BlingBling Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 Looks like Jindal is just a barking dog with no teeth to protect his own. Jindal has repeatedly blamed BP and the U.S. Coast Guard for a lack of “detailed plans” to protect the coast, despite that his administration apparently helped create the plans that were in place. A May 3 news conference, two weeks after the rig explosion, was only one example. Jindal talked at length about “worst-case scenario detailed plans for all coastal parishes” that had been submitted the night before. When asked why the state didn’t create those plans before the spill, just in case the worst happened, he didn’t directly answer the question. When asked if the state had planned at all for the possibility of a spill prior to the April 20 disaster, he essentially restated a talking point from his prepared remarks. Jindal says existing plans didn’t anticipate an oil spill 50 miles offshore reaching the coast, and he didn’t expect the volume of oil that could potentially reach the coast. He stated that cleaning up oil in the marshes would simply cause more damage. The impression left that afternoon on several members of the media was that the state hadn’t done any oil-spill planning before April 20, instead choosing to rely on other entities for protection. When cornered after the news conference, Garret Graves, head of the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities, didn’t have any more to say about the state’s pre-spill planning than Jindal. He did say that the spill in federal waters was “100% BP’s responsibility” and mentioned the federal Minerals Management Service report that said BP could respond to a “worst-case discharge.” Graves did not respond to an interview request. Two response plans for Louisiana totaling 628 pages can be read at deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. The “Southeast Louisiana Area Contingency Plan,” which apparently dates back to February 2003, bears the logos of two state agencies, LOSCO and DEQ, along with those of several federal bodies. The plan, which purports to integrate federal, state and local organizations “into a cohesive response structure,” says LOSCO and DEQ are “authorized to direct all operations resulting from actual or threatened unauthorized discharges of oil.” http://www.businessreport.com/news/2010/jun/01/how-prepared-was-louisiana-indt1/?government-politics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jennifer Johnson Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 What: Media are invited to fly aboard a Coast Guard C-130 Hercules fixed-wing aircraft during an oil observer surveillance flight. When: Friday, July 2, 2010 9 a.m. EDT Where: Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater Seats are limited and flights typically last 4-to-6 hours. Members of the media who plan who to fly will need to wear long pants, closed-toe shoes and bring their own provisions. To reserve a seat, please contact Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer Johnson at 888-693-3003. Seat reservations must be made no later than Thursday at 5 p.m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LAW Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 NEW ORLEANS -- Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the National Incident Commander for the Deepwater BP Oil Spill response, was joined by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for a media briefing this afternoon. June 28, 2010 1:15 p.m. CT Adm. Thad Allen: … (inaudible) over about five foot of sea (inaudible) they’re going to have to stop the preparations for the Helix Producer, which was the third production vessel we were going to bring in on the 30th of June to hook to the new vertical riser to increase our production up to 53,000 barrels per day by the end of June. That will be conditions-based, based on the sea state, and we’ll provide you a day-to-day update on that. Regarding our production in the last 24 hours, ending at midnight last night, we were able to produce 24,455 barrels with a combination of the Discoverer Enterprise and the Q4000. Regarding the relief well operations, the Development Driller III, which is a relief well driller, is down to 11,286 feet below the mud line. They are beginning their third ranging exercise. That is the exercise where they lower an electrical cord down and, after they withdraw the drill pipe, lower the electric cord down and then search for the electromagnetic field surrounding the wellbore and slowly start to close in. This will be happening for the next several weeks as we try and refine the distance to the wellbore to the point where we can actually intercept and drill the relief well in, inject the mud into the cement plug, which will effectively bottom kill the well. And with that, I’ll finish my comments. Secretary Napolitano… Napolitano: Thank you. Thank you, Admiral Allen and Carol for a very productive meeting and session here today. I think this is my sixth time to the Gulf since the spill began. It is important that we continue to inspect everything that we are doing to keep oil off of our vital shorelines, and to clean it up when it hits. As we all know, there is no precedent for a leak of this size and at this depth. The damage continues to unfold over the course of days, weeks, and now months. And it’s not hours or days, which is the way one normally thinks of an oil spill. And, of course, a disaster of this size leads to unforeseen challenges. I want to emphasize that, throughout this evolving event, we have marshaled the largest response in this nation’s history, and we have continued to adapt at every turn as the disaster itself has evolved. We have created redundancy wherever possible, from directing BP to employ additional methods to contain this leaking oil to finding new ways to keep the oil off of our shorelines, to using multiple scientific methodologies to gauge the size of the catastrophe. Part of the reason for our visit here today was to make sure that these efforts continue to be as effective as possible, given new and evolving challenges, such as the arrival of hurricane season. It’s also important that everyone understand that the response has grown at every turn since its beginning. About 37,000 personnel are working around the clock to protect the shoreline and to clean up the coast. More than 6,500 vessels are engaged, including thousands of locally-owned boats. About 80,000 claims have been opened so far, and, as you know, President Obama was able to receive from BP a guarantee to establish a $20 billion escrow fund dedicated to paying claims that stem from this disaster. And we have encouraged BP to create additional redundancies in the way that they contain the leaking oil. Since the beginning, we have dedicated resources to this spill, as if the worst-case scenarios would become true. We have spared no effort. We will spare no effort. Our priorities continue to be making sure that BP stops the leak as quickly as possible, making sure that delicate shorelines are protected to the greatest extent possible, and making sure that the damage is cleaned up and the claims are paid. No response will be finished until these things are done. So we know that for many affected communities here in the Gulf, the process of recovery will last a long time. We are in the middle of a long effort. We will, and are, working in close partnership with our state and local authorities, ensuring that they have the resources they need to meet the evolving threat from this oil spill. This has included daily outreach from top officials to local leaders, meetings and calls with the President, and dedicated federal liaison officers placed in local areas to coordinate closely with local governments and communities as they meet the needs of their constituencies. The federal government will be working as long as it takes to make sure, as I said before, that BP stops the leak; that we clean up the damages; and that the claims are paid. Everyone has to continue the effort they’ve already expended, and more, at this continued and evolving catastrophe. We will not stop until the leak is plugged, the oil is cleaned, and the claims are paid. Thank you very much. Male: Admiral? (Inaudible). Admiral, how confident are you that the relief well has (inaudible) fill the well (inaudible). Thad Allen: Well the current plan is for Development Driller III to go low enough, just above the reservoir area, where we will intercept this at the optimal point to let us then drill – or insert mud into the wellbore, including going up. There have been some concerns in the past about the condition of the wellbore further up, but this is well below that. As a risk mitigator, we have started Development Driller II, which is developing – drilling the second relief well. We’re also exploring the potential, and we are not at closure yet, on whether or not we could use pipelines to actually transfer the oil from the wellhead to other facilities nearby. And that’s still under conceptual review, both at BP and in the – and in the government right now. Male: (Inaudible). Thad Allen: Well we’re doing that anyway, because that’s another alternate source of production and redundancy. Male: (Inaudible). Thad Allen: We talked about kinetic action down there before. I think that needs to be very closely scrutinized around the other implications with the (strata) around there are implications for other long-term problems. And I don’t think we’re going there at this point. Male: (Inaudible). Thad Allen: Well, the Jefferson Parish officials actually briefed myself and the President on this in his trip to Grand Isle. We subsequently met with the officials down there. There’s some really complicating factors that need to be taken into account, one of which are underground pipelines. They’re going through some of those passes and the environmental impact of actually closing off the water flows there. They’d actually talked about an intermediate system where we could do a combination of barges, pilings and booms that would allow us to be able to stop the oil, but also allow the free flow of the (a lot of these) to come and go to maintain the ecosystem. We – I think we came up with a mutually agreeable plan – it’s a matter of executing, and it is a combination of barges and other equipment, including booms and pilings. Male: (Inaudible). Thad Allen: Yes, there – there are variations on the same theme. But we’re putting permanent infrastructure in that can support either barges or a permanent booming to give it more durability than a regular ocean boom, which does not survive out there. Variations on the same theme, and we are working very closely with both local governments to do that. Female: (Inaudible). Thad Allen: Well there’s no plan with anybody right now, because we haven’t met the threshold. The current speed and direction and wind strength of Alex does not indicate that we should do anything regarding evacuation. The only impact we’re seeing right now is an increase in sea state that’s going to inhibit potentially the preparations we need to bring the third production vessel online. We have a set of criteria by which if we thought we’re going to get gale force winds in 120 hours, we would start to redeploy that equipment, but those criteria are not met in this current storm. Female: (Inaudible). Thad Allen: Let me take your first question. We have not seen any oil being pushed much further inland. We have seen the oil change direction. It was generally heading east to the panhandle of Florida. Because of wave conditions and current we now see oil start entering Mississippi sound and areas around Chandelier and Breton Sound. We’re very concerned about that. We’re moving forces there as we speak. Any kind of a surge from a storm would, obviously, exacerbate the oil, move it further into marshes, and would cause problems for us. So we’re going to face that potential throughout the hurricane season should we have any kind of heavy weather. Regarding the relief wells, if we have to evacuate the site because of a hurricane, we estimate that there could be a break of about 14 days to take down the equipment, move it off to a safe place, and then bring it back and reestablish the drilling. Female: (Inaudible). Thad Allen: Well if we have the (inaudible) coming offsite because of a hurricane, there will be an interruption. I’m not here to postulate on if and when a hurricane will hit, because I don’t think we know. We’re watching very, very closely, and we know what the approximate impact would be if we had to do it, and that would be about 14 days. Female: (Inaudible). Thad Allen: Well, I think we’re all hopeful that we’ll get a break from the weather. I’m not saying we’re not going to have to redeploy if the weather comes, but, as it stands right now, absent intervention because of a hurricane, we’re still looking at mid-August. Male: (Inaudible). Thad Allen: I don’t think so. The last thousand feet or so that they have to do to penetrate the well has to be done very slowly. They’ll drill several hundred feet, they’ll pull the drill bit back, they’ll put an electronic sensing device down. They’ll find where the magnetic field is and expose it very, very gently. What you don’t want to do is inadvertently hit that wellbore and somehow nick it. And, for that reason, there’s actually a second vessel standing by with mud; should that accidently happen, they could actually put mud into the well. But they’re trying very, very hard to come very, very close before they make that final entry. Female: (Inaudible). Napolitano: Well it is (inaudible) because the well isn’t plugged yet. And that is BP’s responsibility to close that well. But, in terms of the assemblage of vessels on the surface of the sea, in terms of getting control of and taking control of the airspace over the Gulf of Mexico, so that we can control not only the airspace and avoid mid-air collisions, given the number of aircraft that are down here. But also have control from the air to the sea, so the planes spot the oil, they can direct vessels to where the oil is to get it skimmed and to pick it up. And then, also, to muster really a record number of personnel on the shoreline ready to clean up oil if and when it gets there. Now, I think that’s an important point, because the effort on the surface of the sea has actually kept a lot of oil from reaching the shoreline, given that this is day – I don’t know – they blend together – 69 or 70, since the rig sank. So we keep battling that oil on the surface, we’ll battle it on the shoreline, and then, where there needs to be cleanup, we’ll work with state and local authorities for the cleanup and to get the damages paid. Female: (Inaudible). Napolitano: We’re still using dispersants. That’s done in a coordinated decision with the Coast Guard and the EPA. But there is a coordinated use of dispersants. Moderator: At this point, we're going to open the call (inaudible) Operator, do you have any callers on the line for me? Operator: You do have a question from Kate Spinner. Kate Spinner: Hi. I'm not sure if you've answered this already, but I was wondering was this a wave action expected from tropical storm Alex is going to delay any of your response activities? Thad Allen: (Inaudible) actual impact of Alex passing by could produce seas of 10 to 12 feet sometime in the next 36 hours or so. The only impact that will have on the operations will be a potential delay of the any preparations through the Helix Producer which will be the third production vessel that would take us to a capacity of 53,000 barrels by the end of the month of June. And it will allow us to move sometime in July, and we’re tracking that very close right now. Kate Spinner: OK. Operator: Your next question comes from Kristin Hayes. Kristin Hayes: Hi. Thank you for taking my question. I understand you're going to be meeting on Wednesday with Secretaries Chu and Salazar on if, in fact, were you going to be making the final decision on whether to switch the caps? And is it still possibly you might not switch? Napolitano: There will be a meeting in the Secretary of Interior’s office involving the science team that has been working on this spill including Secretary Chu and others. There they will be doing an analysis the second or alternative types of containment cap and whether or not that makes sense in light of the amount of oil that could be collected with a third vessel they’re getting ready to hook up. So there is that meeting and really is evidence, once again, continue adaptation and accordance with the involving nature of this spill. And as that new methodology get developed – even in the course of this spill to apply the containment. Operator: Your next question comes from Harry Webber. Harry Webber: Yes. Harry Webber at the Associated Press. Admiral Allen just so I understand you correctly, are you saying that if a hurricane forced an evacuation of the workers drilling the relief well, that could shut down those operations for roughly 14 days based on the amount of time that it would take to move the equipment? And two, have you had to move any equipment at all that's being used in the containment zone because of the tropical weather that we heard about? Thad Allen: That's correct. The current action that we have right now if we had to break production and stop drilling will be 14 days. There is no impact on the current relief wells that are being drilled on the production right now as a result of the weather that's passing. Though the impact we're having right now is delay in the preparation (inaudible) production online. So the product of 53,000 barrels by the end of June will be sometime in early July and we're monitoring it. Harry Webber: Thank you. Operator: Again, to ask a question, press star, then the number one. Your next question comes from Richard Harris. Richard Harris: Hi. Admiral Allen, I wonder if you could tell us how rough the seas have to get before the Enterprise has to pull off the well? I think previously you said that once there are 8-foot seas, the cap has to come off. The ship has to move off the wellhead. Is that still your estimate, and if so, it sounds like we're getting close to that possibly. Thad Allen: Well, actually there’s two different thresholds for the Discover Enterprise. One is their ability to lighter the tanker ship that takes oil ashore, and that is actually five to six feet and they've already lightered and that they can go for eight days. It depends on the riser piper connection right now. We will become concerned around 12 feet. The decision actually disconnect the cap from the riser would be something that would be made independent, and we'd be consulting with BP, the folks on the scene and the others including wind. Richard Harris: All right. Thanks. Operator: Your next question comes from Paula Dietrich. Paula Dietrich: Hi. Thanks, Admiral, for taking my question. I was also wondering about if this height of the waves could impact the collection efforts over the next few days. Thad Allen: We don't think so at this point. We're closely monitoring it. Female: Operator, that was our final question. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thad Allen: Thanks very much. Female: Stay cool. Operator: This concludes today's conference call. You may now disconnect. END Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pcolagregg Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 Pensacola Beach Oil Tar Cover Up Now we know what they have up there sleeve for July 4th weekend. Spread the TRUTH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlJ-RpQRO10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Altoid_Cyclist Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 The reporter was standing on a white sand beach that looked clean. She then reached down into the sand and pulled out her oil covered hand to demonstrate that there was more than meets the eye. This will be just like the Valdez "clean-up". Instead of washing the tops of the rocks and saying that the clean-up was complete, they'll just bury the oil until after the tourists and cameras leave. The oil and gas industry always finds a way to make it seem as though everything's just fine and dandy. Once they're caught, they break out their land shark attorneys and delay and appeal until the uproar subsides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dennis Bernstein Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 On a morning last week, Floridians along the pristine beaches of the Florida panhandle found themselves the latest shoreline victims of the underground volcano of oil and dangerous gasses released by BP into the Gulf of Mexico. And again, the disaster was winning in the water, on the land -- and in the air. "It's pitiful," said Buck Lee, the executive director of the Santa Rosa County Island Authority. "It took us four hours to clean up 50 to 60 feet of beach and I don't see this stopping for a while." As the Pensacola area hoped to salvage the region’s peak tourist season of July Fourth, cleanup crews worked through the night, sucking up oil and waste near a Perdido Key barrier island. But they still failed to prevent a three-mile-long oil slick from being washed up between the Pensacola Beach pier and Fort Pickens National Park. Dominic Mogavero and his wife, Cyndie Lepori, live about 50 miles due east of Pensacola, smack in the middle of the panhandle right, in Ft. Watson Beach at the docks at Kid’s Point. The waters of the Gulf of Mexico lap up against the perimeter of their property. The Florida couple has been alarmed for weeks about the lack of action and preparation, by BP, the Coast Guard and local officials. Lepori, an environmentalist and longtime Florida resident, said she had just returned from Alabama where she went to rescue endangered dolphins and was now preparing for what was headed for Florida’s beaches. “My hope in going there was to learn what they were doing in order to save their dolphins and their back bays and their nurseries, in order to provide safety and education for the people here in Florida since, I am living here in Ft. Watson Beach,” said Lepori. “And it was an education to say the least.” A Living Nightmare Lepori described a living nightmare, reeling off a list of images, one worse than the next. “We went through an oil pool, right at dusk, when we were out looking for the dolphins, trying to make sure that they were all right,” she said. “As soon as we hit this it was like you had cut our air off. “We couldn’t breathe, we couldn’t speak, we were all throwing up over the side,” she said. “We were all very experienced boat people... We were trying to keep an eye on the dolphins. This is a very special dolphin pod. It’s called the Friendly Dolphins pod. They have lived there for as long as anyone can remember. Essentially they were trapped.” Back in Florida, the couple was on high alert as the rolling slicks of thick gooey brown sludge crossed from Alabama to Florida. Lepori’s husband, Dominic Mogavero, became quite alarmed as he observed children playing in the sand – and the tar balls – at Destin Harbor. “I was walking along the beach,” said Mogavero, “I came across a young family and the young kids were playing in the sand on the beach, making sandcastles. They were decorating the sandcastles with tar balls… “They were literally picking up these pieces of tar, this oil, toxic oil with other toxic chemicals, with their bare hands and putting it on their sandcastles, because it made their sandcastles look pretty. … The kids said that. I said what are you doing? ‘We’re making pretty sandcastles’ and yet they’re playing with toxic chemicals.” Mogavero said he approached the parents, to see if they understood the dangers the kids were facing and they appeared “clueless.” “I said do you realize what these kids are playing with and they had absolutely no idea that the young kids – they were 4 or 5 years old – were playing with tar balls,” he said. Don’t Scare the Tourists One of the concerns is that the local officials want to downplay the hazards from the oil spill to avoid alarming tourists and driving even more people away from the beaches. “The official story,” said Mogavero, “is that the water is clear, and there are a few tar balls but it is safe to swim in and I feel that is in direct opposition to the reality of the situation… “When you’ve got this detergent, this dispersant in the water – coming in – I have first-hand experience with burn marks on my skin with these tar balls that these children are playing in that potentially could cause their death.” The long-time Floridian is also shocked to see people swimming so close to where clean-up boats, with workers in hazmat suits, were cleaning up the toxic sludge. “It is probably a couple hundred yards across, right smack in the middle of Destin Harbor,” he said. “And there are two boats dragging a boom, obviously skimming the surface oil within 20 yards of where there were people on the beach, entering the water, and going swimming.” The next day, Lepori went to investigate reports of another school of sick dolphins. As soon as she got to the water’s edge, she became dizzy and nauseous, similar to her experience out on the Gulf off Alabama. “Within minutes of getting on the beach with families swimming in the water and it was maybe because I was so exposed to all these chemicals, I was sick,” she said. “I had a headache, I couldn’t breathe, again, I was dizzy and I ended up having to leave the beach. “And again, there were families. I walked along the beach telling the families along the beach, did you know this water’s poisonous that you’re putting these children in? …There were no signs, no one telling anyone anything about the toxicity of the water. And you know sometimes I don’t even have words. And none of those people knew.” Mogavero and Lepori are outraged that the corporate bottom line – and business concerns about tourism – seem to be limiting the flow of crucial information that could prevent serious injuries and illnesses. They suspect that BP’s secrecy, and the Coast Guard’s willingness along with other responders at the federal level to let BP call the shots, has undermined the clean-up and made a terrible disaster even worse. Fighting for Information When I spoke with Coast Guard Commander Scott Linsky, a spokesperson at the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command Center in Houma, Louisiana, I got a very different take on the crisis, much more upbeat and positive. “The [clean-up] organization,” Linsky told me, “has just grown immensely over the last month. We have about 11,000 people in the field, on the beaches, out on the water skimming and burning oil… “The front we’re working covers hundreds of miles of the entire coast line. And the steady growth and improvement of the clean-up effort is just amazing.” The Coast Guard Commander said – based on his extensive intelligence, including aerial flyovers, satellite data and first-hand experience out in the Gulf – major progress is being made, especially after the personal intervention of President Barack Obama. “His focus on the clean-up has certainly delivered a number of resources that have really helped us succeed,” said Commander Linsky. “I was on an over-flight … and there is certainly oil in many places offshore but there is also a tremendous amount of area where there is not oil. … “We have more than 300 wildlife personnel from a multitude of agencies and disciplines working with the oiled birds, and sampling and researching. And their efforts are just incredible in the things that they are able to do. We had a real success story yesterday as 35 previously oiled brown pelicans were taken to Texas and released.” But problems continued to plague efforts to reduce the flow of oil into the Gulf. Last week, for instance, a robot bumped into BP’s jerry-rigged venting system sending dangerous gas shooting up through the vent that carries warm water down to prevent ice crystals from forming, creating the potential for an explosion. The cap was removed allowing a large surge of oil into the already highly polluted waters around the uncontrollable well. Credibility Gap Gulf residents have also grown increasing skeptical of whatever they hear from BP or the government agencies. Some residents complain that BP continues to gag its workers from discussing concerns about oil spill and its potential health risks. Louisiana native Elizabeth Cook, a co-founder of a new grassroots action group called the Emergency Committee to Stop the Gulf Oil Disaster, said dozens of residents attended an emergency meeting in New Orleans and vented their anger at BP, for its secrecy and lack of action, and at the U.S. Coast Guard for “defending and covering up for BP.” “For myself, I am questioning everything that’s being told to me, particularly by the officials in charge of the oil spill response,” Cook said in an interview. “I think we have to be suspicious of everything they’re saying to us. We have to assume they’re withholding the information, that they are possibly even falsifying information, so as not to cause a panic, because I think the last thing they want is an outraged, panicked public to face.” She said the federal government and the Coast Guard are marching in lockstep with BP, adding: “Essentially, the government and BP are one and the same right now. And that’s a really frightening thing to say I realize that, but that’s what I see. Because the information, whether it’s the public officials, whether they’re someone from the EPA, or NOAH, or BP, it’s the same.” Cook said members of the group spoke to several BP workers who said had been “threatened by BP with being fired if they spoke publicly, either about what they saw or about getting ill as a result of their work” on the clean-up.” Cook said the Coast Guard is busy “obfuscating for BP at every turn, withholding information, bending to the will of BP...letting them control the flow of information.” Not so, says Commander Linsky. The restrictions on the movements of the press and others seeking information are intended to protect injured wildlife and the safety of Gulf residents, clean-up workers and the journalists. “We are working very hard to increase media access,” Linsky said. “We are trying to facilitate that to the best of our ability, safely for everyone involved. We are just asking that anybody that is around the clean-up operations be cognizant of the fact that it is a difficult business to recover wildlife, and to reduce the trauma on the wildlife that we are recovering.” July Fourth In Florida, east of the Panhandle, Dominic Mogavero and Cyndie Lepori said local officials are in a bit of a panic over the upcoming July Fourth holiday, one of the most lucrative weekends for tourism. Charter boats were already experiencing major cancellations, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars, even before the oil sludge started to soil the legendary whites sand of the coast. If they close down the beaches and order people out of the water, posting the kinds of danger signs and warnings that Lepori and Mogavero now say are crucial to save live, the local economy will take a devastating hit. “My feeling is that a lot of the local authorities, or those in charge of making decisions about the health and welfare of this environment are leaving information out to protect the bottom line of financial gain from tourism,” said Mogavero. “If the tourists really knew the circumstances as to the water hazard, the fish hazard, the food hazard as a result of this they would not be here. And yet, economically it would be extremely detrimental and I believe local authorities are doing everything they can to protect the bottom line, at the risk of peoples’ health.” Other people I spoke with in the Gulf region also raised health concerns. Ann Rolfes, founding director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade which supports communities affected by the oil and chemical industry, said “hundreds if not thousands” of Louisianan’s are being made sick by oil spill and are receiving very little effective help. “The workers are out on boats and getting sick,” said Rolfes, “and People are being … told that it’s heat exhaustion. I mean, there is no question that it is really hot down here. But there is also no question that they are working with really dangerous chemicals. “And I think the really disturbing thing is that it’s not just BP that’s pushing aside their concerns but it is also the government agencies” like the OSHA and the EPA “who really ought to be protecting them and all of us,” she said. Living in Fear Another resident, Elizabeth Cook, said everyone is living in fear in the Gulf, with the first hurricanes brewing and the rain starting to get heavy. “Remember this stuff -- the dispersants -- are evaporating into the air,” Cook said. “When we had several bad rain storms, I noticed at the end of the day, a slight smell of oil and I felt sick to my stomach, literally sick, and it’s not the first time I felt sick.” There is a growing appetite among Gulf residents and activists for a criminal prosecution. “Where is the Department of Justice, or the Department of Wild Life and Fisheries, where is the Department of Labor,” asked Rolfes. “Certainly a cover-up of the crime this big ought to be investigated.” In neighboring Mississippi, emotions also were running high. Last Friday, most shrimping was banned at the Mississippi coast, and the industry essentially closed down. “We have been begging for help from the federal government, from BP, from the Coast Guard, but particularly from our Governor, Haley Barbour, and from our congressman in the fourth congressional district of Mississippi, Jean Taylor, but no help has been forthcoming,” said Lynda St Martin, a coordinator of Gulf Oil Disaster Responders in Mississippi. “Jean Taylor and Haley Barber have been lying to us for more than six weeks. They have been telling us that we were prepared, when and if it comes ashore here and it may or may not come ashore in Mississippi, but we are prepared. Well, we are not prepared. The barrier islands are now being inundated by that horrible monster. And we are not prepared. “ The failure to protect the barrier islands, said St. Martin, has put the entire region’s ecosystem in grave jeopardy. “They have failed to protect that placid, beautiful sound,” she said, “that is the beginning of the food chain for the entire Caribbean Basin, about to be inundated. I wanted those islands boomed and protected. … “The main reason was because if we could protect the Barrier Islands, and it is still not too late, if they would just do something, if we could protect the barrier islands we can still restock the Gulf and save the marine life. “By not protecting those barrier islands, our sea life has no place to go. That’s where they all go to lay their eggs, lay the larvae. That water is very rich in nutrients and that’s where life in the Gulf starts.” St Martin said she believes Mississippi inaction goes right into the governor’s office and is explained by Barbour’s close business ties to the oil industry. “If you ever looked at the Web site of Barber, Griffith and Rogers, our governor’s lobbying firm, you will see that one of his main clients is big oil,” she said. “I think he is in bed with BP and he would say anything he could or do anything he could to protect his big oil clients.” Just like in Louisiana, St Martin said, many people are getting ill in Mississippi and the impact is being felt well inland. “I get sick every time I go out and smell the stuff. I go out there to try to look at it and I also have been on boats taking the media out there. And if I’m close to it and I smell it ….it makes me very nauseous. I can’t imagine what it’s like for people that are out there trying to work all day in the stuff, because it does give me a headache.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest barelypolitical Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 BP oil spill commercial reveals where BP gets all of it's "ideas." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NOAA Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 A NOAA research ship and a university-owned vessel left Miami this week to begin two complementary studies gathering data on the Loop Current and area ecosystems in response to the Deepwater Horizon / BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA Ship Nancy Foster begins today a two-week survey in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Straits. Nancy Foster is one of six NOAA-owned ships supporting the oil spill response effort. Scientists from NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami and the NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center will lead the expedition to track where the oil has been and to determine where it may go. So far, oil from the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill has not entered the Loop Current. Scientists will examine the presence of oil, dispersants and tar balls in the water column and collect zooplankton samples in areas affected by the spill. Scientists will also identify and count types of fish larvae found at different depths of the upper ocean. “Our historical data and newer information will help evaluate any impact in the future, particularly as the bimonthly sampling continues,” said Michelle Wood, director of the Ocean Chemistry Division of NOAA’s AOML. In addition, the Nancy Foster scientific team plans to monitor connectivity between the Loop Current and the Loop Current “Eddy Franklin” during the first week, and to study surface and subsurface waters in the east and north parts of the eddy during the second week. The Loop Current is a stream of warm Caribbean water that enters the Yucatan Straits, meanders northward, sometimes extending to the Gulf Coast, and exits into the Florida Straits after a sharp turn around the Florida Keys where it becomes the Florida Current. The “Eddy Franklin” is a warm water current that appears to have detached from the Loop Current sometime last week. “Floating material – plankton or tar balls or oil – all get collected into the eddy and travel together until the ring ultimately breaks down or reattaches to the Loop Current,” Wood said. One of the goals of this mission is to provide an early warning to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and other resource managers and scientists should the oil spill arrive at sensitive ecosystems in the region. The R/V Savannah, operated by the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah, Ga., is sailing through the Florida Keys and western Florida shelf as part of a long-term bimonthly sampling effort for NOAA’s South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Program that has been modified to collect samples to check for the presence of oil in the region. The Savannah scientific team, also led by AOML, will sample along the west Florida shelf, where early impacts from oil would be expected. During the cruise scientists will collect samples to determine if oil has reached the area as well as investigate a high sea surface temperature event around the Florida Keys. Three drifting buoys with satellite communication will be deployed to track currents to compliment the research from the vessel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest U.S. State Department Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 The National Incident Command and the Federal On Scene Coordinator have determined that there is a resource need for boom and skimmers that can be met by offers of assistance from foreign governments and international bodies. The United States will accept 22 offers of assistance from 12 countries and international bodies, including two high speed skimmers and fire containment boom from Japan. We are currently working out the particular modalities of delivering the offered assistance. Further details will be forthcoming once these arrangements are complete. The Unified Area Command (UAC) under the direction of the Coast Guard, is coordinating the oil spill response in the Gulf. It includes representatives of the responsible parties, affected states and other Departments and agencies of the U.S. Government. The National Incident Command (NIC), headed by the U.S. Coast Guard, is working with the Department of State to support the UAC as it sources equipment, supplies and expertise. The 27 countries which have offered the U.S. Government assistance are: the Governments of Belgium, Canada, China, Croatia, Denmark, El Salvador, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. The international bodies offering assistance are: the European Maritime Safety Agency, the European Commission’s Monitoring and Information Centre, the International Maritime Organization, and the Environment Unit of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the United Nations Environment Program. The Department has released a chart of offers of assistance that the U.S. has received from other governments and international bodies. The chart is updated as necessary to include any additional offers of assistance and decisions on accepting the offers. The chart is posted on the State Department Web site at: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/143488.pdf Questions on the details of offers of assistance, and any additional discussions between other countries and BP, should be directed to the Unified Area Command. The UAC Joint Information Center phone numbers are 713-323-1670 or 713-323-1671. (Note: These are new phone numbers.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LAW Posted July 1, 2010 Report Share Posted July 1, 2010 White House Press Briefing by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 6/29/10 Q And if I could ask a quick question on -- there's confusion over the $100 million fund in the Gulf right now. Ken Feinberg said yesterday that the White House and BP had agreed to give him jurisdiction over claims from individuals and businesses harmed by the six-month moratorium. In fact, he said he was just finding out that that was the case. Then we contacted him today about that and he put out a statement saying until it is determined who will hold the $100 million, it is unclear who will oversee and process the individual moratorium claims. Can you clarify this? MR. GIBBS: Let me -- I was -- my understanding was that the first statement that he -- that was money that was to be dispersed by him was not the way I understood it. But given the fact that there is confusion on that level, let me take that question and I will get an answer around in our transcript.* Q And is there any confusion on the $20 billion? Is it still the case that the $20 billion is not for people affected by the moratorium? MR. GIBBS: That's my understanding, right. That's my understanding. Q Can you say definitively -- now on the oil spill -- can you say definitively that you guys are fulfilling every skimmer request that’s been made by all four states that are affected right now? MR. GIBBS: Yes, we are -- look, there’s -- there are -- one of the things that’s happened most recently, there are for clean water -- for sites that are governed by the Clean Water Act, there are certain federal and state requirements to have response capabilities on hand in the event that something happens at a facility. We have asked on an emergency basis that some of these rules be waived. Q And have they been? MR. GIBBS: Yes. Q We’re not waiting on a rule to be waived right now? MR. GIBBS: No, we’re -- look, obviously some of these are governed by individual rules at facilities. We have begun to -- we’ve waived at a number of those places, and I can try to find the specific numbers in order to move greater skimming capability down to the Gulf, understanding that, Chuck, this is not -- these are vessels that are at a facility based on the requirements in the law that we have the capability at a facility to deal with any type of emergency. So we understand right now it is more imperative that they be in the Gulf, understanding that we are assuming some amount of risk in doing that now. Q So what you’re saying is there are some boats that could be skimming that you’re not sending over because you need to keep a minimum amount on hand? MR. GIBBS: No, no, no. What I’m saying is we are waiving those rules to move additional skimming capability to the Gulf, understanding that -- Q But you’ve fulfilled every request for skimmers that every state has asked for? MR. GIBBS: I can check on what the exact numbers are. Also understand, too, Chuck, that as the -- very early on, we were asked sort of how does the -- this looks different or there’s different characteristics than sort of something that happened in Alaska for the Valdez. Because right now, and I think you can see this in news coverage, and I’m sure your reporters on the ground will tell you -- you guys probably saw this when we were down there -- there is not -- there isn’t just one slick, right? There are smaller slicks of oil identified by planes, radioed to boats, skimmers sent to intercept those pockets of oil. And we’re at a point in which obviously different capabilities are called on based on the characteristics of the spill having changed some as well. It’s not one mass of oil; it’s many, many -- Q Why are we hearing from local leaders that there are not enough skimmers, there are not enough skimmers? Where do you think that’s coming from? MR. GIBBS: Well, I think that’s coming from the fact that this is an unprecedented emergency. We have -- we worked early on to -- and many states -- I will say, many states updated their response plans after this happened, because -- for instance, the boom requirements. Those are plans that are put in place by the states to what they think they need. I don’t know whether skimmers are in those ACPs or not. But obviously as the depth of the response -- I should say the length of the response has gone on, those plans have been augmented and we will continue to move as much -- as many additional skimming capabilities as we can down to that region. Q And on the Gulf, is the President and Vice President going to alternate visits to the Gulf? Is that what today was about? MR. GIBBS: No, look, obviously the Vice President is in Louisiana and will go to Pensacola later in the day. Obviously many in the Cabinet have been down there quite a bit. I don’t know when the President’s next trip would be, but, look, the Vice President felt it important to go down and both see and hear firsthand from state and local officials as well as Admiral Allen and those on the ground responding to this disaster to see where we are. Obviously Secretary Napolitano and Carol Browner were in the region yesterday as -- wrapping up some meetings that staff were down there for throughout the weekend. Q Worried about the storm? MR. GIBBS: Absolutely. I mean, obviously the -- I know Secretary Napolitano spoke with the governor of Texas today about upcoming preparations for the storm. I think many of you all have talked to folks here and in the Gulf about preparations that have to be taken in the event that a storm more closely comes into the area. And in preparation for the possibility of this a few days ago, obviously equipment was taken off of the Enterprise, which I think Thad Allen said yesterday would delay the next step in the containment, which is a helix device that will increase our capability off of the second line coming up from -- in addition to the top hat. So obviously preparations are being made. A plan is in place in the event that vessels have to be moved, people have to be evacuated. And obviously we continue on the long-term steps through the drilling of the two relief wells to ultimately get this well capped, which would be a permanent solution that we would not be dependent on Mother Nature -- or I should say Mother Nature wouldn’t dictate what our capabilities are on the surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke_Wilbur Posted July 2, 2010 Report Share Posted July 2, 2010 (edited) I hope the Gulf disaster will make us think more about what is happening to our Chesapeake Bay. Half of it is dead from toxic chemicals and fertilizer. I can only think how the Environmental movement began from the fire on Cuyahoga River. The EPA and NOAA were born from it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SKGIwsXuA0 Burn On by Randy Newman There's a red moon rising On the Cuyahoga River Rolling into Cleveland to the lake There's a red moon rising ON the Cuyahoga River Rolling into Cleveland to the lake There's an oil barge winding Down the Cuyahoga River Rolling into Cleveland to the lake There's an oil barge winding Down the Cuyahoga River Rolling into Cleveland to the lake Cleveland city of light city of magic Cleveland city of light you're calling me Cleveland, even now I can remember 'Cause the Cuyahoga River Goes smokin' through my dreams Burn on, big river, burn on Burn on, big river, burn on Now the Lord can make you tumble And the Lord can make you turn And the Lord can make you overflow But the Lord can't make you burn Burn on, big river, burn on Burn on, big river, burn on Edited July 2, 2010 by Luke_Wilbur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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