Sunday, July 4, 2010
Surf On Pensacola Beach Boiling Like Acid
george4title | June 24, 2010
METHANE GAS CRISIS
Scientists have discovered that nearly a third of all the life on this planet consists of microbes living under the seafloor in a dark world without oxygen. Many of these tiny creatures make so much methane gas that if even a small proportion of it is released, we might be overwhelmed by huge tsunamis, runaway global warming, and extinctions
http://discovermagazine.com/2004/mar/cover/
OG Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO193f8xAls
I bumped up the contrast a little so you can see the gas escaping. Thank you Greg for breaking this story.
http://www.facebook.com/thegregghall
I don't know how well you can see this but if you listen closely you can hear the crackling sound of the gas bubbles popping and fizzing. Not smart of me I know but who else is going to get this footage?
http://www.pnj.com/article/20100623/NEWS01/100623027/1006/RSS01
http://destinbeachreport.com/
Saturday, July 3, 2010
BP Gulf COREXIT TOXINS Confirmed In Gulf Stream Up Entire East Coast Of FL
 | « Reply #11 on: Today at 09:14:11 PM » | |
Gulf oil spill likely to reach Florida Keys, Miami, report says
Those shorelines will probably see tar balls in the months ahead, NOAA finds. Also, skimming boats prepare to go back to work, and efforts to help turtles and migrating birds are announced.
http://latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-20100703,0,1038308.story
By Richard Simon and Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times July 3, 2010
Hundreds of skimming boats prepared Friday to return to calmer gulf waters in the wake of Hurricane Alex and resume cleanup of the massive BP oil spill, which scientists now predict is likely to reach the Florida Keys and Miami in the months ahead.
Using computer simulations based on 15 years of wind and ocean current data, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report Friday showing a 61% to 80% chance of the oil spill reaching within 20 miles of the coasts of the Florida Keys, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, mostly likely in the form of weathered tar balls.
Shorelines with the greatest chance of being soiled by oil — 81% to 100% — stretch from the Mississippi River Delta to the western Florida Panhandle, NOAA scientists said in a statement on its projections for the next four months.
Other areas of Florida have a low probability of oil hits. The Florida Panhandle has already seen tar balls wash up on beaches.
But the chances of oil reaching east-central Florida and the Eastern Seaboard are less than 1% to 20%, NOAA said. And it is "increasingly unlikely" that areas above North Carolina will be hit.
Meanwhile, officials were moving skimming vessels back to sea and were trying to protect the ecologically sensitive Chandeleur Sound area, said Coast Guard Adm. Paul Zukunft.
"It's going to be a long weekend from an oil spill response perspective," Zukunft said Friday. All skimming boats from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle had been idle for three days because of dangerously high waves.
Officials hoped to move another containment ship above the gushing well by Wednesday to nearly double the 25,000 barrels of oil being recovered daily. As many as 60,000 barrels a day are spewing from the well, according to government estimates.
An operation to drill a relief well, the ultimate solution to stopping the leak, is seven to eight days ahead of its mid-August target date for completion.
But Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the national incident commander, said Friday: "I am reluctant to tell you it will be done before the middle of August because I think everything associated with this spill and response recovery suggests that we should under-promise and over-deliver."
BP and the Coast Guard worked out an agreement Friday with wildlife groups in response to concerns that sea turtles were being incinerated when oil slicks are burned. The parties agreed to convene a group of scientists to develop plans for monitoring future controlled burns, said Cathy Liss, president of the Washington-based Animal Welfare Institute, lead plaintiff in a lawsuit on the issue.
Liss said the officials also agreed to notify her group of any burns conducted after Tuesday and whether they have a biologist or other trained observer nearby to protect the turtles. Officials had halted such burns through Tuesday because of the weather.
The environmental groups had initially requested a temporary restraining order to prevent the burns.
Meanwhile, U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials were making plans to start shipping thousands of sea turtle eggs marked for collection along the shores of Alabama and western Florida to the Kennedy Space Center this month.
Starting July 12, turtle eggs will be removed from nests, placed in boxes and shipped in special climate-controlled, vibration-resistant FedEx trucks to a climate-controlled, predator-proof warehouse at the space center, Jacksonville, Fla.-based Fish and Wildlife spokesman Chuck Underwood said. Hatchlings will be released at various locations and times along the nearby Space Coast to avoid drawing predators, he said.
Federal officials also announced that stopover grounds would be created along the Gulf Coast in an effort to assist some of the millions of birds that will soon begin their fall migration.
Paul Schmidt, assistant director for migratory birds at the Fish and Wildlife Service, said it would be impossible to redirect vast numbers of migrating birds around the still-expanding oil slicks. But he said safe grounds for feeding and breeding could be created in coastal marshes and up to 100 miles inland.
He said conservation groups would work with private landowners to flood crop fields, cut out invasive plants that have overgrown some habitats and burn off some plants to open more ground for the birds.
On the economic side, new efforts were underway in the courts and Congress to deal with the financial effects of the spill.
A coalition of business groups and Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.) filed a brief urging the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a judge's ruling striking down the Obama administration's six-month deep-water drilling moratorium in the gulf.
Also, a bipartisan group of Gulf Coast lawmakers launched a drive to pass a package of tax breaks to aid struggling businesses hurt by the spill.
Those shorelines will probably see tar balls in the months ahead, NOAA finds. Also, skimming boats prepare to go back to work, and efforts to help turtles and migrating birds are announced.
http://latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-20100703,0,1038308.story
By Richard Simon and Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times July 3, 2010
Hundreds of skimming boats prepared Friday to return to calmer gulf waters in the wake of Hurricane Alex and resume cleanup of the massive BP oil spill, which scientists now predict is likely to reach the Florida Keys and Miami in the months ahead.
Using computer simulations based on 15 years of wind and ocean current data, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report Friday showing a 61% to 80% chance of the oil spill reaching within 20 miles of the coasts of the Florida Keys, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, mostly likely in the form of weathered tar balls.
Shorelines with the greatest chance of being soiled by oil — 81% to 100% — stretch from the Mississippi River Delta to the western Florida Panhandle, NOAA scientists said in a statement on its projections for the next four months.
Other areas of Florida have a low probability of oil hits. The Florida Panhandle has already seen tar balls wash up on beaches.
But the chances of oil reaching east-central Florida and the Eastern Seaboard are less than 1% to 20%, NOAA said. And it is "increasingly unlikely" that areas above North Carolina will be hit.
Meanwhile, officials were moving skimming vessels back to sea and were trying to protect the ecologically sensitive Chandeleur Sound area, said Coast Guard Adm. Paul Zukunft.
"It's going to be a long weekend from an oil spill response perspective," Zukunft said Friday. All skimming boats from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle had been idle for three days because of dangerously high waves.
Officials hoped to move another containment ship above the gushing well by Wednesday to nearly double the 25,000 barrels of oil being recovered daily. As many as 60,000 barrels a day are spewing from the well, according to government estimates.
An operation to drill a relief well, the ultimate solution to stopping the leak, is seven to eight days ahead of its mid-August target date for completion.
But Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the national incident commander, said Friday: "I am reluctant to tell you it will be done before the middle of August because I think everything associated with this spill and response recovery suggests that we should under-promise and over-deliver."
BP and the Coast Guard worked out an agreement Friday with wildlife groups in response to concerns that sea turtles were being incinerated when oil slicks are burned. The parties agreed to convene a group of scientists to develop plans for monitoring future controlled burns, said Cathy Liss, president of the Washington-based Animal Welfare Institute, lead plaintiff in a lawsuit on the issue.
Liss said the officials also agreed to notify her group of any burns conducted after Tuesday and whether they have a biologist or other trained observer nearby to protect the turtles. Officials had halted such burns through Tuesday because of the weather.
The environmental groups had initially requested a temporary restraining order to prevent the burns.
Meanwhile, U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials were making plans to start shipping thousands of sea turtle eggs marked for collection along the shores of Alabama and western Florida to the Kennedy Space Center this month.
Starting July 12, turtle eggs will be removed from nests, placed in boxes and shipped in special climate-controlled, vibration-resistant FedEx trucks to a climate-controlled, predator-proof warehouse at the space center, Jacksonville, Fla.-based Fish and Wildlife spokesman Chuck Underwood said. Hatchlings will be released at various locations and times along the nearby Space Coast to avoid drawing predators, he said.
Federal officials also announced that stopover grounds would be created along the Gulf Coast in an effort to assist some of the millions of birds that will soon begin their fall migration.
Paul Schmidt, assistant director for migratory birds at the Fish and Wildlife Service, said it would be impossible to redirect vast numbers of migrating birds around the still-expanding oil slicks. But he said safe grounds for feeding and breeding could be created in coastal marshes and up to 100 miles inland.
He said conservation groups would work with private landowners to flood crop fields, cut out invasive plants that have overgrown some habitats and burn off some plants to open more ground for the birds.
On the economic side, new efforts were underway in the courts and Congress to deal with the financial effects of the spill.
A coalition of business groups and Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.) filed a brief urging the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a judge's ruling striking down the Obama administration's six-month deep-water drilling moratorium in the gulf.
Also, a bipartisan group of Gulf Coast lawmakers launched a drive to pass a package of tax breaks to aid struggling businesses hurt by the spill.
| « on: Today at 03:42:24 PM » | |
http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2010/07/01/oil-bp-gulf-oil-spill-confirmed-gulf-stream-entire-east-coast-florida/
When I last wrote about the last ROFFS independent oil tracking map released on June 22nd it showed a possible mixture of oil and water heading up the entire east coast of Florida.
ROFFS has released an updated map June 28th for June 24-27th which now confirms that the oil from the BP Gulf Oil Spill has indeed made its way up the entire East Coast of Florida.
ROFFS BP Gulf Oil Spill Tracking Map For June 24 to June 27th with WOM (Water Oil Mixture) Outlined
Why Is The Government Hiding This From Us?
ROFFS uses a combination of techniques to track the oil from the BP Gulf Oil Spill that is available to the public.
It is unacceptable that the Government officials in charge of reporting this to the public are hiding it.
Seafood is being harvested from these waters and women and children are swimming in it while the Government hides that fact that the water is filled with oil and toxic dispersants.
"Nearly Every Cleanup Worker from Exxon Valdez Now Dead?"
http://soitgoesinshreveport.blogspot.com/2010/07/nearly-every-cleanup-worker-from-exxon.html
Greta Perry linked this article from Business Insider on Facebook last night that states nearly every cleanup worker from the Exxon Valdez is now dead. Why? From the fumes? From natural causes? From chemicals? More explanation, please. This prompted me to do some digging today. I read the article, watched the video clip, and my initial reaction was, "Aww c'mon. Hyperbole. Fear mongering by CNN and their 'expert'." It was 21 years ago, to be sure, and are they dead because of the spill? Surely not ALL of them.
Questions.
Are you sure that you want to help clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? In a previous article we documented a number of the health dangers from this oil spill that many scientists are warning us of, and now it has been reported on CNN that the vast majority of those who worked to clean up the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska are now dead. Yes, you read that correctly. Almost all of them are dead.
Merle Savage is one of those that helped cleanup the beaches in 1989 after the Exxon Valdez spill and she is trying to warn the workers in the Gulf and inform them what happened in 1989.. She wrote a book about her experience: Silence in the Sound. Her website is here. Savage explains that her health problems began almost immediately:
After working for 3 days on the oily beaches, I had a persistent cough that developed into bronchitis, headaches, sore throat, upset stomach and fatigue. On the 4th day I reported to the sick bay and was given medication by the doctor who was supplied by VECO, and on the way to my room, I fainted. I had 3 days of bed rest, but went back to work with recurring symptoms. Of the workers that I supervised 80% had the same medical problems. I wonder how many other cleanup workers, like me, went home thinking we would get better – but didn’t? The symptoms escalated until my medical condition took over my life, and was so bad that I have been unable to hold a job.
Savage breathed in crude oil and dispersant for weeks as she and her coworkers cleaned up the beaches that summer. One of the dispersants used that summer was Corexit 9580. Another was Inipol EAP22, also toxic.
The dispersants BP is using today is a variation of the Corexit dispersant used in 1989. They're using Corexit 9500 and 9527. The EPA freely admits that they just don't know about the exact toxicity of them on animals or humans:
It is also important to note that the LC50 value may be different for a given chemical depending on the route of exposure (e.g., skin contact, ingestion, inhalation) and can be different for different animal species, ages and sexes. The LC50 is only one source of toxicity information and only provides information for the species and concentrations of chemical being tested under laboratory conditions. Toxicity tests resulting from controlled laboratory experiments may not accurately represent the degree of toxicity seen in the environment because of factors such as breakdown of the chemical, different species, different routes of exposure, age, sex, stage of development (e.g., adult versus larval).
To protect workers, the EPA advises hazmat gear and masks:
People working with dispersants are strongly advised to use a half face filter mask or an air-supplied breathing apparatus to protect their noses, throats, and lungs, and they should wear nitrile or PVC gloves, coveralls, boots, and chemical splash goggles to keep dispersants off skin and out of their eyes.
BP will provide these upon request.
As of today, BP reports use of more than 1.62 million gallons of dispersant.
Corexit 9527 was used initially in the Gulf but was discontinued because it was considered too toxic. Corexit 9500 is considered much better:
By last week, the EPA and Nalco had both released the ingredient list for COREXIT 9500 in response to widespread public concern. Its constituents include butanedioic acid (a wetting agent in cosmetics), sorbitan (found in everything from baby bath to food), and petroleum distillates in varying proportions—and it decomposes almost entirely in 28 days. "All six [ingredients] are used in day-to-day life—in mouthwash, toothpaste, ice cream, pickles," Ramesh argues. "We believe COREXIT 9500 is very safe."
But, as this Scientific American article points out, all dispersants contain carcinogens. There are reports that Corexit has been banned in the UK but to be clear, it's only been banned in use on rocky shoreline. It may or may not be used elsewhere.
Reports of illness in Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states are beginning to mount. As of June 29:
Exposure to the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has resulted in 162 cases of illnesses reported to the Louisiana state health department, according to a report released Monday. Of those cases, 128 involved workers on oil rigs or individuals involved in the oil spill cleanup efforts, the report said.
And that's just Louisiana. This article in The American Chronicle suggests that the Gulf Oil Syndrome is on the horizon and suggests that many won't be taken seriously:
The Gulf oil spill will likely lead to a new condition known as Gulf Oil Syndrome (GOS), a syndrome of toxicity related to 911, GWS, and MCS, which will initially be denied and labeled as psychiatric to protect the financial interests of responsible parties.
The Exxon medical records were sealed by the courts until 2023 and the Miami Herald reports that long term studies have never been done on the effects of that disaster, so it's difficult for us to know what to expect with this crisis. Last week U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin reiterated this problem:
"Current scientific literature is inconclusive with regard to the potential hazards resulting from the spill," Benjamin said. "Some scientists predict little or no toxic effect ... while other scientists express serious concerns about the potential short-term and long-term impacts the exposure to oil and dispersants could have on the health of responders and our communities."
That lack of published, peer-reviewed study of the Exxon Valdez cleanup workers has made protecting the growing number workers in the Gulf of Mexico all the more difficult and has Alaska watchdogs warning that BP and government regulators are repeating mistakes that made people sick a generation ago.
What are the options? What are the alternatives? Environmentalists would probably suggest that we quit drilling and that would solve all this, but everyone with half a brain knows that's not realistic. Not unless you want to turn back the clock 200 years. I don't have the answers. I don't know how many people died as a result of the Exxon cleanup.
People want to get out there and clean the beaches, the wildlife, and put things back to normal. BP has an obligation to clean up the oil. But at what cost does it all come? The state of Louisiana is already asking BP to set up a fund for mental health help but what about the physical medical needs these clean up workers will be facing? Is that to come from the $20 billion?
And that's the tragedy of the whole episode. That's where you see that this is an end to a way of life on the Gulf coast. Scientists are already predicting a huge dead zone where wildlife cannot survive. Some will say it's all fear mongering and hype and that the Gulf will survive. Everything will be okay. Life goes on. We survive. I sure hope so.
Merle Savage is advising great caution and wants people in the Gulf cleanup to learn from the mistakes of the Exxon Valdez.
When I last wrote about the last ROFFS independent oil tracking map released on June 22nd it showed a possible mixture of oil and water heading up the entire east coast of Florida.
ROFFS has released an updated map June 28th for June 24-27th which now confirms that the oil from the BP Gulf Oil Spill has indeed made its way up the entire East Coast of Florida.
ROFFS BP Gulf Oil Spill Tracking Map For June 24 to June 27th with WOM (Water Oil Mixture) Outlined
Why Is The Government Hiding This From Us?
ROFFS uses a combination of techniques to track the oil from the BP Gulf Oil Spill that is available to the public.
It is unacceptable that the Government officials in charge of reporting this to the public are hiding it.
Seafood is being harvested from these waters and women and children are swimming in it while the Government hides that fact that the water is filled with oil and toxic dispersants.
"Nearly Every Cleanup Worker from Exxon Valdez Now Dead?"
http://soitgoesinshreveport.blogspot.com/2010/07/nearly-every-cleanup-worker-from-exxon.html
Greta Perry linked this article from Business Insider on Facebook last night that states nearly every cleanup worker from the Exxon Valdez is now dead. Why? From the fumes? From natural causes? From chemicals? More explanation, please. This prompted me to do some digging today. I read the article, watched the video clip, and my initial reaction was, "Aww c'mon. Hyperbole. Fear mongering by CNN and their 'expert'." It was 21 years ago, to be sure, and are they dead because of the spill? Surely not ALL of them.
Questions.
Are you sure that you want to help clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? In a previous article we documented a number of the health dangers from this oil spill that many scientists are warning us of, and now it has been reported on CNN that the vast majority of those who worked to clean up the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska are now dead. Yes, you read that correctly. Almost all of them are dead.
Merle Savage is one of those that helped cleanup the beaches in 1989 after the Exxon Valdez spill and she is trying to warn the workers in the Gulf and inform them what happened in 1989.. She wrote a book about her experience: Silence in the Sound. Her website is here. Savage explains that her health problems began almost immediately:
After working for 3 days on the oily beaches, I had a persistent cough that developed into bronchitis, headaches, sore throat, upset stomach and fatigue. On the 4th day I reported to the sick bay and was given medication by the doctor who was supplied by VECO, and on the way to my room, I fainted. I had 3 days of bed rest, but went back to work with recurring symptoms. Of the workers that I supervised 80% had the same medical problems. I wonder how many other cleanup workers, like me, went home thinking we would get better – but didn’t? The symptoms escalated until my medical condition took over my life, and was so bad that I have been unable to hold a job.
Savage breathed in crude oil and dispersant for weeks as she and her coworkers cleaned up the beaches that summer. One of the dispersants used that summer was Corexit 9580. Another was Inipol EAP22, also toxic.
The dispersants BP is using today is a variation of the Corexit dispersant used in 1989. They're using Corexit 9500 and 9527. The EPA freely admits that they just don't know about the exact toxicity of them on animals or humans:
It is also important to note that the LC50 value may be different for a given chemical depending on the route of exposure (e.g., skin contact, ingestion, inhalation) and can be different for different animal species, ages and sexes. The LC50 is only one source of toxicity information and only provides information for the species and concentrations of chemical being tested under laboratory conditions. Toxicity tests resulting from controlled laboratory experiments may not accurately represent the degree of toxicity seen in the environment because of factors such as breakdown of the chemical, different species, different routes of exposure, age, sex, stage of development (e.g., adult versus larval).
To protect workers, the EPA advises hazmat gear and masks:
People working with dispersants are strongly advised to use a half face filter mask or an air-supplied breathing apparatus to protect their noses, throats, and lungs, and they should wear nitrile or PVC gloves, coveralls, boots, and chemical splash goggles to keep dispersants off skin and out of their eyes.
BP will provide these upon request.
As of today, BP reports use of more than 1.62 million gallons of dispersant.
Corexit 9527 was used initially in the Gulf but was discontinued because it was considered too toxic. Corexit 9500 is considered much better:
By last week, the EPA and Nalco had both released the ingredient list for COREXIT 9500 in response to widespread public concern. Its constituents include butanedioic acid (a wetting agent in cosmetics), sorbitan (found in everything from baby bath to food), and petroleum distillates in varying proportions—and it decomposes almost entirely in 28 days. "All six [ingredients] are used in day-to-day life—in mouthwash, toothpaste, ice cream, pickles," Ramesh argues. "We believe COREXIT 9500 is very safe."
But, as this Scientific American article points out, all dispersants contain carcinogens. There are reports that Corexit has been banned in the UK but to be clear, it's only been banned in use on rocky shoreline. It may or may not be used elsewhere.
Reports of illness in Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states are beginning to mount. As of June 29:
Exposure to the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has resulted in 162 cases of illnesses reported to the Louisiana state health department, according to a report released Monday. Of those cases, 128 involved workers on oil rigs or individuals involved in the oil spill cleanup efforts, the report said.
And that's just Louisiana. This article in The American Chronicle suggests that the Gulf Oil Syndrome is on the horizon and suggests that many won't be taken seriously:
The Gulf oil spill will likely lead to a new condition known as Gulf Oil Syndrome (GOS), a syndrome of toxicity related to 911, GWS, and MCS, which will initially be denied and labeled as psychiatric to protect the financial interests of responsible parties.
The Exxon medical records were sealed by the courts until 2023 and the Miami Herald reports that long term studies have never been done on the effects of that disaster, so it's difficult for us to know what to expect with this crisis. Last week U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin reiterated this problem:
"Current scientific literature is inconclusive with regard to the potential hazards resulting from the spill," Benjamin said. "Some scientists predict little or no toxic effect ... while other scientists express serious concerns about the potential short-term and long-term impacts the exposure to oil and dispersants could have on the health of responders and our communities."
That lack of published, peer-reviewed study of the Exxon Valdez cleanup workers has made protecting the growing number workers in the Gulf of Mexico all the more difficult and has Alaska watchdogs warning that BP and government regulators are repeating mistakes that made people sick a generation ago.
What are the options? What are the alternatives? Environmentalists would probably suggest that we quit drilling and that would solve all this, but everyone with half a brain knows that's not realistic. Not unless you want to turn back the clock 200 years. I don't have the answers. I don't know how many people died as a result of the Exxon cleanup.
People want to get out there and clean the beaches, the wildlife, and put things back to normal. BP has an obligation to clean up the oil. But at what cost does it all come? The state of Louisiana is already asking BP to set up a fund for mental health help but what about the physical medical needs these clean up workers will be facing? Is that to come from the $20 billion?
And that's the tragedy of the whole episode. That's where you see that this is an end to a way of life on the Gulf coast. Scientists are already predicting a huge dead zone where wildlife cannot survive. Some will say it's all fear mongering and hype and that the Gulf will survive. Everything will be okay. Life goes on. We survive. I sure hope so.
Merle Savage is advising great caution and wants people in the Gulf cleanup to learn from the mistakes of the Exxon Valdez.
First Amendment suspended in the Gulf of Mexico as spill cover-up goes Orwellian
(NaturalNews) As CNN is now reporting, the U.S. government has issued a new rule that would make it a felony crime for any journalist, reporter, blogger or photographer to approach any oil cleanup operation, equipment or vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. Anyone caught is subject to arrest, a $40,000 fine and prosecution for a federal felony crime.
CNN reporter Anderson Cooper says, "A new law passed today, and back by the force of law and the threat of fines and felony charges, ... will prevent reporters and photographers from getting anywhere close to booms and oil-soaked wildlife just about any place we need to be. By now you're probably familiar with cleanup crews stiff-arming the media, private security blocking cameras, ordinary workers clamming up, some not even saying who they're working for because they're afraid of losing their jobs."
Watch the video clip yourself at NaturalNews.TV: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=203
The rule, of course, is designed to restrict the media's access to cleanup operations in order to keep images of oil-covered seabirds off the nation's televisions. With this, the Gulf Coast cleanup operation has now entered a weird Orwellian reality where the news is shaped, censored and controlled by the government in order to prevent the public from learning the truth about what's really happening in the Gulf.
Now the same Big Brother approach is being used in the Gulf of Mexico: Criminalize journalists, censor the story and try to keep the American people ignorant of what's really happening. It's just the latest tactic from a government that no longer even recognizes the U.S. Constitution or its Bill of Rights. Because the very first right is Freedom of Speech, which absolutely includes the right to walk onto a public beach and take photographs of something happening out in the open, on public waters. It is one of the most basic rights of our citizens and our press.
But now the Obama administration has stripped away those rights, transforming journalists into criminals. Now, we might expect something like this from Chavez, or Castro or even the communist leaders of China, but here in the United States, we've all been promised we lived in "the land of the free." Obama apparently does not subscribe to that philosophy anymore (if he ever did).
So how does criminalizing journalists equate to "land of the free?" It doesn't, obviously. Forget freedom. (Your government already has.) This is about controlling your mind to make sure you don't visually see the truth of what the oil industry has done to your oceans, your shorelines and your beaches. This is all about keeping you ignorant with a total media blackout of the real story of what's happening in the Gulf.
The real story, you see, is just too ugly. And the government has fracked up the cleanup effort to such a ridiculous extent that instead of the "transparency" they once promised, they're now resorting to the threat of arrest for all journalists who try to get close enough to cover the story.
Yes, this is happening right now in America. This isn't a hoax. I know, it sounds more like something you might hear about in Saudi Arabia, or Venezuela or some other nation run by dictators. But now it's happening right here in the USA.
As Anderson Cooper reported on CNN:
"Now the government is getting in on the act. Despite what Admiral Thad Allen promised about transparency just nearly a month ago.
Thad Allen: "The media will have uninhibited access anywhere we're doing operations..."
Anderson Cooper: The Coast Guard today announced new rules keeping photographers, reporters and anyone else from coming with 65 feet of any response vessel or booms out on the water or on beaches. What this means is that oil-soaked birds on an island surrounded by a boom, you can't get close enough to take that picture. Shot of oil on beaches with booms? Stay 65 feet away. Pictures of oil-soaked booms uselessly laying in the water because they haven't been collected like they should? You can't get close enough to see that. Believe me, that is out there. But you only know that if you get close to it, and now you can't without permission. Violators could face a fine of $40,000 and Class D felony charges."
See the video yourself at: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=203
Now they're suddenly crying wolf. But where was the media when the FDA was raiding nutritional supplement companies and arresting people who dared to sell healing foods with honest descriptions about how they might help protect your health? The media went right along with the cover-up and never bothered to even tell its viewers a cover-up was taking place.
You see, even CNN is willing to tolerate some Orwellian censorship, as long as its advertisers are okay with it. The only reason they're talking about censorship in the Gulf of Mexico right now is because oil companies don't influence enough of their advertising budget to yank the story.
Without the light of media scrutiny, corporations and government will get away with unimaginable crimes against both humanity and nature. That's what's happening right now in the Gulf of Mexico: A crime against nature.
Obama doesn't want you to see that crime. He's covering it up to the benefit of BP. He's keeping you in the dark by threatening reporters and photographers with arrest. How's that for "total transparency?"
The only thing transparent here is that President Barack Obama has violated his own oath of office by refusing to defend the Constitution. By any honest measure, in fact, these actions, which are endorsed by the White House, stand in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution. And that means this new censorship rule in the Gulf, which suspends the First Amendment, is unconstitutional. It also means those who decided on this rule are enemies of freedom.
They are the ones who should be arrested and hauled off to federal prison, not the CNN reporters who are trying to cover this story.
When those who seek truth are branded criminals by the government, it is only a matter of time before that government expands its criminalization labeling to include anyone who disagrees with it. These are the seeds of tyranny, and Obama is planting them at your doorstep right now.
What BP did to the Gulf Coast, Obama is now doing to your freedom.
CNN reporter Anderson Cooper says, "A new law passed today, and back by the force of law and the threat of fines and felony charges, ... will prevent reporters and photographers from getting anywhere close to booms and oil-soaked wildlife just about any place we need to be. By now you're probably familiar with cleanup crews stiff-arming the media, private security blocking cameras, ordinary workers clamming up, some not even saying who they're working for because they're afraid of losing their jobs."
Watch the video clip yourself at NaturalNews.TV: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=203
The rule, of course, is designed to restrict the media's access to cleanup operations in order to keep images of oil-covered seabirds off the nation's televisions. With this, the Gulf Coast cleanup operation has now entered a weird Orwellian reality where the news is shaped, censored and controlled by the government in order to prevent the public from learning the truth about what's really happening in the Gulf.
The war is on to control your mind
If all this sounds familiar, it's because the U.S. government uses this same tactic during every war. The first casualty of war, as they say, is the truth. There are lots of war images the government doesn't want you to see (like military helicopter pilots shooting up Reuters photographers while screaming "Yee-Haw!" over the comm radios), and there are other images they do want you to see ("surgical strike" explosions from "smart" bombs, which makes it seem like the military is doing something useful). So war reporting is carefully monopolized by the government to deliver precisely the images they want you to see while censoring everything else.Now the same Big Brother approach is being used in the Gulf of Mexico: Criminalize journalists, censor the story and try to keep the American people ignorant of what's really happening. It's just the latest tactic from a government that no longer even recognizes the U.S. Constitution or its Bill of Rights. Because the very first right is Freedom of Speech, which absolutely includes the right to walk onto a public beach and take photographs of something happening out in the open, on public waters. It is one of the most basic rights of our citizens and our press.
But now the Obama administration has stripped away those rights, transforming journalists into criminals. Now, we might expect something like this from Chavez, or Castro or even the communist leaders of China, but here in the United States, we've all been promised we lived in "the land of the free." Obama apparently does not subscribe to that philosophy anymore (if he ever did).
So how does criminalizing journalists equate to "land of the free?" It doesn't, obviously. Forget freedom. (Your government already has.) This is about controlling your mind to make sure you don't visually see the truth of what the oil industry has done to your oceans, your shorelines and your beaches. This is all about keeping you ignorant with a total media blackout of the real story of what's happening in the Gulf.
The real story, you see, is just too ugly. And the government has fracked up the cleanup effort to such a ridiculous extent that instead of the "transparency" they once promised, they're now resorting to the threat of arrest for all journalists who try to get close enough to cover the story.
Yes, this is happening right now in America. This isn't a hoax. I know, it sounds more like something you might hear about in Saudi Arabia, or Venezuela or some other nation run by dictators. But now it's happening right here in the USA.
As Anderson Cooper reported on CNN:
"Now the government is getting in on the act. Despite what Admiral Thad Allen promised about transparency just nearly a month ago.
Thad Allen: "The media will have uninhibited access anywhere we're doing operations..."
Anderson Cooper: The Coast Guard today announced new rules keeping photographers, reporters and anyone else from coming with 65 feet of any response vessel or booms out on the water or on beaches. What this means is that oil-soaked birds on an island surrounded by a boom, you can't get close enough to take that picture. Shot of oil on beaches with booms? Stay 65 feet away. Pictures of oil-soaked booms uselessly laying in the water because they haven't been collected like they should? You can't get close enough to see that. Believe me, that is out there. But you only know that if you get close to it, and now you can't without permission. Violators could face a fine of $40,000 and Class D felony charges."
See the video yourself at: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=203
Welcome to the (censored) club
All I can say to CNN is: Welcome to the club! This kind of censorship, intimidation and tyranny has been going on for decades in the field of health, where the Orwellian FDA has treated the entire U.S. public to a nationwide blackout on truthful health information about healing foods and nutritional supplements. CNN has never covered that story, by the way. Most of the mainstream media has, in fact, gone right along with censorship of truthful health information by the FDA and FTC.Now they're suddenly crying wolf. But where was the media when the FDA was raiding nutritional supplement companies and arresting people who dared to sell healing foods with honest descriptions about how they might help protect your health? The media went right along with the cover-up and never bothered to even tell its viewers a cover-up was taking place.
You see, even CNN is willing to tolerate some Orwellian censorship, as long as its advertisers are okay with it. The only reason they're talking about censorship in the Gulf of Mexico right now is because oil companies don't influence enough of their advertising budget to yank the story.
Censorship is not okay in a free society
I like the fact that CNN is finding the courage to speak up now about this censorship in the Gulf, but I wish they wouldn't stay silent on the other media blackouts in which they have long participated. Media censorship is bad for any nation, and it should be challenged regardless of the topic at hand. When the media is not allowed to report the truth on a subject -- any subject! -- the nation suffers some loss as a result.Without the light of media scrutiny, corporations and government will get away with unimaginable crimes against both humanity and nature. That's what's happening right now in the Gulf of Mexico: A crime against nature.
Obama doesn't want you to see that crime. He's covering it up to the benefit of BP. He's keeping you in the dark by threatening reporters and photographers with arrest. How's that for "total transparency?"
The only thing transparent here is that President Barack Obama has violated his own oath of office by refusing to defend the Constitution. By any honest measure, in fact, these actions, which are endorsed by the White House, stand in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution. And that means this new censorship rule in the Gulf, which suspends the First Amendment, is unconstitutional. It also means those who decided on this rule are enemies of freedom.
They are the ones who should be arrested and hauled off to federal prison, not the CNN reporters who are trying to cover this story.
The seeds of tyranny
The loss of life in the Gulf of Mexico isn't the only catastrophe taking place here, you see: Now we're losing our freedoms while our government tries to intentionally blind us all from the truth of what's happening on our own public beaches.When those who seek truth are branded criminals by the government, it is only a matter of time before that government expands its criminalization labeling to include anyone who disagrees with it. These are the seeds of tyranny, and Obama is planting them at your doorstep right now.
What BP did to the Gulf Coast, Obama is now doing to your freedom.
Friday, July 2, 2010
BP Spill Update July 02 2010
BP Spill Update | |
| By: Dave Johnson Friday July 2, 2010 11:35 am | |
Tweet
Hurricane Alex has passed but the aftermath of the storm continues to hamper cleanup and containment efforts. The Helix producer ship has been waiting to join the capture effort. This will allow a switch of containment caps, which facilitates connecting and disconnecting when storms come in, and might help relief-well efforts, but could mean free-flowing oil for a week to ten days.
The giant skimmer known as “A Whale” is waiting for seas to calm. Another low-pressure area has formed off Florida and has a 10% chance of becoming another tropical storm.
Republican efforts to confuse the public with anti-government propaganda continue. Conservative outlets continue to claim that “Dutch ships” have been delayed for 2 months. Media Matters and others have cleared this up but the story has caught on and is now “truth.”
Meanwhile Atrios makes an interesting point today, “BP’s interests are not aligned with the public good.” He links to a McClatchy story, Is BP rejecting skimmers to save money on Gulf oil cleanup?
“By sinking and dispersing the oil, BP can amortize the cost of the cleanup over the next 15 years or so, as tar balls continue to roll up on the beaches, rather than dealing with the issue now by removing the oil from the water with the proper equipment,” McCallister testified earlier this week. . . . “As a financial adviser, I understand financial engineering and BP’s desire to stretch out its costs of remediating the oil spill in the Gulf. By managing the cleanup over a period of many years, BP is able to minimize the financial damage as opposed to a huge expenditure in a period of a few years.”
Last month I noted that the dispersants BP is using are possibly about hiding the problem rather than fixing it,
BP is using a chemical dispersant, Corexit, supposedly to break up the oil so bacteria can eat it faster. This is not what is happening. It is causing the oil to sink out of sight to relieve pressure on the company, but may be causing far more damage than the spill otherwise would.
. . . BP’s interest is only in getting the oil out of sight. It is unclear whether the government – who didn’t even require BP to put flow gauges down there until more than 50 days had passed – is on top of this.
Injecting dispersant at the wellhead is the likely cause of the oil “plumes” and oil on the sea floor.
Even with efforts to hide the oil, it keeps coming. Miami, Florida Keys Face Up to 80% Chance of BP Oil, U.S. Says,
Miami and the Florida Keys face a 61 percent to 80 percent chance of being hit with tar balls from BP Plc’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, according to U.S. projections.
Shorelines with the greatest chance of being soiled by oil, 81 percent to 100 percent, stretch from the Mississippi River Delta to the western Panhandle of Florida, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said today in a statement on its projection for the next four months.
Much of Florida’s west coast has a “low probability” of “oiling” from the leak that began with an explosion on a BP- leased drilling rig on April 20, the agency said.
The Florida Keys, Miami and Fort Lauderdale face a greater risk because oil may be caught up in the Loop Current, a flow of warm water that snakes into the Gulf and then moves east, NOAA said. Scientists say the current could carry the oil at a speed of about 100 miles (161 kilometers) a day around the tip of Florida, potentially fouling the Keys and Miami Beach.
Drill, baby, drill.
http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/07/02/bp-spill-update/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Obama Administration Lied About Oil Spill Cleanup Efforts
Posted by Jim Hoft on Friday, July 2, 2010, 11:51 AM
It’s Day 73 of the Gulf Oil Spill Disaster–
There is now clear evidence that the negligence by the Obama Administration caused the destruction of the Gulf coastline.
** The feds only accepted assistance from 5 of 28 countries.
** It took the Obama Administration 53 days to accept help from the Dutch and British.
** It took them 58 days to mobilize the US military to the Gulf.
** The feds shut down crude-sucking barges due to fire extinguisher concerns.
** The Obama Administration ignore oil boom manufacturers that have miles of product stockpiled in their warehouses.
** They only have moved 31 of 2,000 oil skimmers to the disaster area off of Florida.
** Florida hired an additional 5 skimmer boats to operate off its coast due to federal inaction.
** There are no skimmer boats off the coast of Mississippi.
** The massive A-Boat skimmer won’t be allowed to join the cleanup effort until the Coast Guard and the EPA figure out whether it meets their standards.
** The feds shut down sand berm dredging off the Louisiana coast.
** The president continues to hit the golf course, ball games, hold BBQ’s and party while the crude oil washes up on shore.
..
Now there’s this… Obama Administration lied about cleanup efforts of Gulf oil spill.
CNS News reported:
Comments (26)Billy Nungesser, president of New Orleans’ Plaquemines Parish, sensed that a chart showing 140 oil skimmers at work — a chart given to him by BP and the Coast Guard — was “somewhat inaccurate.” So, Nungesser asked to fly over the spill to verify the number.
The flyover was cancelled three times before those officials admitted that just 31 of the 140 skimmers were actually deployed.
The incident is detailed in a report released Thursday by Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Republicans say the report provides evidence that the Obama administration misrepresented the assets devoted to the cleanup, misrepresented the timing of when government officials knew there was an oil spill and misrepresented the level of control the government had over the matter. It also claims the Obama administration seemed more interested in public relations than cleaning the mess and plugging the hole.
The report, which relies on interviews with several local officials in Louisiana, goes on to quote Nungesser, who had been on local and national television enough so that the White House became concerned. Two White House officials visited him on Father’s Day and said, “What do we have to do to keep you off TV?” His answer was, “Give me what I need.”
GULF OF MEXICO Military Men Moving There Own Families Now
| « Reply #5 on: Today at 01:51:43 PM » |  Quote |
http://beforeitsnews.com/news/90/749/Breaking_News_Military_Men_Moving_There_own_Families_Now_Snowplows_Ready_To_Remove_Abandoned_Vehicles_from_Highways_When_Evacuations_Occur.html
Breaking News Military Men Moving There Own Families Now!!!! Snowplows Ready To Remove Abandoned Vehicles From Highways When Evacuations Occur
Greg Evenson
It has been approximately three weeks since former State Trooper and Secret Service appointee Greg Evenson appeared on The Waterman Files to discuss what his inside sources are telling him about the situation in and around the Gulf of Mexico. Today, Evenson discussed and updated the situation with John
”Greg Evenson stated that it was suggested to him by University of Texas researchers that four to five weeks ago (which he described in a broadcast on May 27th) that there were reports from the U.S. Geological Service that an earthquake was precipitated at eleven miles below the ocean floor when drilling at the Deepwater Horizon site went as deep as thirty thousand feet – not the deepest well on earth, but the deepest ever penetrated into such a major source deposit of [this type of] oil, which is why it is coming up red and radioactive. The reports from the U.S.G.S. indicated that this earthquake may have fractured the ocean floor which would explain the oil seeps at seven to twenty-eight miles away that may not be coming from the drill site at all, but by cracks in the ocean floor caused by this and the giant deposit.
Evenson, discussing the problem with separating fact from fiction when determining the situation in the affected regions stated that, “The time for silliness and… extraordinary statements that have no basis… really need to be called out of the debate because we are losing time, we’re losing ground every moment. It may be [entertainment] to some, but to others it is deadly serious business, and I mean deadly serious…”
There have been suggestions that the oil rigs – all operations in the Gulf of Mexico – will be shut down. A video is making it’s way around the internet of Pensacola Florida with methane boiling out of the water, said to be a million times more in some areas, one hundred thousand in some areas, than anything close to normal. Those amounts of methane being released are the equivalent of twenty times more than the carbon dioxide typically being released into the atmosphere from automobiles, etc.
Various scientists have postulated that this uncontrolled, massive release of toxins is going to cause extreme phenomenon around the globe, including major fluctuations in climate causing super storms similar to those in the Hollywood movie “The Day After” that are going to be mind boggling. In response to this scenario, Evenson says, “That is absolutely correct, and add to that the absolute disaster that is taking place before our eyes with this overspray, this incredible overspray of Corexit that is causing damage. I’ve seen pictures of it supplied to me… of these crops and trees and other things withering under this continuing assault. As if it’s not enough that B.P. has created all of this problem, now they have created a secondary and a third problem with the debilitation of infrastructure and crops and so-forth from the spraying of this horrible Corexit.”
“Snow plows are being readied to go up and down the interstate highways in the middle of summer moving stranded vehicles off the road when evacuations begin.” Evenson implored people to not panic, and to simply prepare ahead so that they can move out of harms way before the crush of a full evacuation has begun.” - Greg Evenson thejohnchronicles.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/greg-evenson-new-update-gulf-of-mexico-june-28-2010/ -There Are report's of excessive methane gas in the gulf.which could be why the water in this video appears to be boiling.
BP disaster may now be worst spill in Gulf history
| « on: Today at 01:15:35 PM » | Quote |
BP disaster may now be worst spill in Gulf history
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100701/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill
By TOM BREEN, Associated Press Writer Tom Breen, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jul 1, 7:53 pm ET
NEW ORLEANS – Many fishing boats signed up to skim oil sit idle in marinas. Some captains and deckhands say they have been just waiting around for instructions while drawing checks from BP of more than $1,000 a day per vessel. Thousands of offers to clean beaches and wetlands have gone unanswered.
BP and the Obama administration faced mounting complaints Thursday that they are ignoring foreign offers of badly needed equipment and making poor use of the fishing boats and volunteers available to help clean up what may now be the biggest spill ever in the Gulf of Mexico.
Based on some government estimates, more than 140 million gallons of crude have now spewed from the bottom of the sea since the April 20 explosion that killed 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, eclipsing the 1979-80 disaster off Mexico that had long stood as the worst in the Gulf.
In recent days and weeks, for reasons BP has never explained, many fishing boats hired for the cleanup have done a lot of waiting around. At the same time, there is mounting frustration over the time it has taken the government to approve offers of help from foreign countries and international organizations.
The Coast Guard said there have been 107 offers of help from 44 nations, ranging from technical advice to skimmer boats and booms. But many of those offers are weeks old, and only a small number have been accepted, with the vast majority still under review, according to a list kept by the State Department.
A report prepared by investigators with the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., detailed one case in which the Dutch government offered April 30 to provide four oil skimmers that collectively could process more than 6 million gallons of oily water a day. It took seven weeks for the U.S. to approve the offer.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Thursday scorned the idea that "somehow it took the command 70 days to accept international help."
"That is a myth," he declared, "that has been debunked literally hundreds of times."
He said 24 foreign vessels were operating in the Gulf before this week. He did not specifically address the Dutch vessels.
More than 2,000 boats have signed up for oil-spill duty under BP's Vessel of Opportunity program. The company pays boat captains and their crews a flat fee based on the size of the vessel, ranging from $1,200 to $3,000 a day, plus a $200 fee for each crew member who works an eight-hour day.
Rocky Ditcharo, a shrimp dock owner in Buras, La., said many fishermen hired by BP have told him that they often park their boats on the shore while they wait for word on where to go.
"They just wait because there's no direction," Ditcharo said. He said he believes BP has hired many boat captains "to show numbers."
"But they're really not doing anything," he added. He also said he suspects the company is hiring out-of-work fishermen to placate them with paychecks.
Chris Mehlig, a fisherman from Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish, said he is getting eight days of work a month, laying down containment boom, running supplies to other boats or simply being on call dockside in case he is needed. "I wish I had more days than that, but that's the way things are," he said.
Billy Nungesser, president of Louisiana's hard-hit Plaquemines Parish, said BP and the Coast Guard provided a map of the exact locations of 140 skimmers that were supposedly cleaning up the oil. But he said that after he repeatedly asked to be flown over the area so he could see them at work, officials told him only 31 skimmers on the job.
"I'm trying to work with these guys," he said. "But everything they're giving me is a wish list, not what's actually out there."
BP did not return repeated calls for comment on the skimmers Thursday.
Newly retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government's point man for the response effort, bristled at some of the accusations in Issa's report.
"I think we've been pretty transparent throughout this," Allen said at the White House. He disputed any suggestion that there aren't enough skimmers being put on the water, saying the spill area is so big that there are bound to be areas with no vessels.
The Coast Guard said there are roughly 550 skimmers working in the Gulf, with 250 or so in Louisiana waters, 136 in Florida, 87 in Alabama and 76 in Mississippi, although stormy weather in recent days has kept the many of the vessels from working.
The frustration extends to the volunteers who have offered to clean beaches and wetlands. More than 20,000 volunteers have signed up to help in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, yet fewer than one in six has received an assignment or the training required to take part in some chores, according to BP.
The executive director of the Alabama Coastal Foundation, Bethany Kraft, said many people who volunteered are frustrated and angry that no one has called on them for help.
"You see this unfolding before your eyes and you have this sense that you can't do anything," she said. "To watch this happen in our backyard and not be able to help is hard."
About 225 foundation volunteers have helped watch for oil and document coastal conditions, she said, but BP's rules require training for anyone touching oily material. And the company is using paid workers for nearly all such projects.
While the leak continued spewing crude into the Gulf, the remnants of Hurricane Alex more than 500 miles to the west were still being felt Thursday in the form of rough seas that slowed the cleanup, though some skimming had resumed.
Some government estimates put the amount of oil spilled at 160 million gallons. That calculation was arrived at by using the rate of 2.5 million gallons a day all the way back to the oil rig explosion. The AP, relying on scientists who advised the government on flow rate, bases its estimates on a lower rate of 2.1 million gallons a day up until June 3, when a cut to the well pipe increased flow.
By either estimate, the disaster would eclipse the Ixtoc disaster in the Gulf two decades ago and rank as the biggest offshore oil spill during peacetime. The bill spill in history happened in 1991 during the Persian Gulf War, when Iraqi forces opened valves at a terminal and dumped about 336 million gallons of oil.
The total in the Gulf disaster is significant because BP is likely to be fined per gallon spilled. Also, scientists say an accurate figure is needed to calculate how much oil may be hidden below the surface, doing damage to the deep-sea environment.
"It's a mind-boggling number any way you cut it," said Ed Overton, a Louisiana State University environmental studies professor. "It'll be well beyond Ixtoc by the time it's finished."
And passing Ixtoc just before the July Fourth weekend, a time of normally booming tourism, is bitter timing, he said.
In other developments:
• The House passed the first major bill related to explosion, voting to allow families of those killed and injured workers to be compensated far more generously than current law allows. The measure now goes to the Senate.
• An animal welfare group said in a lawsuit that BP's practice of incinerating the oil is probably burning endangered sea turtles alive. BP spokesman Mark Proegler replied: "I can't say for sure we've never burned any, but every effort is taken to avoid that."
• The Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency are tightening up their oversight of BP and its contractors cleaning up the oily sand.
___
Associated Press writers Jay Reeves in Orange Beach, Ala., Michael Kunzelman in New Orleans and Seth Borenstein, Erica Werner and Eileen Sullivan in Washington contributed to this report.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100701/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill
By TOM BREEN, Associated Press Writer Tom Breen, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jul 1, 7:53 pm ET
NEW ORLEANS – Many fishing boats signed up to skim oil sit idle in marinas. Some captains and deckhands say they have been just waiting around for instructions while drawing checks from BP of more than $1,000 a day per vessel. Thousands of offers to clean beaches and wetlands have gone unanswered.
BP and the Obama administration faced mounting complaints Thursday that they are ignoring foreign offers of badly needed equipment and making poor use of the fishing boats and volunteers available to help clean up what may now be the biggest spill ever in the Gulf of Mexico.
Based on some government estimates, more than 140 million gallons of crude have now spewed from the bottom of the sea since the April 20 explosion that killed 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, eclipsing the 1979-80 disaster off Mexico that had long stood as the worst in the Gulf.
In recent days and weeks, for reasons BP has never explained, many fishing boats hired for the cleanup have done a lot of waiting around. At the same time, there is mounting frustration over the time it has taken the government to approve offers of help from foreign countries and international organizations.
The Coast Guard said there have been 107 offers of help from 44 nations, ranging from technical advice to skimmer boats and booms. But many of those offers are weeks old, and only a small number have been accepted, with the vast majority still under review, according to a list kept by the State Department.
A report prepared by investigators with the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., detailed one case in which the Dutch government offered April 30 to provide four oil skimmers that collectively could process more than 6 million gallons of oily water a day. It took seven weeks for the U.S. to approve the offer.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Thursday scorned the idea that "somehow it took the command 70 days to accept international help."
"That is a myth," he declared, "that has been debunked literally hundreds of times."
He said 24 foreign vessels were operating in the Gulf before this week. He did not specifically address the Dutch vessels.
More than 2,000 boats have signed up for oil-spill duty under BP's Vessel of Opportunity program. The company pays boat captains and their crews a flat fee based on the size of the vessel, ranging from $1,200 to $3,000 a day, plus a $200 fee for each crew member who works an eight-hour day.
Rocky Ditcharo, a shrimp dock owner in Buras, La., said many fishermen hired by BP have told him that they often park their boats on the shore while they wait for word on where to go.
"They just wait because there's no direction," Ditcharo said. He said he believes BP has hired many boat captains "to show numbers."
"But they're really not doing anything," he added. He also said he suspects the company is hiring out-of-work fishermen to placate them with paychecks.
Chris Mehlig, a fisherman from Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish, said he is getting eight days of work a month, laying down containment boom, running supplies to other boats or simply being on call dockside in case he is needed. "I wish I had more days than that, but that's the way things are," he said.
Billy Nungesser, president of Louisiana's hard-hit Plaquemines Parish, said BP and the Coast Guard provided a map of the exact locations of 140 skimmers that were supposedly cleaning up the oil. But he said that after he repeatedly asked to be flown over the area so he could see them at work, officials told him only 31 skimmers on the job.
"I'm trying to work with these guys," he said. "But everything they're giving me is a wish list, not what's actually out there."
BP did not return repeated calls for comment on the skimmers Thursday.
Newly retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government's point man for the response effort, bristled at some of the accusations in Issa's report.
"I think we've been pretty transparent throughout this," Allen said at the White House. He disputed any suggestion that there aren't enough skimmers being put on the water, saying the spill area is so big that there are bound to be areas with no vessels.
The Coast Guard said there are roughly 550 skimmers working in the Gulf, with 250 or so in Louisiana waters, 136 in Florida, 87 in Alabama and 76 in Mississippi, although stormy weather in recent days has kept the many of the vessels from working.
The frustration extends to the volunteers who have offered to clean beaches and wetlands. More than 20,000 volunteers have signed up to help in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, yet fewer than one in six has received an assignment or the training required to take part in some chores, according to BP.
The executive director of the Alabama Coastal Foundation, Bethany Kraft, said many people who volunteered are frustrated and angry that no one has called on them for help.
"You see this unfolding before your eyes and you have this sense that you can't do anything," she said. "To watch this happen in our backyard and not be able to help is hard."
About 225 foundation volunteers have helped watch for oil and document coastal conditions, she said, but BP's rules require training for anyone touching oily material. And the company is using paid workers for nearly all such projects.
While the leak continued spewing crude into the Gulf, the remnants of Hurricane Alex more than 500 miles to the west were still being felt Thursday in the form of rough seas that slowed the cleanup, though some skimming had resumed.
Some government estimates put the amount of oil spilled at 160 million gallons. That calculation was arrived at by using the rate of 2.5 million gallons a day all the way back to the oil rig explosion. The AP, relying on scientists who advised the government on flow rate, bases its estimates on a lower rate of 2.1 million gallons a day up until June 3, when a cut to the well pipe increased flow.
By either estimate, the disaster would eclipse the Ixtoc disaster in the Gulf two decades ago and rank as the biggest offshore oil spill during peacetime. The bill spill in history happened in 1991 during the Persian Gulf War, when Iraqi forces opened valves at a terminal and dumped about 336 million gallons of oil.
The total in the Gulf disaster is significant because BP is likely to be fined per gallon spilled. Also, scientists say an accurate figure is needed to calculate how much oil may be hidden below the surface, doing damage to the deep-sea environment.
"It's a mind-boggling number any way you cut it," said Ed Overton, a Louisiana State University environmental studies professor. "It'll be well beyond Ixtoc by the time it's finished."
And passing Ixtoc just before the July Fourth weekend, a time of normally booming tourism, is bitter timing, he said.
In other developments:
• The House passed the first major bill related to explosion, voting to allow families of those killed and injured workers to be compensated far more generously than current law allows. The measure now goes to the Senate.
• An animal welfare group said in a lawsuit that BP's practice of incinerating the oil is probably burning endangered sea turtles alive. BP spokesman Mark Proegler replied: "I can't say for sure we've never burned any, but every effort is taken to avoid that."
• The Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency are tightening up their oversight of BP and its contractors cleaning up the oily sand.
___
Associated Press writers Jay Reeves in Orange Beach, Ala., Michael Kunzelman in New Orleans and Seth Borenstein, Erica Werner and Eileen Sullivan in Washington contributed to this report.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Safe Drilling
Technology