COVINGTON, La. -- BP PLC says it will spend up to $500 million to research the effects of the growing Gulf of Mexico oil spill on the marine and shoreline environment.
The company, which leased the rig and is responsible for the cleanup, said Monday that the 10-year research program will study the effects of the oil. It also will study chemical dispersants used to break up oil on the seabed and along the shore.
The program also aims to study the impact of the dispersant on the oil and ways to improve technology to detect oil and clean up the ooze.
BP chief executive Tony Hayward says the research into the monthlong spill "will be a key part of the process of restoration, and for improving the industry response capability for the future."
Sun Herald
Monday, May 24, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Make a Donation Now!
Just CLICK HERE and help me, help others.
Thanks
Keith...........
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Mississippi Paddler Announces Camellia Home Health and Hospice as Gold Level Sponsor for Alzheimer’s Fundraiser
“I am extremely excited to welcome Camellia Home Health as a partner for this project,” said Plunkett. “They understand firsthand the toll Alzheimer’s is taking on our seniors, and the need to fight this disease.”
In Mississippi alone, 53,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease with an additional 148,000 caregivers providing unpaid care.
“As Keith begins his journey, it is our hope to get our local offices involved in drumming up support and participating in the paddling experience,” said Camellia President Abb Payne. “I look forward to working with him, and the Alzheimer’s Association to further their efforts.”
The effort will begin in July on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and will take Plunkett on a journey across 5 regions of the state to paddle waterways that are both popular destinations and underutilized opportunities. During the trips, the Yazoo County native and Flora resident will tell the stories of Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers in each region, and will highlight ongoing efforts by the Alzheimer’s Association and medical professionals to defeat the disease.
Over the next two months leading up to the kickoff on July 10 in Ocean Springs, Plunkett will speak with groups across the state to raise awareness, and to secure donations. He has set a goal of 600 miles, or roughly 120 miles per region, and hopes to entice a few others to join him on some of the excursions, including Payne.
“Abb told me he would like to join me on a few trips, and I look forward to it,” said Plunkett. “Paddling is a great family friendly sport, and we have so many resources in Mississippi to enjoy. I welcome anyone that wants to join in.”
Work is ongoing to outfit the current website, www.lucysrevenge.com, with a real-time map that uses GPS to track Plunkett’s whereabouts, and a website has been setup by the Alzheimer’s Association to begin collecting donations. A Paddling Partners Program has also been established for those who would like to form paddling teams and compete to raise money for the project.
The project is named in memory of Lucy Plunkett, who suffered from Alzheimer’s before succumbing to the disease in 1994. The matriarch of the Plunkett family reared six children, and oversaw the upbringing of 9 grandchildren. She was a housewife and an active member of her church and the rural community of Little Yazoo in Yazoo County.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Ocean Springs and Biloxi are being proactive to protect the waterways
I'm thrilled to see Mayors Moran and Holloway pushing to protect these waters. I've not paddled all the waters down there, yet. But plenty enough to know that if this spill gets into the back bays and marshes the environmental damage will result in decades of problems.
Lucy's Revenge kicks off in Ocean Springs on Old Fort Bayou on July 10. So, I am watching this close. It is very comforting to know we have such great leaders down there.
Lucy's Revenge kicks off in Ocean Springs on Old Fort Bayou on July 10. So, I am watching this close. It is very comforting to know we have such great leaders down there.
Two cities plan for worstRead more: The Sun Herald
OCEAN SPRINGS — Mayor Connie Moran said she isn’t waiting for a knight in shining armor to Ocean Spring’s rescue as the city did after Hurricane Katrina and Monday city will submit a $3 million action plan to protect the marshes from oil that might come ashore from the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Ocean Springs joins Biloxi, which on Friday asked the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources for $2.99 million to pay for police, firefighters, engineering and other personnel to take care of everything from traffic control to hazard response. The funding is for 8 months and could change depending on what type of cleanup ultimately is needed, the administration said.
Tar balls continued to be found on the beaches of South Mississippi over the weekend. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality had recovered 60 tar balls from Harrison and Hancock counties and none from Jackson County. There was no oil sheen in Mississippi waters and no fish kills reported.
On Sunday, Hancock County emergency operations center director Brian Adam reported six or seven hard tar balls were found on the beach between the Bay St. Louis Bridge and the St. Stanislaus Pier.
Harrison County Emergency Management Director Rupert Lacy said tar balls continue to be found on Harrison County beaches and are being analyzed to determine which well they came from.
He said residents can expect to continue to find a few tar balls on the beach.
Moran said Ocean Springs hasn’t had any signs of oil on its shores but she is not going to leave the details to BP, which is focused on stopping the leak.
The city will use the $3 million to hire its own environmental engineers and protect the many marshes with a more substantial barrier than the “flimsy” boom Moran said now in place.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Barbour asks SBA to help Coast businesses
Gov. Haley Barbour announced today he has requested assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration to aid businesses that have been financially impacted by the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico since April 20, he said in a press statement.
“The oil spill has the potential to impact many small businesses across the Gulf Coast, and in some cases it already has,” Barbour said. “SBA loans are another tool needed to help offset the economic injury our coastal businesses are experiencing. Our maritime, fishing and energy industries are vital employers and significant components of our state’s coastal economy.”
If granted, the SBA disaster loans would be available to qualified businesses and nonprofit organizations in George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River and Stone counties that have been affected by the ongoing spill. If BP compensates a loan recipient, the business will be expected to pay back the SBA loan.
Economic injury disaster loans would provide necessary working capital until normal operations resume after the impact of the oil spill disaster subsides. Additionally, Barbour has requested that SBA temporarily suspend loan repayments for Mississippi coastal businesses affected by the oil spill who have 2005 and 2008 SBA disaster and economic injury loans as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav.
Read more: The Sun Herald
“The oil spill has the potential to impact many small businesses across the Gulf Coast, and in some cases it already has,” Barbour said. “SBA loans are another tool needed to help offset the economic injury our coastal businesses are experiencing. Our maritime, fishing and energy industries are vital employers and significant components of our state’s coastal economy.”
If granted, the SBA disaster loans would be available to qualified businesses and nonprofit organizations in George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River and Stone counties that have been affected by the ongoing spill. If BP compensates a loan recipient, the business will be expected to pay back the SBA loan.
Economic injury disaster loans would provide necessary working capital until normal operations resume after the impact of the oil spill disaster subsides. Additionally, Barbour has requested that SBA temporarily suspend loan repayments for Mississippi coastal businesses affected by the oil spill who have 2005 and 2008 SBA disaster and economic injury loans as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav.
Read more: The Sun Herald
Sun Herald: Coast holds its breath
BILOXI — Gov. Haley Barbour on Wednesday said Mississippi has been lucky, but the state can’t count on its good fortune to last, particularly if south winds continue to blow on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Barbour called for more people to join the 9,000 who have volunteered to help so far in the event the area has to be cleaned up from the massive spill.
“We have prayed for the best, but prepared for the worst,” Barbour said. “So far, our prayers have been answered, but we are not assuming that we’re not going to have more movement in our direction, particularly with the wind being out of the south right now. If it stays that way for several days, we could have an incursion onto our area.”
If the oil breaches Mississippi’s protections, Barbour said much help will be needed. He urged residents to sign up for the required hazmat training now. He said four hours of training are needed for those who just want to help, but anyone interested in supervising the cleanup will have to take 40 hours of hazmat training. If the oil arrives, those volunteers would need to be deployed quickly.
Barbour would like to see more boats signed up to work alongside the 315 vessels enrolled to help with the cleanup.
Barbour also echoed local officials, saying the Mississippi Coast is still open for business, despite perceptions the widely covered oil spill has created.
He said some media reports are comparing it with the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill; this has led to canceled vacations and charter boat trips, hurting the economy.
“Let me just tell you a fact — our waters, our barrier islands, our beaches, our golf courses are just like they were a month ago,” Barbour said. “They are just like they were before this oil well blew out. The oil well is 108 miles south of Gulfport and there hasn’t been any oil anywhere near where the tourists would go.”
Read more: The Sun Herald
Barbour called for more people to join the 9,000 who have volunteered to help so far in the event the area has to be cleaned up from the massive spill.
“We have prayed for the best, but prepared for the worst,” Barbour said. “So far, our prayers have been answered, but we are not assuming that we’re not going to have more movement in our direction, particularly with the wind being out of the south right now. If it stays that way for several days, we could have an incursion onto our area.”
If the oil breaches Mississippi’s protections, Barbour said much help will be needed. He urged residents to sign up for the required hazmat training now. He said four hours of training are needed for those who just want to help, but anyone interested in supervising the cleanup will have to take 40 hours of hazmat training. If the oil arrives, those volunteers would need to be deployed quickly.
Barbour would like to see more boats signed up to work alongside the 315 vessels enrolled to help with the cleanup.
Barbour also echoed local officials, saying the Mississippi Coast is still open for business, despite perceptions the widely covered oil spill has created.
He said some media reports are comparing it with the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill; this has led to canceled vacations and charter boat trips, hurting the economy.
“Let me just tell you a fact — our waters, our barrier islands, our beaches, our golf courses are just like they were a month ago,” Barbour said. “They are just like they were before this oil well blew out. The oil well is 108 miles south of Gulfport and there hasn’t been any oil anywhere near where the tourists would go.”
Read more: The Sun Herald
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Come say hello this Saturday
If you're at Mayes Lake on Saturday, you'll find me in the big red kayak. I'll be a safety boater for the race.
Come for the Pickin': Sit back , relax and enjoy some of the region's best Americana music, featuring: Eric Stracener & the Frustrations, King Edward Blues Band, the Hot Tamales and Horse Trailer! We've got something for everyone's musical tastes...Come see what Mississippi has to offer!
Come for the Paddlin': Enter a Canoe race for an additional $5 (includes canoe rental), where you can compete in either our long (1K) or short (1/2K) to win trophies and prizes! Canoes are provided, but if you would like to enter the Kayak Race, bring your own and see what the competition is like! (if you don't have one, we usually have extras laying around). Or just watch the show! We have races every hour all day!
Come for the kids: Bring the whole family (12 and under get in free!) and enjoy face painting, games, and our inflatable obstacle course! (Kids under 12 also receive complimentary BBQ lunch!) Pickin & Paddlin was voted good showing for best kids event in the Jackson Free Press, 2009!
Come to support the ministry of the Neighborhood Christian Center: Looking for an event for your next Sunday School Social? Looking for a way to support our ministry but can't afford to help financially? Help us by inviting (and selling tickets to) your friends, church members, friends, co-workers and family members to this event. Every ticket helps raise much needed funds for the children of the Neighborhood Christian Center.
Come for the Paddlin': Enter a Canoe race for an additional $5 (includes canoe rental), where you can compete in either our long (1K) or short (1/2K) to win trophies and prizes! Canoes are provided, but if you would like to enter the Kayak Race, bring your own and see what the competition is like! (if you don't have one, we usually have extras laying around). Or just watch the show! We have races every hour all day!
Come for the kids: Bring the whole family (12 and under get in free!) and enjoy face painting, games, and our inflatable obstacle course! (Kids under 12 also receive complimentary BBQ lunch!) Pickin & Paddlin was voted good showing for best kids event in the Jackson Free Press, 2009!
Come to support the ministry of the Neighborhood Christian Center: Looking for an event for your next Sunday School Social? Looking for a way to support our ministry but can't afford to help financially? Help us by inviting (and selling tickets to) your friends, church members, friends, co-workers and family members to this event. Every ticket helps raise much needed funds for the children of the Neighborhood Christian Center.
County to apply for oil-spill grant funds
Mississippi Business Journal
JACKSON COUNTY — Jackson County supervisors say they will apply for a share of the $25-million grant given to the state by BP PLC.
BP gave Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida $25 million each to help pay for cleanup and mitigation efforts for the Gulf Coast oil spill.
Supervisors said yesterday that the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Marine Resources will administer the grants. The agencies have asked coastal counties and municipalities to apply for the funds by presenting a list of needed materials.
Board president Mike Mangum told The Mississippi Press that local governments that receive approval can purchase materials such as booms and boats and later be reimbursed.
JACKSON COUNTY — Jackson County supervisors say they will apply for a share of the $25-million grant given to the state by BP PLC.
BP gave Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida $25 million each to help pay for cleanup and mitigation efforts for the Gulf Coast oil spill.
Supervisors said yesterday that the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Marine Resources will administer the grants. The agencies have asked coastal counties and municipalities to apply for the funds by presenting a list of needed materials.
Board president Mike Mangum told The Mississippi Press that local governments that receive approval can purchase materials such as booms and boats and later be reimbursed.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Dead dolphins wash up on coast; oil's role unclear
Associated Press
SHIP ISLAND, Miss. — Federal wildlife officials are treating the deaths of six dolphins on the Gulf Coast as oil-related even though other factors may be to blame.
Blair Mase (MACE') of the National Marine Fisheries Service said Tuesday that the carcasses have all been found in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama since May 2. Samples have been sent for testing to see whether a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico helped kill the dolphins.
Mase and animal rescue coordinator Michele Kelley in Louisiana said none of the carcasses has obvious signs of oil. Mase also said it's common for dead dolphins to wash up this time of year when they are in shallow waters to calve.
The Associated Press found dolphins swimming and playing in oily waters off Louisiana last week.
Cross Posted at The Flora Harvester
SHIP ISLAND, Miss. — Federal wildlife officials are treating the deaths of six dolphins on the Gulf Coast as oil-related even though other factors may be to blame.
Blair Mase (MACE') of the National Marine Fisheries Service said Tuesday that the carcasses have all been found in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama since May 2. Samples have been sent for testing to see whether a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico helped kill the dolphins.
Mase and animal rescue coordinator Michele Kelley in Louisiana said none of the carcasses has obvious signs of oil. Mase also said it's common for dead dolphins to wash up this time of year when they are in shallow waters to calve.
The Associated Press found dolphins swimming and playing in oily waters off Louisiana last week.
Cross Posted at The Flora Harvester
Monday, May 10, 2010
BP to offer training in conjunction with OSHA and the Coast Guard.
Health, Safety and Environmental Training has been a key focus to properly prepare those interested in participating in shoreline clean up. The training is fit-for-purpose based on whether you are a volunteer, contractor or vessel owner. The Post-Emergency Spilled Oil Response Training Modules were prepared by Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), with review and approval provided by BP, Occupational Safety & Health Administration and US Coast Guard personnel.
The training is for those registered in the Vessel of Opportunity program or as a contractor who wants to participate in clean up. The non-contaminated beach clean up "volunteers" will receive a basic BP health, safety & environmental orientation which as been endorsed by OSHA and the the Coast Guard.
To be included as a volunteer, please contact the BP volunteer hotline at 866-448-5816. Your contact information will be gathered and you will contacted when opportunities arise in your area. If you are interested in assisting in shoreline oil spill clean up operations, and you live in one of the coastal states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama or Florida), you can request placement in a spill response course by emailing Horizonresponse@pecpremier.com
This course is not a guarantee of employment but provides credentials needed to be hired for spill cleanup work by BP contractors.
For more up to date information, visit http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/
The training is for those registered in the Vessel of Opportunity program or as a contractor who wants to participate in clean up. The non-contaminated beach clean up "volunteers" will receive a basic BP health, safety & environmental orientation which as been endorsed by OSHA and the the Coast Guard.
To be included as a volunteer, please contact the BP volunteer hotline at 866-448-5816. Your contact information will be gathered and you will contacted when opportunities arise in your area. If you are interested in assisting in shoreline oil spill clean up operations, and you live in one of the coastal states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama or Florida), you can request placement in a spill response course by emailing Horizonresponse@pecpremier.com
This course is not a guarantee of employment but provides credentials needed to be hired for spill cleanup work by BP contractors.
For more up to date information, visit http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Promising new drug target for Alzheimer's disease
ScienceDaily -- Researchers have identified a potential drug target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: a receptor that is embedded in the membrane of neurons and other cells. A protein fragment associated with Alzheimer's disease activates this receptor, sparking increased activity in the affected neurons, eventually leading to cell death, researchers report.
Science Daily
Science Daily
Caring for spouse with Alzheimer's increases risk of developing dementia, study finds
Those who care for a spouse with Alzheimer's are six times as likely to develop a form of dementia themselves, according to a new study.
The study from Utah State University, reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, tracked more than 1,221 couples (2,442 individuals) over 12 years. None of the couples, who had been married for an average of 49 years, had been diagnosed with dementia at the start of the research period.
Twelve years later, 225 couples had been affected by dementia in some way. In 125 of the couples, only the husband developed dementia; in 70 of the couples only the wife was affected. In 30 couples, both spouses were affected.
When other factors, including genetics and social class, were taken into account, having a husband or wife with Alzheimer's emerged as a prominent risk factor - particularly for men.
The physical, mental and emotional challenges of caring for a declining spouse may put the other spouse at risk, researchers suggested. Additionally, couples who live together for many years may be exposed to the same lifestyle risks.
"Two people living the same lifestyle may be exposed to the same risk factors so it could be possible that spouses both develop dementia," said Professor Clive Ballard of the UK Alzheimer's Society in a statement released in response to the study. "However there has been limited research in this area and more is needed to determine which people are the most vulnerable."
New York Daily News
Saturday, May 8, 2010
BP officials say containment dome is running into problems.
Saturday May 8, 2010--BP officials provided an update on current efforts to stop the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico today. According to the company announcement, the attempts to place the containment dome have so far been unsuccessful.
“As we had expressed numerous times, this particular operation has never been done before at this depth and a significant technical challenge was with hydrate formation,” read the company statement.
The statement described hydrate formation as a chemical process when gas combines with water under certain pressure and temperatures that form as crystals, similar to ice.
The dome was lowered to the sea floor yesterday evening. However, as workers began to place it over the source of the leak, a large volume of hydrates formed inside the top of the dome, requiring it to be moved to the side of the leak point. The dome is currently sitting on the sea bed while technicians evaluate options to deal with the hydrate issue.
The company is also simultaneously investigating other techniques to control the source of flow and ultimately stop the source of flow. These include activities utilizing the existing blowout preventer to stop the flow. Additional data will be gathered to see if these options are viable and that work will continue over the next 48 hours. The relief well drilling continues and is at approximately 9,000 feet below the surface of the water and making progress ahead of plan.
BP officials say the company has also deployed over 130,000 feet of boom on Friday alone; approaching a million feet deployed with over 2.3 million additional feet, either coming from existing stocks in the US and other countries to fight the spread of oil already spreading from the leak site.
“We have oil around Chandelier Island, LA and our cleanup teams are responding,” read the statement.
There were five successful offshore burns Friday, and skimming operations skimmed over 17,500 barrels of an oily water mix.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Oil spill volunteer training, clean-up planned
Volunteers who want to help clean up Mississippi’s beaches before oil makes landfall can receive free training on the Gulf Coast this week.
Officials say the efforts will minimize the oil’s impact.
Community training for beach cleanup will be held at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County campus gymnasium and the Jefferson Davis campus in room U202.
Training also will be held at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday at Pearl River Community College’s Hancock County Center.
This response training is hosted by local elected officials, BP personnel, community organizations and MGCCC, according to a news release from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
MEMA, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Marine Resources have been meeting with British Petroleum to coordinate the training efforts.
The training sessions will qualify volunteers to participate in pre-landfall beach cleaning. Federal, state and private entities are asking any volunteers to attend training to ensure their personal safety and well-being.
After training, volunteers will be at the following locations for beach clean-up:
Hancock County
• 2 p.m. at Bay St. Louis.
• 4 p.m. at Waveland.
• 6 p.m. at Buccaneer State Park.
Harrison County
• 2 p.m.: Pass Christian Central, Pass Christian East, Long Beach and Biloxi Central.
• 4 p.m.: Gulfport West, Gulfport Harbor, Gulfport West Central and Biloxi East.
• 6 p.m.: Courthouse Rd., Gulfport East and Edgewater
Jackson County
* 2 p.m.: Front Beach and Shearwater.
* 4 p.m.: Gulf Park Estates and St. Andrews.
• 6 p.m.: Pascagoula Beach West and Pascagoula Beach East.
Officials say the efforts will minimize the oil’s impact.
Community training for beach cleanup will be held at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County campus gymnasium and the Jefferson Davis campus in room U202.
Training also will be held at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday at Pearl River Community College’s Hancock County Center.
This response training is hosted by local elected officials, BP personnel, community organizations and MGCCC, according to a news release from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
MEMA, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Marine Resources have been meeting with British Petroleum to coordinate the training efforts.
The training sessions will qualify volunteers to participate in pre-landfall beach cleaning. Federal, state and private entities are asking any volunteers to attend training to ensure their personal safety and well-being.
After training, volunteers will be at the following locations for beach clean-up:
Hancock County
• 2 p.m. at Bay St. Louis.
• 4 p.m. at Waveland.
• 6 p.m. at Buccaneer State Park.
Harrison County
• 2 p.m.: Pass Christian Central, Pass Christian East, Long Beach and Biloxi Central.
• 4 p.m.: Gulfport West, Gulfport Harbor, Gulfport West Central and Biloxi East.
• 6 p.m.: Courthouse Rd., Gulfport East and Edgewater
Jackson County
* 2 p.m.: Front Beach and Shearwater.
* 4 p.m.: Gulf Park Estates and St. Andrews.
• 6 p.m.: Pascagoula Beach West and Pascagoula Beach East.
APNewsBreak: Boat with containment box at oil site
Sun Herald
ON THE GULF OF MEXICO -- With success uncertain, a boat carrying a 100-ton concrete-and-steel contraption designed to siphon off the oil fouling the Gulf of Mexico arrived at the scene Thursday in an unprecedented attempt to cap a blown-out well spewing hundreds of thousands of gallons a day.
Another boat with a crane would start lowering the box to the seafloor later in the day. Engineers hope it will be the best short-term solution to controlling the leak that has only worsened since it began two weeks ago.
The waters at the spill site Thursday morning were calm with some clouds in the sky, though visibility was good. Roughly a dozen other ships either surrounded the spill site or could be seen in the distance.
Thick, tar-like oil surrounded the boat for as far as the eye could see. The pungent scent of oil could be smelled even in the bridge of the boat.
The Joe Griffin was expected to meet up with another BP-chartered boat, the Boa Sub C, a Norwegian vessel that will use a crane to lower the contraption to cover the gusher of oil spewing from the seabed - something that has never been tried before at such depths. BP spokesman Bill Salvin said the drop is expected at about noon Thursday.
"We're even more anxious," the Joe Griffin's first mate, Douglas Peake, said. "Hopefully, it will work better than they expect."
A rapid response team planned to head to the Chandeleur Islands off Louisiana's coast Thursday to look into unconfirmed reports that oil from the spill had arrived there, Coast Guard Petty Officer Erik Swanson said.
The boat hauling the specially built containment box and dome structure pushed off Wednesday evening from the Louisiana coast. The dome-like top of the structure is designed to act like a funnel and siphon the oil up through 5,000 feet of pipe and onto a tanker at the surface. Oil has been gushing into the Gulf of Mexico at a rate of at least 200,000 gallons a day since an offshore drilling rig exploded and sank last month, killing 11 people.
"We're a little anxious. They're gonna try everything they can. If it don't work, they'll try something else," Capt. Demi Shaffer told The Associated Press aboard his boat just after it set off. The AP is the only news organization with access to the containment effort.
A 12-man crew aboard a supply boat was carrying the precious cargo. The 280-foot Joe Griffin, owned by Edison Chouest Offshore, also was involved in helping fight the fire that resulted from the oil rig explosion. The vessel is named for a boat captain who worked with company founder Edison Chouest, when Chouest was still in the shrimping business.
ON THE GULF OF MEXICO -- With success uncertain, a boat carrying a 100-ton concrete-and-steel contraption designed to siphon off the oil fouling the Gulf of Mexico arrived at the scene Thursday in an unprecedented attempt to cap a blown-out well spewing hundreds of thousands of gallons a day.
Another boat with a crane would start lowering the box to the seafloor later in the day. Engineers hope it will be the best short-term solution to controlling the leak that has only worsened since it began two weeks ago.
The waters at the spill site Thursday morning were calm with some clouds in the sky, though visibility was good. Roughly a dozen other ships either surrounded the spill site or could be seen in the distance.
Thick, tar-like oil surrounded the boat for as far as the eye could see. The pungent scent of oil could be smelled even in the bridge of the boat.
The Joe Griffin was expected to meet up with another BP-chartered boat, the Boa Sub C, a Norwegian vessel that will use a crane to lower the contraption to cover the gusher of oil spewing from the seabed - something that has never been tried before at such depths. BP spokesman Bill Salvin said the drop is expected at about noon Thursday.
"We're even more anxious," the Joe Griffin's first mate, Douglas Peake, said. "Hopefully, it will work better than they expect."
A rapid response team planned to head to the Chandeleur Islands off Louisiana's coast Thursday to look into unconfirmed reports that oil from the spill had arrived there, Coast Guard Petty Officer Erik Swanson said.
The boat hauling the specially built containment box and dome structure pushed off Wednesday evening from the Louisiana coast. The dome-like top of the structure is designed to act like a funnel and siphon the oil up through 5,000 feet of pipe and onto a tanker at the surface. Oil has been gushing into the Gulf of Mexico at a rate of at least 200,000 gallons a day since an offshore drilling rig exploded and sank last month, killing 11 people.
"We're a little anxious. They're gonna try everything they can. If it don't work, they'll try something else," Capt. Demi Shaffer told The Associated Press aboard his boat just after it set off. The AP is the only news organization with access to the containment effort.
A 12-man crew aboard a supply boat was carrying the precious cargo. The 280-foot Joe Griffin, owned by Edison Chouest Offshore, also was involved in helping fight the fire that resulted from the oil rig explosion. The vessel is named for a boat captain who worked with company founder Edison Chouest, when Chouest was still in the shrimping business.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Top administration officials visiting Biloxi and Pascagoula this week
At the direction of President Obama, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano, Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco and EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe will travel to the Gulf Coast this week to meet with federal, state and local officials, as well as local business leaders, as part of their continued oversight of BP’s efforts to plug the leak and contain the spill, and their ongoing emphasis on interagency coordination in response to the event.
On Thursday, Secretary Napolitano, Secretary Locke and Administrator Lubchenco will travel to Biloxi, Miss., to inspect response operations, meet with state, local and private sector leaders, and view firsthand staging areas for the deployment of boom to protect vital shoreline from the oil spill. Secretary Napolitano and Secretary Locke will then visit similar operations ongoing in Pensacola, Fla. Administrator Lubchenco and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley will then visit Pascagoula, Miss., to visit NOAA’s seafood inspection lab.
EPA Deputy Administrator Perciasepe will also travel on Thursday to Louisiana, where he will review EPA’s ongoing air and water monitoring activities, meet with local and community leaders, and assess the environmental situation on the ground.
On Friday, Administrator Lubchenco and Chair Sutley will travel to Venice and St. Bernard Parish, La., to inspect shoreline cleanup assessment activities and meet with state, local and private sector leaders about the administration’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the spill’s impact on public health, the environment, and the economy.
Today, Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will tour Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama, and the areas affected by the BP oil spill to assess the ongoing Federal response efforts.
More details of these trips will be released when they are finalized.
On Thursday, Secretary Napolitano, Secretary Locke and Administrator Lubchenco will travel to Biloxi, Miss., to inspect response operations, meet with state, local and private sector leaders, and view firsthand staging areas for the deployment of boom to protect vital shoreline from the oil spill. Secretary Napolitano and Secretary Locke will then visit similar operations ongoing in Pensacola, Fla. Administrator Lubchenco and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley will then visit Pascagoula, Miss., to visit NOAA’s seafood inspection lab.
EPA Deputy Administrator Perciasepe will also travel on Thursday to Louisiana, where he will review EPA’s ongoing air and water monitoring activities, meet with local and community leaders, and assess the environmental situation on the ground.
On Friday, Administrator Lubchenco and Chair Sutley will travel to Venice and St. Bernard Parish, La., to inspect shoreline cleanup assessment activities and meet with state, local and private sector leaders about the administration’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the spill’s impact on public health, the environment, and the economy.
Today, Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will tour Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama, and the areas affected by the BP oil spill to assess the ongoing Federal response efforts.
More details of these trips will be released when they are finalized.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
New finding could mark shift in Alzheimer's research
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) -- New research could change the way scientists view the causes -- and potential prevention and treatment -- of Alzheimer's disease.
A study published online this month in the Annals of Neurology suggests that "floating" clumps of amyloid beta (abeta) proteins called oligomers could be a prime cause of the disorder, and that the better-known and more stationary amyloid-beta plaques are only a late manifestation of the disease.
"Based on these and other studies, I think that one could now fairly revise the 'amyloid hypothesis' to the 'abeta oligomer hypothesis,'" said lead researcher Dr. Sam Gandy, a professor of neurology and psychiatry and associate director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
The new study could herald a major shift in Alzheimer's research, another expert said.
Maria Carrillo, senior director of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer's Association, said that "we are excited about the paper. We think it has some very interesting results and has potential for moving us in another direction for future research."
According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than 5.3 million Americans now suffer from the neurodegenerative illness, and it is the seventh leading cause of death. There is no effective treatment for Alzheimer's, and its origins remain unknown. For decades, research has focused on a buildup of amyloid beta plaques in the brain, but whether these deposits are a cause of the disease or merely a neutral artifact has remained unclear.
The new study looked at a lesser-known factor, the more mobile abeta oligomers that can form in brain tissue. In their research, Gandy's team first developed mice that only form abeta oligomers in their brains, and not amyloid plaques.
Based on the results of tests gauging spatial learning and memory, these mice were found to be impaired by Alzheimer's-like symptoms.
Next the researchers inserted a gene that would cause the mice to develop both oligomers and plaques.
Similar to the oligomer-only rodents, these mice "were still memory impaired, but no more memory impaired for having plaques superimposed on their oligomers," Gandy said.
Another result further strengthened the notion that oligomers were the prime cause of Alzheimer's in the mice.
"We tested the mice and they lost memory function, and when they died, we measured the oligomers in their brains," Gandy said. "Lo and behold, the degree of memory loss was proportional to the oligomer level," he said.
Gandy noted that PET scans are not able to detect oligomers in the human brain, but they do see amyloid plaques. This could help explain why recent trials of the experimental Alzheimer's drug bapineuzumab showed a reduction in plaques, but no improvement in patients' cognitive function, Gandy said.
Bapineuzumab is targeted to amyloid plaques. Whether the drug also affected the oligomers is not known, Gandy said, because the PET scans could not see them. "We don't even know whether bapineuzumab 'sees' them," he said.
The new study could help change the focus of ongoing research. "Our new 'oligomer only' mice may enable the development of imaging agents and drugs that lower oligomer levels without having plaques around to muddy the picture," Gandy said.
Researchers have long been trying to figure out the stages that lead up to plaques and tangles, Carrillo noted. "We [now] know that plaques and tangles are really the end stage of this disease," she said.
Oligomers are "toxic clumps" that could be the cause of Alzheimer's disease, Carrillo said. This study confirms for the first time that these toxic clumps are a cause of memory problems, she said.
Carrillo noted that these results also confirm that the disease starts developing 10 to 15 years before it is diagnosed. This understanding could lead to new ways of diagnosing and treating the illness, she added.
"Perhaps future therapeutics attacking oligomers instead of plaques would be a strategy," Carrillo said.
One expert did have some reservations about that possibility, however.
"The larger unresolved issue is how these oligomers relate to people where plaques accumulate many years prior to disease onset," said Greg M. Cole, professor of medicine and neurology and associate director of the UCLA Alzheimer's Center. "One would expect the little oligomer aggregates to arise prior to the bigger plaque aggregates, that is, decades before important memory problems [surface]."
That could mean that "targeting oligomers may work best for prevention," rather than the treatment of existing disease, he said. "Ongoing efforts to track and specifically target the oligomers in clinical trials with memory deficit patients should soon tell us how much good we can do hitting the oligomers. It may be a huge success or too little, too late."
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