NEW ORLEANS -- BP says oil has stopped leaking into the Gulf for the first time since April.
BP has been slowly dialing down the flow as part of a test on a new cap. Engineers are now monitoring the pressure to see if the busted well holds.
Sun Herald
Showing posts with label Oil Spill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oil Spill. Show all posts
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Ocean Springs to reopen beaches (Updated 5:40 p.m.)
OCEAN SPRINGS - The city has rescinded its closure of Front Beach and East Beach after being told by MDEQ officials that matter washing ashore was not oil.
Earlier today, gooey globs of what appeared to be weathered oil and tar balls washed ashore on portions of Front Beach and East Beach.
By late afternoon, Moran said the oily orange mousse had made it to shore, prompting city leaders to close the area but they reversed the decision after learning the mousse-like substance was not oil.
The Sun Herald
Earlier today, gooey globs of what appeared to be weathered oil and tar balls washed ashore on portions of Front Beach and East Beach.
By late afternoon, Moran said the oily orange mousse had made it to shore, prompting city leaders to close the area but they reversed the decision after learning the mousse-like substance was not oil.
The Sun Herald
UPDATE On Conditions In Ocean Springs
I've spoken with someone with the City of Ocean Springs today, and it appears that oil has made its way to the mouth of Davis Bayou. I am headed to the coast tomorrow afternoon and hope to meet with city officials and will get a look for myself. This is NOT expected to affect the Old Fort Bayou area at this time, and it is comforting to note that both Mayor Moran and Governor Haley Barbour are ramping up efforts to protect Biloxi Bay. Once I have a clear update on the conditions in Davis Bayou, I will let everyone know.
I hope to speak with Melissa at South Coast Paddling and find a suitable Sunday afternoon paddle for those who were planning to stay and paddle with us the second day. But, please note, as of now this does NOT affect our Saturday paddle.
Stay Tuned
I hope to speak with Melissa at South Coast Paddling and find a suitable Sunday afternoon paddle for those who were planning to stay and paddle with us the second day. But, please note, as of now this does NOT affect our Saturday paddle.
Stay Tuned
Ocean Springs closes front beach
OCEAN SPRINGS - Effective immediately, the city of Ocean Springs is closing Front Beach and East Beach as a result of an orange oil mousse that has come ashore, Mayor Connie Moran said.
Gooey globs of weathered oil and tar balls washed ashore on portions of Front Beach and East Beach this morning.
By late afternoon, Moran said the oily orange mousse had made it to shore, prompting city leaders to close the area.
The beachfront walkways remain open, she said.
Sun Herald
Friday, June 25, 2010
Things are getting a little sketchy on the coast, BUT . . .
DMR, DEQ revised closed water areas in Mississippi
The state Department of Marine Resources and the state Department of Environmental Quality, in an abundance of caution, are closing an additional portion of Mississippi’s territorial marine waters, effective immediately to all commercial and recreational fishing, including all species of finfish, crabs, shrimp and oysters.Sun Herald
The closed area line is described as follows: starting at the northern most point of the Gulfport Ship Channel; eastward following the meanderings of the shoreline to a point on the shore due north of the western tip of Deer Island; due south to the western most tip of Deer Island; southeasterly following the southern shore of Deer Island to 88 degrees 51 minutes west longitude; due south to 30 degrees 19 minutes north latitude; due east to the East Biloxi Ship Channel; due south to the western most tip of Horn Island; easterly following the meanderings of the southernmost shoreline of Horn Island to 88 degrees 39 minutes west longitude; due north to 30 degrees 18 minutes north latitude; due east to the Bayou Casotte Ship Channel; due north to the CSX railroad; northeast along the CSX railroad to a point on the Mississippi/Alabama state boundary; due south following the Mississippi/Alabama state boundary to the Mississippi/Federal waters boundary; westerly following the Mississippi/Federal waters boundary to the Ship Island Bar Channel; northwest following the Ship Island Bar Channel; northwesterly following the channel until it becomes the Gulfport Ship Channel; back to the point of origin at the northern most point of the Gulfport Ship Channel.
Any individuals retaining any marine species from this closed area will be required to immediately return them to the waters. This precautionary closure is a result of oil sightings in this general area and the potential impacts on Mississippi’s coastal marine resources. The continuous monitoring of this situation is to ensure public safety and protection of Mississippi’s coastal resources.
BLOWBACK
Shifting winds will bring BP oil to state’s shores
BILOXI — Mississippi’s lucky streak appears to have ended, with oil from the BP disaster washing into the Mississippi Sound and likely to make landfall on mainland beaches within the next few days, said Trudy Fisher, director of the state Department of Environmental Quality.
“I think we all need to be mentally prepared to see some impact on our beaches,” Fisher said Thursday afternoon, with reports of several streamers or patches of oil and tar hitting barrier islands and making it into the Sound. “While we are making sure BP and the Coast Guard are doing everything they can, we don’t believe they are going to be able to get it all.”
Both Fisher and Department of Marine Resources Director Bill Walker said the BP/Coast Guard Unified Command in Mobile does not appear to have enough skimmer-equipped boats to handle all the oil headed to Alabama, Florida, and now Mississippi, beaches. State officials, including Gov. Haley Barbour, have recently urged President Barack Obama and federal and BP leaders to get more skimmer boats.
“We are going to take matters into our own hands,” Walker said. “The Unified Command does have skimmers in their task force, but we don’t have total control over those, so if there is more oil in Alabama or Florida, they move them over there, which they should. But the idea from the start was that they would have enough of those to provide for all the states, but that hasn’t worked out.”
Fisher said the state should have some of its own skimmers “in a matter of a few weeks.”
Sun Herald
Monday, May 24, 2010
BP to commit up to $500M to research Gulf spill
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
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 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
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/
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.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Things seem to be getting worse with the Oil Spill, Things worse than expected.
Gulf Coast oil spill could eclipse Exxon Valdez
VENICE, La. – An oil spill that threatened to eclipse even the Exxon Valdez disaster spread out of control with a faint sheen washing ashore along the Gulf Coast Thursday night as fishermen rushed to scoop up shrimp and crews spread floating barriers around marshes.
The spill was bigger than imagined — five times more than first estimated — and closer. Faint fingers of oily sheen were reaching the Mississippi River delta, lapping the Louisiana shoreline in long, thin lines.
"It is of grave concern," David Kennedy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told The Associated Press. "I am frightened. This is a very, very big thing. And the efforts that are going to be required to do anything about it, especially if it continues on, are just mind-boggling."
The oil slick could become the nation's worst environmental disaster in decades, threatening hundreds of species of fish, birds and other wildlife along the Gulf Coast, one of the world's richest seafood grounds, teeming with shrimp, oysters and other marine life. Thicker oil was in waters south and east of the Mississippi delta about five miles offshore.
The leak from the ocean floor proved to be far bigger than initially reported, contributing to a growing sense among many in Louisiana that the government failed them again, just as it did during Hurricane Katrina. President Barack Obama dispatched Cabinet officials to deal with the crisis.
Associated Press
The spill was bigger than imagined — five times more than first estimated — and closer. Faint fingers of oily sheen were reaching the Mississippi River delta, lapping the Louisiana shoreline in long, thin lines.
"It is of grave concern," David Kennedy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told The Associated Press. "I am frightened. This is a very, very big thing. And the efforts that are going to be required to do anything about it, especially if it continues on, are just mind-boggling."
The oil slick could become the nation's worst environmental disaster in decades, threatening hundreds of species of fish, birds and other wildlife along the Gulf Coast, one of the world's richest seafood grounds, teeming with shrimp, oysters and other marine life. Thicker oil was in waters south and east of the Mississippi delta about five miles offshore.
The leak from the ocean floor proved to be far bigger than initially reported, contributing to a growing sense among many in Louisiana that the government failed them again, just as it did during Hurricane Katrina. President Barack Obama dispatched Cabinet officials to deal with the crisis.
Associated Press
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