tagged w/ coastal crisis
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News release from the official Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center website - http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/
NEW ORLEANS -- This morning at approximately 8:45 a.m. CDT, a discharge of liquids was observed from a diverter valve on the drill ship Discoverer Enterprise,which is on station at the MC252 well-site.
As a precautionary measure,the lower marine riser package (LMRP) containment cap system, attached to the Discover Enterprise, has been moved off the Deepwater Horizon's failed blow-out preventer to ensure the safety of operations and allow the unexpected release of liquids to be analyzed.
Capture of oil and gas through the LMRP cap is therefore temporarily suspended until such time that the cap can be re-installed. Capture of oil and gas through the BOP's choke line to the Q4000 vessel on the surface continues.
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/691031News release from the official Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center... more
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Back in the 50s, if you wanted Comedy Central to donate a dollar to the Gulf oil spill recovery, you first had to start a company called Comedy Central and then cause a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. And that was just step one. It was really quite arduous and complicated. But thanks to the miracle of technology that process has now been completely streamlined and digitized.
All you have to do now is retweet this tweet by Stephen Colbert. Here's Stephen with details (video)
Aid oil cleanup efforts by donating to The Colbert Nation Gulf of America Fund.
For every "retweet" $1.00 donation is made!
TWEET -
' Retweet Colbert for the Gulf! http://www.indecisionforever.com/2010/06/17/retweet-colbert-for-the-gulf/ '
http://www.indecisionforever.com/2010/06/17/retweet-colbert-for-the-gulf/Back in the 50s, if you wanted Comedy Central to donate a dollar to the Gulf oil spill... more
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Oil Spill Recovery, The Gulf Oil Spill Solution with the Voraxial® Separator
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Voraxial performs separation without a pressure drop.We have demonstrated that the voraxial separtor is the best solution worldwide to clean up the Gulf oil spill.Oil Spill Recovery, The Gulf Oil Spill Solution with the Voraxial® Separator... more
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As officials reported a gradual increase in the amount of oil being captured from the spewing wellhead at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, BP said yesterday that it plans to replace the cap collecting the crude next month with a slightly bigger device.
The current device is collecting about 466,200 gallons of oil per day, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the government’s point man for the oil spill response, said yesterday at the White House. He also elaborated on comments made over the weekend that the spill cleanup would last into fall, acknowledging the full process would take much longer.
“Dealing with the oil spill on the surface will take a couple of months,’’ he said yesterday, but the process of getting oil out of marshlands and other habitats “will be years.’’
The patchy oil slick from the ruptured pipe off Louisiana has stained beaches and marshes in spots along more than 100 miles of coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, and a sheen on the surface was spotted as far as 150 miles west of Tampa.
Tar balls continued to roll onto shore yesterday morning farther west at Pensacola Beach, Fla., leaving a line in the sand visible from the high-rise condos above as the sun rose. Beach walkers had to stay between the line of dime- and quarter-size tar balls and the retreating surf or risk getting the gummy, rust-colored gunk stuck to their feet.
Jody Haas, a tourist from Aurora, Ill., was among the few walking the beach early yesterday after a crowded weekend. Haas, who had visited the beach before, said it was not the same.
“It was pristine, gorgeous, white sand,’’ she said. “This spot is light compared to some . . . It’s just devastating, awful.’’
At Barataria Bay, La., just west of the mouth of the Mississippi River, large patches of oil the consistency of pancake batter floated in the still waters yesterday. A dead sea turtle, caked in brownish-red oil, lay splayed out with dragonflies buzzing by.
The Barataria estuary, which has become one of the hardest-hit areas, was busy with shrimp boats skimming up oil and officials in boats and helicopters patrolling the islands and bays to assess the state of wildlife and the movement of oil. On remote islands, oil visibly tainted pelicans, gulls, terns, and herons.
http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2010/06/08/bp_plans_to_upgrade_containment_device_in_july/As officials reported a gradual increase in the amount of oil being captured from the... more
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In less than a week, the rescue center at Fort Jackson has received more than five times as many oiled birds as it received in the previous six weeks since the Gulf of Mexico oil spill began.
A report Wednesday from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows that the Louisiana center has reported 415 birds since the BP PLC well blew wild in April. Sixty-six of those had been reported by last Thursday. The number since then is 349, with 61 of them added since Tuesday.
In addition, 14 birds have been brought to the Alabama center, 12 in Florida and one in Mississippi.
Since the start of the spill, bird rescue crews have found 633 dead birds -- about one in six VISIBLY oiled.
A total of 32 sea turtles have been rescued, 28 of them in the Gulf of Mexico. http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/06/oiled_birds_arriving_at_rescue.html
NOTE: Thses numbers do not include the number of sea turtles (dolphins, seahorses or other wildlife) found dead due to the oil spill or toxic dispersant.In less than a week, the rescue center at Fort Jackson has received more than five... more
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OF COURSE THERE ARE PLUMES... WHY WOULD BY EVEN ATTEMPT TO LIE ABOUT IT?
WHAT ABOUT ALL OF THE DEADLY SLUDGE THAT HAS SUNK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAFLOOR?
THE EPA APPROVED USE OF THE TOXIC CHEMICAL DISPERSANT MAKES THIS DISASTER EVEN MORE HORRIFIC. WHEN COREXIT MIXES WITH THE OIL AND WATER, IT EVENTUALLY IT BECOMES INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CLEAN UP.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/08/gulf.oil.spill/index.html?hpt=T2OF COURSE THERE ARE PLUMES... WHY WOULD BY EVEN ATTEMPT TO LIE ABOUT IT?
WHAT ABOUT... more
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By Nikolas Kozloff:
To the degree that Americans are paying attention to the environmental plight of marine wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico, they may focus most upon dolphins and whales.
However, the U.S. public is much less familiar with another marine mammal, the manatee, which could also be placed in jeopardy as a result of the BP oil spill. One of the most outlandish creatures on the planet, the shy and retiring manatee, which gets its name from an American Indian word meaning "Lady of the Water," is one of my favorite animals.
First described as a cross between a seal and hippo, the manatee has a wonderfully round body, mostly black skin the texture of vinyl, a bright pink belly, a diamond-shaped tail and a cleft lip. Manatees belong to the biological order Sirenia which includes dugongs and Steller's Sea Cow, the latter hunted to extinction in the Bering Sea during the 1700s.
"Sluggish, squinty-eyed and bewhiskered," notes the New York Times, the manatee "is more likely to have its rotund bulk compared to a sweet potato." Living life in the slow lane, manatees are fond of doing nothing much at all. When they're not eating, they take frequent naps. An exclusive vegetarian that feeds on water lettuce and hyacinth, the animal eats 10 percent of its body weight in a single day. Not surprisingly manatees are robust -- they can grow up to ten feet long and weigh nearly a ton.
In the wake of BP's disaster, the manatee could be in for a rough patch. Indeed, oil could ultimately result in death or significant injury in the event that manatees are exposed to petroleum.
The docile sea creature, which can be found along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, could ingest oil-damaged sea grass beds and other vegetation. If the marine mammals come into contact with surface oil, this could irritate their eyes and mucous membranes while clogging the animals' nostrils.
The manatee is already endangered and the BP spill poses yet a further problem for the animal. Because manatees need to surface to breathe air, they could become exposed to oil on the water. If they ingest oil, manatees could develop lesions and erosions of the esophagus, liver toxicity and kidney problems. Ingestion could kill the organisms in manatees' stomachs which aid in the digestion of sea grasses consumed by the animals.
Of particular concern is the plight of Bama, the first Alabama manatee to be tagged by scientists. From mid-May to mid-November, Bama and at least a dozen other manatees call Alabama home. Currently, Bama is migrating back home to Alabama from Florida. Though manatees don't tend to travel in pods or herds, it's likely that Bama represents the advance guard of manatees making their way back towards the northern Gulf.
In murky waters, the manatees' acute sense of touch and vibrissae, located on the face but also all over the body, come in handy. These bristly vibrissae serve to transmit information to the brain via nerve fibers. Though other animals such as dogs have vibrissae, they don't have them in such large numbers and typically only on the face.
"For now," notes the Times, "the question of how intertwined the sensory abilities of manatees might be remains unanswered. Yet even what is known reveals a degree of complexity that argues against labeling them as sweet but dumb -- peaceable simpletons."
Long derided as stupid by humans, the manatee will now have to steer clear of man's environmental folly in the Gulf. Though Bama and other manatees have poor vision, perhaps their other extra sensory abilities will alert them to danger. It may be the only tool they have at their disposal as the animals seek to survive the despoliation of their habitat.
http://www.nikolaskozloff.com/blog.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nikolas-kozloff/bp-and-the-perilous-voyag_b_584267.htmlBy Nikolas Kozloff:
To the degree that Americans are paying attention to the... more
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The US Environmental PROTECTION Agency has approved the use of the toxic chemical dispersant for CONTINUOUS use by BP.
A BP official is telling The Associated Press that the company has received federal approval to continuously spray chemicals underwater on the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.
BP PLC spokesman Mark Proegler said the company received Environmental Protection Agency approval and began pumping dispersant on the site starting at 4:30 a.m. Monday. The company plans to continue spraying and taking tests.
The dispersant has never been tried at such depths before this spill and officials have been 'worried' about the effect on the environment.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6469610n
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/10/national/main6470974.shtmlThe US Environmental PROTECTION Agency has approved the use of the toxic chemical... more
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As oil began approaching the coast of the United States, environmental scientists said the effects of the spill in the Gulf of Mexico could have ecological and biological consequences for years, if not decades.
The intricate ecosystem is a major source of seafood for the United States and hundreds of species of animals and plants are at risk, experts said.
Some areas in the path of the slick are particularly sensitive to problems because unlike the rocky coast of Alaska hit by oil from the Exxon Valdez disaster, much of the coastline that will be hit by the BP spill consists of marshy areas where the water is calmer and more difficult to clean.
The marshes are in extreme danger, said a biologist with the University of Houston who studies coastal wetlands.
"It's likely going to persist for decades because it will get into the marsh where there is very little wave action and the soil is oxygen poor," said Steve Pennings. "The immediate acute impact might not be that severe because there is not much oil getting to a certain spot, but because the oil might stick around [in the sediment] for 20 years you might have a real chronic effect."
The oil spill started April 20 after an explosion on the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven oil-rig workers remain missing and are presumed dead. The rig sank April 22 about 50 miles off the southeast coast of Louisiana and the untapped wellhead is gushing oil into the Gulf. About 1.6 million gallons of oil have spilled since the explosion, the Coast Guard said.
Wetlands in Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states were already struggling because of sea-level rise and the lack of sediment due to some rivers being channelized, Pennings said.
* Contd below
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/03/oil.spill.environmental.impacts/index.htmlAs oil began approaching the coast of the United States, environmental scientists said... more
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Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Allen warned that the leaking oil from a rig explosion could continue for weeks with dire consequences.
"It potentially is catastrophic," Salazar said. "I think we have to prepare for the worst."
That would mean oil damaging sensitive coastal wetlands and industries, including a vital fishing sector that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Obama initially planned to fly over the affected area by helicopter, but weather conditions prevented the flight. Before his trip, Cabinet officials warned he would find a dire situation.
Officials warn of possible catastrophe
Salazar blamed the explosion that caused the spill on a failure in rig technology intended to prevent so-called blowouts.
"There is no doubt at all here that what has happened is the blowout prevention mechanism at the bottom of the well ... is defective," Salazar said. "While there have been blowouts in the past, we have never seen anything that has been quite of this magnitude."
The well is owned by oil company BP. Lamar McKay, president of BP America, told ABC's "This Week" that the company doesn't know why the blowout preventer failed.
All three officials interviewed by CNN repeatedly emphasized that BP is legally responsible for spill and clean-up efforts. they avoided direct criticism of the company, but said BP must do more to try to cap the gushing well.
Allen called the spill "one of the most complex things we've ever dealt with," and said it was impossible so far to predict how much oil will eventually leak.
"If we lost a total well head, it could be 100,000 barrels or more a day," he said.
BP said two Louisiana communities, Venice and Port Fourchon, will likely be the first places hit by the oil slick. Nearly 1 million feet of booms have been deployed in an effort to protect precious estuaries and wildlife, even as thousands of barrels of crude oil continued gushing into the water. Drilling new wells to stop the flow would take a month or two, and it was unclear if the leak could be contained or slowed before then.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/02/louisiana.oil.spill/index.htmlAppearing on CNN's "State of the Union," Homeland Security Secretary... more
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PHOTO: Forecast location of the spill at 1800 CDT on Saturday 5/1/2010. The red color shows where oil will reach the shore. The Chandeleur Islands and Louisiana marshes will be affected.
This web site provides a place for people to volunteer to assist in cleanup operations related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Organizations working on the cleanup may register here to be connected with volunteers. OilSpillVolunteers.com will link volunteers with cleanup organizations; we will not be directing volunteer activities.
BP, Transocean, Homeland Security, USCG, NOAA, EPA, Department of the Interior - We need to hear from you. We have 2000 people eager to be trained and eager to jump into action when the oil comes ashore. How do they get training? What can they do to help with the cleanup? Help us.
Volunteers - Please register using this form http://www.oilspillvolunteers.com/register.php . Provide complete as much of the form as possible and indicate whether your contact information can be shared directly with cleanup organizations. Please do not use email to provide your volunteer information.
Caution: Do not attempt oil cleanup work without training and the required safety equipment. The oil waste is a toxic material and can pose a threat. This OSHA http://www.oilspillvolunteers.com/docs/OSHA_HAZWOPER_Oil.pdf handbook for oil spill cleanup will explain.
Cleanup Organizations Needing Volunteers - Please send email to don@OilSpillVolunteers.com describing your needs and activities.
***Please route all individual volunteer offers to the registration form here on the web.
We are receiving a large number of emails and calls and it's much simpler and more reliable to keep track of volunteers in the database linked to the form. We'd hate to misplace an email and lose contact with you.
If you've signed up and had a question - Please be patient, we'll be in touch as soon as possible.
For media information, please contact Melanie Allen - mailto:sglmma@cableone.net
Please pardon the rough format of this site; there's too much to do to worry about making it pretty. We'll soon be adding:
Mailing list information
List of cleanup organizations
Phone numbers to report oiled wildlife
Spill location and movement forecast
* Suggestions and assistance are welcomed.PHOTO: Forecast location of the spill at 1800 CDT on Saturday 5/1/2010. The red color... more
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Rescue crews are cleaning the first bird found coated with oil that's been spewing from a sunken rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
The rescue center says the bird was found offshore, not on the shoreline.
The bird is normally white with a yellow head and long, pointed beak but was covered in thick, black oil. The rescuers are cleaning the bird at Fort Jackson, a historic landmark about 70 miles southeast of New Orleans.
It was the only animal being cleaned late Friday morning, but rescuers expected many more to come in throughout the day.
"Wildlife protection officials are trying the strategy of 'hazing,' or using loud propane-fired cannons, to chase birds from the water's edge," National Geographic reported.
Meanwhile, a marine wildlife rehabilitation center in Mississippi is gearing up to take in possibly hundreds of oily sea mammals from Texas to Florida.
The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport has surgery, necropsy and exam rooms, walk-in freezers full of frozen fish for food, X-ray and ultrasound machines and plenty of medicine. The nonprofit facility also has eight large pools, which have been cleaned and prepared to handle sea turtles, manatees and dolphins.
Center director Dr. Moby Solangi said Friday the site will be "ground zero" for injured marine mammals.
Solangi said there are roughly up to 5,000 dolphins in the Gulf area between the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts and the oil rig, many giving birth right now.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/30/birds-oil-coated-gulf-spill_n_558665.htmlRescue crews are cleaning the first bird found coated with oil that's been... more
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PENSACOLA – Last week in the Gulf of Mexico, the Deepwater Horizon, one of the world’s most technologically advanced oil drilling rigs, exploded into a firestorm, killing eleven workers. Three days later the rig sank in more than 5,000 feet of water, and the well started spilling enormous amounts of oil.
Now, the Coast Guard estimates that approximately 5,000 barrels of oil per day (210,000 gallons/day) are being released by the broken well.
Today there are reports that the oil is reaching the Louisiana coast, threatening some of the most sensitive and productive wetlands in the U.S and the Delta National Wildlife Refuge. As the slick advances, it will begin to contaminate the shallow waters and marshes which host oysters, crabs and shrimp, nurseries for baby fish, and thousands of birds. Those that survive will be affected for some time to come with the chronic impact of oil. The Exxon Valdez oil spill still affects a broad variety of marine wildlife 20 years after that spill.
Adam Rivera, Environment Florida Legislative Advocate, issued the following statement:
“While I’m encouraged by the White House’s announced time-out for new drilling, the President should make it permanent. All it takes is a Presidential letter and signature to ensure that our beaches are permanently protected from future drilling disasters.”
“Furthermore, until we determine what went wrong on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on the night of the accident, we should suspend new drilling on existing leases and make sure that producing wells are immediately inspected. Let’s make sure we don’t repeat whatever mistakes were made that night while we have the chance.
“I also urge President Obama to do everything possible to clean up the spill and make sure that BP is held fully accountable for the cleanup and damages.
“The Obama Administration is currently taking comments on proposals to open Florida’s coast to seismic exploration and new drilling. In light of this latest in a long line of drilling disasters, Environment Florida’s response is a resounding NO.
“This terrible tragedy won’t let us forget that oil drilling is a dirty and dangerous business. I urge the President to prevent future catastrophes by dropping plans to open up Florida’s Gulf waters to expanded drilling.
http://www.environmentflorida.org/newsroom/shores/save-our-shores-news/environment-florida-tells-obama-cancel-drilling-permanentlyPENSACOLA – Last week in the Gulf of Mexico, the Deepwater Horizon, one of the... more
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Cape Wind or Deepwater Horizon: The Choice is Clear - Environment Florida
TALLAHASSEE – As oil continues to spill into the Gulf as a result of the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced final approval of the groundbreaking Cape Wind offshore wind project today in Massachusetts.
The announcement means that, in 2012, when the Obama Administration’s plan would let oil companies conduct dirty and dangerous drilling in the Gulf, Massachusetts residents would be the first in the nation to receive energy from clean offshore wind power.
“The spill threatening the Gulf Coast is a tragic reminder that wind energy, not more oil drilling, is the way to use our coastal environment to power Florida,” said Environment Florida Advocate Adam Rivera.
“Wind doesn’t spill,” Rivera added. “Wind turbine operation does not routinely put lives in danger. With the offshore wind potential that exists off Florida’s coasts, offshore drilling is beyond unnecessary.”
The 2008 Navigant Consulting study commissioned by the Florida Public Service Commission and Governor Crist’s Energy Action Team found that the potential for offshore wind in Florida is second only to the Sunshine State’s potential solar photovoltaic resource.
With strong renewables mandates in place, the study projected more than 120,000 gigawatt-hours available to be harnessed for our use by 2020.
In stark contrast, the recent Collins Center for Public Policy report commissioned by the Florida Senate found – in accordance with U.S. Minerals Management Service estimates – that drilling in our state and federal waters will have would have “no discernible impact on petroleum prices at the retail level” and “no discernible impact on the state's or the country's dependence on foreign oil.”
The Florida Legislature rejected strong standards for clean renewable energy in 2009 and 2010. In fact, legislation intended to generate 20% of Florida’s electricity instead became the Florida House of Representatives’ vehicle to bring offshore drilling catastrophe within three miles of Florida’s coastline in the 2009 legislation session.
“It’s a shame that we’re talking about a massive oil spill instead of a new, visionary wind energy project in Florida,” Rivera concluded. “Florida’s elected leaders, from the Legislature up to President Obama himself should focus on our state’s potential for clean wind energy, rather than bring dirty, dangerous drilling to our shores.”
http://www.environmentflorida.org/newsroom/shores/save-our-shores-news/cape-wind-or-deepwater-horizon-the-choice-is-clear
Our Ocean Legacy
Oceans cover over two-thirds of the earth's surface, helping to control the planet’s weather and containing a rich variety of life forms. Yet our oceans are in deep trouble.
Offshore drilling, destructive overfishing, coastal pollution from fertilizers and toxic materials, habitat destruction from bottom trawling, coastal dredging and filling, and rising ocean temperatures all effect the ocean’s health and ability to bounce back from changes.
To restore the oceans to health, Environment Florida supports a moratorium on new offshore drilling, a halt to destructive overfishing, establishment of marine protected areas, policies to reduce the flow of nutrients and toxins into coastal waters, and aggressive action on global warming. https://www.environmentflorida.org/issues/our-ocean-legacy
NEWS & MORE INFO -
Environment Florida Tells Obama: Cancel Drilling Permanently
https://www.environmentflorida.org/newsroom/shores/save-our-shores-news/environment-florida-tells-obama-cancel-drilling-permanently
Oil Rig Explosion the Latest in a Series of Tragic Accidents http://www.environmentflorida.org/newsroom/shores/save-our-shores-news/oil-rig-explosion-the-latest-in-a-series-of-tragic-accidents#id724rbdJYcaBo_iRFPumK0Q
After this most recent accident, pro-drilling leaders must tell us why they support putting people in harm's way for a false solution, deemed to have no discernible impact on gas prices or energy independence.
Oil Spill in National Wildlife Refuge Precedes Florida House Drilling Bill http://www.environmentflorida.org/newsroom/shores/save-our-shores-news/oil-spill-in-national-wildlife-refuge-precedes-florida-house-drilling-bill#idNNJdOOdQCq_wItpSvR78gA The latest in a long line of offshore oil spills fits a distressing pattern of call-and-response: as Florida's leaders call for more drilling, the oil industry responds with yet another disaster.Cape Wind or Deepwater Horizon: The Choice is Clear - Environment Florida... more
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