Oil Leak at Gulf of Mexico Oil Well

[Guest LAW]

I would love for you to post a solution. I would gladly say it came from a Republican.

[Guest BP]

BP today provided an update on developments in the response to the MC252 oil well incident in the Gulf of Mexico.

Subsea Source Control and Containment

 

The lower marine riser package (LMRP) containment cap, installed on June 3, continues to collect oil and gas flowing from the MC252 well and transport them to the Discoverer Enterprise drillship on the surface.

 

In the first 12 hours of June 13 (midnight to noon), approximately 7,720 barrels of oil were collected and 16.9 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared. On June 12, a total of approximately 15,000 barrels of oil were collected and 32.9 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared. The total volume of oil collected by the LMRP cap system since it began operation is approximately 127,000 barrels. A further approximately 22,000 barrels of oil previously had been collected through use of the Riser Insertion Tube Tool and stored in the Discoverer Enterprise.

 

Between June 9 and 11 approximately 115,000 barrels of collected oil were transferred from storage on the Discoverer Enterprise to the barge Massachusetts between June 9 and 11. The Massachusetts left the MC252 site on June 11 to discharge the oil at a terminal in Mobile, Alabama. Once discharge is complete, the barge will return to the MC252 site.

 

The volume of oil captured and gas flared is being updated twice daily on BP’s website, www.bp.com. The LMRP containment cap has never before been deployed at these depths and conditions, and its efficiency and ability to contain the oil and gas cannot be assured.

 

Preparations for additional planned enhancements to the LMRP cap containment system continue to progress.

 

The first planned addition, to operate in addition to the LMRP cap system, will take oil and gas from the choke line of the failed Deepwater Horizon blow-out preventer (BOP) through a separate riser to the Q4000 vessel on the surface. Both the oil and gas captured by this additional system are expected to be flared through a specialised clean-burning system. This system is intended to increase the amount of oil and gas that can be captured from the well and is currently anticipated to begin operations in the next few days.

 

Preparations are also underway for more permanent and flexible containment system employing floating risers. A manifold has been deployed on the seabed and a suction pile to anchor a riser has been installed. It is currently anticipated that this system will be available to begin first operations around the end of June/early July.

 

Plans are being developed to further develop these systems and also for further options to provide additional containment capacity and flexibility, in line with requests made by the US Coast Guard.

 

Work on the first relief well, which started May 2, continues and has currently reached a depth of 13,978 feet. The second relief well, which started May 16, is at 9,022 feet. Both wells are still estimated to take approximately three months to complete from commencement of drilling.

Surface Spill Response and Containment

 

Work continues to collect and disperse oil that has reached the surface of the sea, to protect the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico, and to collect and clean up any oil that has reached shore.

 

Operations to skim oil from the surface of the water now have recovered, in total, almost 475,000 barrels (19.9 million gallons) of oily liquid.

 

The total length of containment boom deployed as part of efforts to prevent oil from reaching the coast is now around 2.5 million feet (over 470 miles), and almost 3.2 million feet (almost 600 miles) of sorbent boom also has been deployed.

 

To date, over 51,000 claims have been submitted and more than 26,500 payments have been made, totalling over $62 million.

Additional information

 

The cost of the response to date amounts to approximately $1.6 billion, including the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs. This includes new grants of $25 million each to the states of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi and the first $60 million in funds for the Louisiana barrier islands construction project. It is too early to quantify other potential costs and liabilities associated with the incident.

[Guest Fedup]

Now the truth...

 

BP blocking blocks media access new Orleans oil spill Gulf of Mexico blackout. Great interview from New Orleans TV station WDSU.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZHnStD690U

[Guest Gillean Smith]

This is way past PR. It's about life and the many men and women already dealing with the recession...and now without a job.

[Guest Deepwater Horizen Response]

Petty Officer 3rd Class, William Allen, an Alabama native looks down towards oil being collected by the Coast Guard Cutter Juniper's Shipboard Oil-Recovery System, June 11, 2010. Allen volunteered to help his shipmates aboard the Juniper after returning from oil-skimming operations Friday morning aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Elm. The Juniper, homeported in Newport, R.I., began oil-skimming operations off the Fla. and Ala. coasts Friday. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Colin White.

 

[Guest LAW]

The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill

Prepared by the Joint Information Center

 

UPDATED June 13, 2010 7 PM

 

In the Past 24 Hours

 

Secretary Salazar Inspects Relief Well Drilling Operations

Continuing his ninth visit to the Gulf region, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar visited the Development Driller II, which, along with the Development Driller III, is making progress in drilling the dual relief wells to permanently stop the flow of leaking oil from BP’s deep underwater well. He was briefed by BP officials, as well as engineers directing and overseeing their work.

 

Skimmers are Surged to Gulf Areas Most At-Risk for Oil Impact

To facilitate the removal of heavy oil that has begun to come ashore in Orange Beach, Ala., Gulf State Park, Ala., and Bon Secour, Ala., the Unified Command has increased skimming and beach cleanup activities and is preparing to move to 24-hour cleanup and skimming operations. More than 400 skimmers are currently deployed to remove an oil-water mix from the Gulf—a more than 300 percent increase over recent days.

 

Area coastlines are being protected by both near-shore and offshore operations. Near-shore skimming vessels were moved from Panama City, Fla., to Pensacola, Fla. Skimming operations directed by ICP Mobile have collected more than 240,500 gallons of oil-water mix from the Gulf as far out as 50 miles.

 

New skimming equipment, including “Current Buster” skimming systems and a “Big Gulp” weir skimmer, is being deployed offshore. Current Busters can be towed at higher speeds than conventional boom and are ideally suited to high seas and ocean currents. The Big Gulp is a barge that has been converted into a large-capacity skimmer.

 

A task force, or group of vessels including skimmers, is working south of Gulf Shores, Ala., Perdido Pass, Fla., and Petit Bois Island, Miss., among other areas, to boom and skim oil. Night skimming operations will be pursued as weather permits.

 

NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson Returns from Science Mission; Will Redeploy Immediately

The 208-foot NOAA research vessel Thomas Jefferson arrived in Galveston, Texas, following completion a project to sample water and test advanced methods for detecting submerged oil while gathering oceanographic data in the area’s coastal waters. The ship is preparing for immediate redeployment on a second mission to start this week.

 

National Parks Service Reaches 158 Staff Deployed to Protect Vital Parkland

 

In the Gulf of Mexico, the Department of the Interior protects eight national parks and 36 wildlife refuges, from Texas to Florida. NPS has dispatched 158 staff to deal with Gulf response efforts. The National Park Service has deployed incident management personnel from across the country to prepare for and respond to oil impacts along the Gulf Coast.

 

As oil continues to come onshore at Gulf Islands National Seashore and encroaches on other national parks in Florida, Louisiana and Texas, National Park Service employees regularly based in these parks as well as those deployed as part of various incident teams are working to assess and clean up oil impacts and protect the park’s critical natural and cultural resources, including wildlife, birds, and historic structure and serve the visiting public. NPS is providing Resource Advisors (READs) to the field to ensure that response crews operate in compliance with the established sensitive resources guidelines.

 

Fish and Wildlife Service Reaches 428 Staff Deployed to Protect Vital Wildlife

 

The Fish and Wildlife Service continues to coordinate and supervise search and capture for oiled wildlife—conducting aerial flights to identify oiled wildlife and helping facilitate recovery and treatment, and leading 17 bird survey teams in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida to determine the extent of the oil impact on birds. FWS is training four additional teams for survey work in Texas, and has dispatched 428 staff to deal with Gulf response efforts.

 

BP Continues to Capture Some Oil and Gas Using Containment Device

 

BP continues to capture some oil and burn some gas at the surface using its containment dome technique, which is being executed under the federal government’s direction. After cutting off a portion of the riser, BP placed a containment device over it in order to capture oil at its source.

 

Administration Continues to Oversee BP’s Claims Process

 

The administration will continue to hold the responsible parties accountable for repairing the damage, and repaying Americans who’ve suffered a financial loss as a result of the BP oil spill. BP reports that 51,329 claims have been opened, from which more than $61.5 million have been disbursed. No claims have been denied to date. There are 596 claims adjusters on the ground. To file a claim, visit www.bp.com/claims or call BP’s helpline at 1-800-440-0858. Those who have already pursued the BP claims process and are not satisfied with BP’s resolution can call the Coast Guard at (800) 280-7118. Additional information about the BP claims process and all available avenues of assistance can be found at www.disasterassistance.gov.

 

By the Numbers to Date:

 

* The administration has authorized 17,500 National Guard troops from Gulf Coast states to participate in the response to the BP oil spill.

* More than 27,000 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife and cleanup vital coastlines.

* More than 5,400 vessels are currently responding on site, including skimmers, tugs, barges, and recovery vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts—in addition to dozens of aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units.

* Approximately 2.3 million feet of containment boom and 3.1 million feet of sorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill—and approximately 450,000 feet of containment boom and 1.9 million feet of sorbent boom are available.

* Approximately 19.9 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.

* Approximately 1.26 million gallons of total dispersant have been deployed—833,000 on the surface and 382,000 subsea. More than 529,000 gallons are available.

* More than 178 controlled burns have been conducted, efficiently removing a total of more than 4 million gallons of oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife.

* 17 staging areas are in place to protect sensitive shorelines.

* To date, 68.2 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline has been impacted by BP’s leaking oil—34.8 miles in Louisiana, 10.8 miles in Mississippi, 7.2 miles in Alabama and 8.7 miles in Florida.

* Approximately 78,000 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters remain closed to fishing in order to balance economic and public health concerns. 68 percent remain open. Details can be found at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/.

[Guest Scott]

The dynamic nature of the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill has been a challenge for a range of communities– from hotel operators to fishermen to local community leaders. And the American people have questions about the response to this crisis.

 

Today, NOAA launches a new federal website meant to answer those questions with clarity and transparency– a one-stop shop for detailed near-real-time information about the response to the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill. The website incorporates data from the various agencies that are working together to tackle the spill.

 

Originally designed for responders who make operational decisions to the oil spill disaster,www.GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse integrates the latest data on the oil spill’s trajectory, fishery closed areas, wildlife and place-based Gulf Coast resources — such as pinpointed locations of oiled shoreline and daily position of research ships — into one customizable interactive map.

 

The launch of the public site is designed to facilitate communication and coordination among a variety of users — from federal, state and local responders to local community leaders and the public — the site is designed to be fast, user-friendly and constantly updated.

 

Beyond NOAA data, the site includes data from Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, the Fish and Wildlife Service, EPA, NASA, U.S. Geological Survey and the Gulf states . Agencies contribute data through the response data sharing mechanism within the command posts. This includes posting geospatial data on a common server, allowing access and use for multiple spatial platforms.

 

“This website provides users with an expansive, yet detailed geographic picture of what’s going on with the spill; Gulf Coast fisherman, recreational boaters, beach users and birders will be able to become more informed,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “It’s a common operational picture that allows the American people to see how their government is responding to the crisis.”

 

Developed through a joint partnership between NOAA and the University of New Hampshire's Coastal Response Research Center , the site is a web-based GIS platform designed specifically for response activities where it is necessary to coordinate with various federal, state and local agencies. The site will serve as the official federal source for map-based data.

 

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us at http://www.noaa.gov or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov.

 

For more information, contact 202-482-6090.

[Guest Defenders of Wildlife]

ALL EYES ON THE GULF Expedition - A partnership between the World Animal Awareness Society - WA2S.org and Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle.org, Kinship Circle is a 501 c3 non profit serving the animal advocacy community. Brenda Shoss, Founder & President.

 

In this video: Governor Bobby Jindal announces that the Oyster boats will be used to transport wildlife. Also, bird cleaning operations at the Fort Jackson Rescue Center with wildlife rescue members of International Bird Rescue and Research Center (IBRRC)

 

Watch our expedition on the map, visit http://www.WA2S.org

 

[Guest Paul DeMasi, FL]

There already has been another confirmed well leak in shallow waters 12 miles of the coast. We also know that many of the inspection reports are (for lack of a better term) frauds. Many are just copy and paste documents or penciled in by the oil companies and then written over in ink and signed by some inspector on the take.

 

On the other hand, workers should not have to suffer because of managements dangerous greedy decisions or for fraudulent or illegal signatures from workers of MMS. Maybe a program could be put forward to employ drillers and platform workers and the like who come forward who know of dangerous or illegal cost cutting procedures that have been implemented. Then begin working immediately to correct those problems.

 

I admit to knowing close to nothing about oil drilling procedure but maybe some of these ideas can be talked about by people who are in the business. I think this will speed up the process of making the drilling safer and could put the majority of oil workers back to work. We need honesty and safety for all parties as well as profit to be considered. BUT there has to be no penalty to the workers from their employers or the Government or no one will come forward.

[Guest Enron Ex]

Does THE JONES ACT is getting quite a bit of buzz.

 

Q: There are many people who say that the best dredgers and skimmers in the world come from countries like the Netherlands and France and that they can't—they're not being asked to come in because of the Jones Act. Is that the case? And why not get around that, suspend that, so you can bring that other you know technology in?

 

ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, first of all, those are source countries. That's correct, they're available. But we are using them. We are dealing with folks like Norway, the Netherlands, Canada and other places. Anyplace that's got skimming capability that's available, we're willing to talk to them, and we actually have, in some cases, actually transferred the equipment down and will continue to do that.

If it gets—if it gets to the point where there's a Jones Act required, we're willing to do that, too. Nobody's come to me with a request for a Jones Act waiver, but any skimming capability we can bring in, we're looking for.

 

Q: So are the actual boats being brought in or just the equipment?

 

ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, in some cases it's the skimmer itself. In some cases, the skimming equipment is organic to the vessel itself. It depends on what you're talking about. To my knowledge, what we brought in is actually skimming equipment rather than the vessels themselves, but we can give you a detailed listing.

 

http://www.deepwater...oc/2931/627127/

 

Q Senator Bill Nelson is going to write a letter to the President today asking for some clarification on the Jones Act and whether or not it is in any way inhibiting the U.S. government's use of offers from other foreign nations and foreign-flagged vessels to help in any way -- mediation, skimming, any of the other operations you're doing on the Gulf. What is the administration's position on it? The Jones Act was waived during Katrina by the Bush administration to bring oil in. What's your position on this?

 

MR. GIBBS: I would say this --

 

Q Is it an impediment or are you open to waiving it if you need to?

 

MR. GIBBS: No, no, as Admiral Allen said today, we are using equipment and vessels from countries like Norway, Canada, the Netherlands. There has not been any problem with this. If there is the need for any type of waiver, that would obviously be granted. But this -- we've not had that problem thus far in the Gulf.

 

Q But you're open to waiving it if you need to?

 

MR. GIBBS: If there's anything that needs to happen, that will -- we will make sure that it happens.

 

http://www.whitehous...rt-gibbs-061010

 

Here is the reason.

 

The following is the opening statement of Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Member Ted Poe (R-TX) from today's Subcommittee hearing on rebuilding vessels under the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, known as the Jones Act.

 

"The Subcommittee is meeting this morning to review several recent Coast Guard decisions that have allowed Jones Act vessels to undergo non-emergency, major structural work at foreign shipyards. In at least two instances and likely several more, the Coast Guard has determined that these modifications do not qualify as 'rebuilding' under federal statutes and regulations. I have serious concerns about the process that has been used to make these determinations, and the impacts that the Coast Guard's decisions have on the U.S. maritime industries.

 

"Over the past century, Congress has acted many times to preserve and strengthen our nation's shipbuilding capacity and domestic commercial fleet for national security and economic reasons. I support the Jones Act and the protections that it provides our shipbuilding industries and merchant mariners.

 

"Under the Jones Act, all vessels engaged in the coastwise trade are required to be wholly owned by U.S. citizens, built in the United States, and crewed by U.S. merchant mariners. The Act also provides that the rebuilding of a coastwise endorsed vessel must take place in a U.S. shipyard to maintain the vessel's eligibility to participate in the Jones Act trade. However, several vessel operators have recently entered into contracts with foreign shipyards to substantially modify U.S.-flag, Jones Act-qualified vessels with the Coast Guard's apparent approval.

 

"It is in our nation's interest to have a robust domestic fleet and merchant marine. However, we should not rely solely on the Jones Act to maintain strong maritime industries. I hope that the witnesses will share with the Subcommittee their thoughts on what American shipyards can do to better compete with their foreign counterparts and how we can encourage young people to enter the maritime trades."

[Guest Desert Rat]

Not true. The Jones Act is prevented Dutch ships with spill-fighting equipment from entering U.S. coastal areas. Think how much less oil there would now be in our Gulf if the the Jones Act and accepted those non-union tanker-skimmers when they were offered. Why has Obama still not declared this a federal disaster area??? I can't wait until the next election.

[Guest Ron]

This law requires such cruise ships to have been built in the US and no one in the US manufactures cruise ships. Just another sad example of the state our country is in. Nothing is made in the US anymore. Why don't people wake up and see the crisis for what it is.

[Guest AlwaysRed]

Did you know...

 

The U.S. Export-Import Bank, a federal agency, is currently financing a BP solar energy project in Argentina.

 

Ex-Im has also put up taxpayer cash to finance construction of the 1,094-mile Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline carrying oil from the Caspian Sea to Ceyhan, Turkey—again, profiting BP.

 

Lobbying records also show BP lobbying on Obama’s stimulus bill and Bush’s Wall Street bailout. You can guess the oil giant wasn’t in league with the Cato Institute or Ron Paul on those.

 

BP has more Democratic lobbyists than Republicans. It employs the Podesta Group, co-founded by John Podesta, Obama’s transition director and confidant.

 

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/nation/Once-a-government-pet-BP-now-a-capitalist-tool-95942659.html#ixzz0qsB69BEC

[Guest Marni Goldberg]

Lincoln Calls on BP to Set Aside $20 Billion in Special Account to Ensure Payments for Gulf Coast Spill Victims

 

Washington–U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) today, along with other Senate Democrats, sent a letter to BP CEO Tony Hayward calling on the company to set aside $20 billion in a special account to be used to pay for economic damages and clean-up costs of the Gulf Coast oil spill. In the letter, the Senators cite the lessons of history from past spills and the need to ensure financial security for those persons and industries whose way of life have been harmed. The Senators requested a response to this letter no later than Friday, June 18 in light of the urgency of the matter.

 

“The oil spill in the Gulf is taking a dramatic emotional and economic toll on the people of the region,” Lincoln said. “BP will be held accountable to those whose lives and livelihoods have been seriously impacted by this disaster. As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I will continue to use my oversight role to ensure that BP is taking all appropriate steps to clean up this mess and compensate the individuals and families who are suffering as a result of the oil spill. While the government has certainly been engaged in operations on the Gulf and in pushing BP to move quickly and efficiently, the bill for this clean up will not fall on the American taxpayers.”

 

Key Excerpts of the Letter:

 

“We are writing to express our profound concern over the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster and our deep regret for the severe consequences the continued outflow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico is having on our nation and the way of life for millions of Americans. This tragedy has already taken the lives of 11 men, wounded 17 others, and caused billions of dollars in damages.”

 

“While we are pleased that BP has admitted liability for these damages and vowed to provide full remuneration for economic losses and clean-up costs, history has taught us that corporations often fail to live up to their initial promises.”

 

“Although legislative action is forthcoming, the damages are immediate. In order to ensure BP fully and quickly covers the costs of this disaster, we are calling on BP to immediately establish a special account of $20 billion, administered by an independent trustee, to be used for payment of economic damages and clean-up costs. Establishment of this account would serve as an act of good faith and as a first step towards ensuring that there will be no delay in payments or attempt to evade responsibility for damages.”

 

Full Text of the Letter:

 

June 14, 2010

 

Mr. Tony Hayward

Group Chief Executive, BP p.l.c

c/o BP America Inc.

4101 Winfield Road

Warrenville, IL 60555

 

Dear Mr. Hayward:

 

We are writing to express our profound concern over the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster and our deep regret for the severe consequences the continued outflow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico is having on our nation and the way of life for millions of Americans. This tragedy has already taken the lives of 11 men, injured 17 others, and caused billions of dollars in damages. The oil slick resulting from the spill stretches across 2,500 square miles and has damaged miles of environmentally sensitive beaches and marshes stretching across four states. Although this disaster continues to unfold, it is already very clear we are facing a catastrophe of historic proportions that will take decades to fully rectify.

 

The damages caused by your company are far reaching. While much is already visible today, history informs us that the full extent of the destruction may not be discovered for months or even years. For example, it is already evident that fishermen, shrimpers, the tourist industry, and the secondary industries that support them will sustain billions of dollars in losses. It is also possible that marine and wildlife habitats will be destroyed, estuaries and wetlands will be decimated, and bird, fish, and animal populations will be devastated.

 

While we are pleased that BP has admitted liability for such damages and vowed to provide full remuneration for economic losses and clean-up costs, history has taught us that corporations often fail to live up to their initial promises. After the Exxon Valdez tanker spilled more than 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound, damages totaled more than $7 billion; although Exxon continued making massive profits after the accident, it fought liability at every step and ultimately paid far less than the billions of dollars worth of damages it had caused many, many years later.

 

Congress is currently gathering information and holding hearings in order to develop evidence-based legislative solutions to address the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Although legislative action is forthcoming, the damages are immediate. In order to ensure BP fully and quickly covers the costs of this disaster, we are calling on BP to immediately establish a special account of $20 billion, administered by an independent trustee, to be used for payment of economic damages and clean-up costs. Establishment of this account would serve as an act of good faith and as a first step towards ensuring that there will be no delay in payments or attempt to evade responsibility for damages. Although creating this account at this level in no way limits BP’s liability, we believe it will do more to improve BP’s public image than the costly public relations campaign your company has launched.

 

We appreciate your interest in fully and quickly reimbursing those who have been injured by your actions. We believe the establishment of the $20 billion account to compensate victims and provide for clean-up is a useful first step for demonstrating that BP intends to meet its commitments. In light of the urgency of this matter we ask the courtesy of your response no later than June 18, 2010.

[Guest Celtic]

VIDEO- BP operator: We "just type in the words 'blah blah blah' when people call in…No information, if ever, is acted on." Link

[Guest AlwaysRed]

Not true. The Jones Act is prevented Dutch ships with spill-fighting equipment from entering U.S. coastal areas. Think how much less oil there would now be in our Gulf if the the Jones Act and accepted those non-union tanker-skimmers when they were offered. Why has Obama still not declared this a federal disaster area??? I can't wait until the next election.

 

De Standaard, a Dutch news site, reports that Belgian and Dutch dredgers possess technology to combat the gigantic spill in the Gulf. Two Belgian companies, DEME and De Nul, and their Dutch competitors are set up to handle the task in part because construction of ships required to undertake a large-scale cleanup would cost twice as much to build in the U.S.

 

http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=542R5JNH&word=jones+act%29

[Guest AlwaysRed]

A spokesman for the Dutch embassy in Washington, Floris Van Hovell, tells VOA his country stands ready to help in the Gulf.

 

"We see the oil coming in, we see that there is Dutch capacity," said Floris Van Hovell. "We do not want to change the rules here. We do not want to come in and tell everybody how to do it, but we do see that we have something that is very helpful. We have been saying this for a number of weeks, but the process seems to be rather slow."

 

http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Dutch-say-They-Could-Speed-Gulf-Oil-Recovery-with-US-Permission-96341579.html

[Guest Kirsten Stade]

Just days before the Deepwater Horizon blowout, BP pressed the Canadian government to rescind its long-standing policy that all exploratory wells must have “a relief well ready in case of a blowout,” according to Canadian documents posted by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The absence of a ready relief well in the Gulf of Mexico means that the Deepwater Horizon spill may continue to gush unabated through August.

 

In its March 22, 2010 filing with Canada’s National Energy Board, BP maintained that rapid relief well capacity in the same season that the original well is sunk “is not required and is problematical to BP” due to additional time and expense. Citing extensive expertise gained in the Gulf of Mexico, BP contended –

 

* In the event of a blowout “it will always be preferable to re-establish and remain working with the existing well rather than initiating a relief well” (emphasis added); and

* “BP recognizes that cost implications per se should not be a driving force in this review [but] additional certainty and clarity on dealing with the approach to well control generally, and relief wells in particular, are required now.”

 

The Canadian “same season” (i.e., within 90 to 100 days) relief well policy was established in 1976 in order “to significantly reduce the damage to the environment that would result if an oil blowout continued to release oil throughout the…season unchecked” according to a government report. That is precisely the present predicament in the Gulf of Mexico where an array of tactics short of a relief well have failed.

 

“Drilling a relief well simultaneously with a deepwater exploratory well is one of a number of safety measures that we should have been looking at,” said PEER Board Member Rick Steiner, a noted marine professor and conservationist who tracked the Exxon Valdez spill. "Had the Deepwater Horizon had a companion relief well along side, this blowout would have been killed weeks ago, not months from now."

 

While many of BP’s claims in its March 2010 filing do not hold up well even in this recent hindsight, one statement rang eerily on point:

 

“BP understands that BP's privilege to operate depends on BP's maintaining the confidence of the public and regulators, and that a blow-out - however mitigated - could seriously undermine this confidence.”

 

PEER also posted a July 2007 paper by U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) staff which found that the U.S. has experienced 126 blowouts in offshore rigs between 1971 and 2006, a rate of more than 3½ such events per year. While the paper noted some encouraging trends it concluded that “The percentage of blowouts during or after the cementing operations increased significantly during this period.” The BP Deepwater Horizon blowout also occurred during this phase.

 

“If MMS is counting more than three blowouts a year why didn’t the BP Gulf Spill Response Plan envision a deep water blowout as a possible scenario?” asked PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, who has voiced concern that merely breaking up MMS will not improve regulatory outcomes. “Same season relief wells are one of a number of safety measures undertaken by other countries that we should have been looking at, and should seriously consider emulating. The U.S. likes to think that it is always the most advanced but being number one in oil spills is not anything to brag about.”

[Guest Kirsten Stade]

BP's official response plan for oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico is studded with patently inaccurate and inapplicable information but was nonetheless approved by the federal government, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Most notably, the response plan contains no information about how to cope with a deep water blowout but is littered with outright inanities, suggesting that no regulator seriously read it.

 

The "BP Regional Oil Spill Response Plan – Gulf of Mexico" dated June 30, 2009 covers all of the company's operations in the Gulf, not just the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon. The plan-:

 

* Lists "Sea Lions, Seals, Sea Otters [and] Walruses" as "Sensitive Biological Resources" in the Gulf, suggesting that portions were cribbed from previous Arctic exploratory planning;

* Gives a web site for a Japanese home shopping site as the link to one of its "primary equipment providers for BP in the Gulf of Mexico Region [for]rapid deployment of spill response resources on a 24 hour, 7 days a week basis"; and

* Directs its media spokespeople to never make "promises that property, ecology, or anything else will be restored to normal," implying that BP will only commit candor by omission.

 

More seriously, the plan does not contain information about tracking sub-surface oil plumes from deepwater blowouts or preventing disease (viruses, bacteria, etc.) transmission to captured animals in rehab facilities, which was found to be a very serious risk following the Exxon Valdez spill. It also lacks any oceanographic or meteorological information, despite the clear relevance of this data to spill response.

 

"This response plan is not worth the paper it is written on," said PEER Board Member Rick Steiner, a noted marine professor and conservationist who tracked the Exxon Valdez spill, noting that the plan is almost 600 pages largely consisting of lists, phone numbers and blank forms. "Incredibly, this voluminous document never once discusses how to stop a deep water blowout even though BP has significant deep water operations in the Gulf."

 

The chapter on "Worst Case Discharge" features wildly optimistic projections of the maximum size of any crude spill and bland assurances that within hours of any incident "personnel, equipment, and materials in sufficient quantities and recovery capacity to respond effectively to oil spills from the facilities and leases covered by this plan, including the worst case discharge scenarios" will be deployed.

 

"Pointing out our gaping incapacity in spill prevention and response is not just an exercise in hindsight," stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, noting that, according to the soon-to-be-defunct U.S. Minerals Management Service, there are approximately 4,000 producing platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, nearly half of them are "major platforms" with nearly 1,000 of these manned by personnel. "We ought to be losing sleep that there is still no sane spill response plan for the Gulf."

 

View the entire 583-page BP Gulf Spill response Plan

 

Read BP’s “Worst Case” narrative

[Guest Kirsten Stade]

The Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Strategy announced this week by the Obama administration ignores the recommendations and cautions put forward by its lead ocean resource agency, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The new offshore drilling plan also belies pledges for comprehensive planning of ocean management, using a much broader prism than merely expanded offshore oil and gas development.

 

In comments filed on September 21, 2009, NOAA urged that plans for an ambitious lease schedule for oil and gas drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf be dramatically scaled back. Besides environmental concerns, NOAA advocated in vain for a coordinated ocean strategy. Citing “many competing priorities” of fisheries, navigation, military activities, deepwater ports and a variety of non-petroleum energy projects, NOAA recommended that:

 

“…lease areas should not be further considered…until the CEQ-led Ocean Policy Task Force has released its recommendations and directives,”

 

referring to the multi-agency ocean zoning effort spearheaded by the President’s Council on Environmental Quality. In a June 12, 2009 Memorandum to Executive Departments and Agencies, President Obama also set forth a comprehensive planning approach at odds with his ad hoc oil and gas drilling pronouncement:

 

“To succeed in protecting the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes, the United States needs to act within a unifying framework under a clear national policy, including a comprehensive, ecosystem-based framework for the longterm conservation and use of our resources.”

 

“If the Ocean Policy Task Force is supposed to develop a zoning plan for our oceans, this Interior drilling plan is spot zoning on steroids,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, noting that President Obama appeared to be making a political gesture to benefit Senate climate negotiations. “The Obama drilling gambit appears to be politics as usual rather than the promised rational, balanced planning effort.”

 

In addition, the new Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Strategy pays no heed to recommended NOAA safeguards for fisheries, marine mammals and coastal populations, including:

 

* A moratorium on any Arctic Ocean drilling until much better oil spill prevention and response capability is in place. NOAA also contends that Interior plans understate the expected frequency of and risk from spills, generally, noting aftereffects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and

* Buffer zones that would bar drilling “around national marine sanctuaries, Habitat Areas of Particular Concern, Critical Habitat for endangered and threatened species, major fishing grounds and to provide visual buffers to coastal areas dependent upon tourism."

 

“NOAA does not appear to have a seat at the table where ocean policy is decided in this administration,” added Ruch, noting that one of the only NOAA recommendations adopted was an exclusionary zone for Bristol Bay in Alaska but then only temporarily. “Unfortunately, the Obama administration seems to regard ocean resources as a bargaining chip rather than as a heritage.”

[Guest Carter]

The Gulf Coast Walrus, listed as a "sensitive biological resource" BP's 2009 response plan for a Gulf of Mexico oil spill is perhaps the world's most endangered species. In fact, it it so endangered, it doesn't even exist. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said that it was obvious that BP 'didn't have a plan,' in the event of a spill.

[Guest No More Lies]

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow - Oil industry's (BP's) clumsy attempts to excuse lack of oil cleanup tech

 

 

You can watch the entire segment here.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#37697749

[Guest LAW]

Remarks by the President at a Gulf Coast Briefing in Gulfport, Mississippi

 

Coast Guard Station Gulfport

Gulfport, Mississippi

 

11:56 A.M. CDT

 

THE PRESIDENT: I’m going to make a longer statement later in Alabama, so just very quickly I just want to thank Governor Barbour and the First Lady of Mississippi for hosting us. I want to thank Governor Jindal for flying in. And we have members of the congressional delegation here in Mississippi, as well as a range of local and state officials.

 

Admiral Allen provided a detailed report about what was being done specifically here in Mississippi and fielded a range of questions and suggestions about how responses can continually improve. One of the things that came out of this discussion is how do we make sure that there’s effective coordination in terms of skimmers, vessels of opportunity that are out on the water right now. Can we make sure that they are responding as quickly as possible to the oil before it starts getting closer to shore?

 

And there are a range of issues having to do with communications. Are there -- some of these smaller vessels have radios on them, have we done an effective inventory of which ones are large enough and have enough trained personnel that they can actually lay boom or they can engage in skimming? Which ones should be deployed more as sentinels to identify where, in fact, the oil may be coming in. I think it was a very useful conversation. Captain Steve Poulin, who is the local incident commander, had gathered a lot of these suggestions and is going to be moving on them in the days to come.

 

We also talked about claims to make sure that people here in Mississippi, but throughout the region, are going to be adequately compensated for the damages and the losses that they are experiencing right now. There are still problems with them. I think as everybody is aware, I’m going to be meeting with the chairman and other officials from BP on Wednesday. And so we’re gathering up facts, stories right now so that we have an absolutely clear understanding about how we can best present to BP the need to make sure that individuals and businesses are dealt with in a fair manner and in a prompt manner. And, again, there were suggestions on that front as well.

 

So I just want to thank everybody here that’s involved. Folks around the table here have been working 24/7. The governors, they’ve been on a constant state of full alert and have been putting in a lot of time and a lot of energy working with Thad Allen to make sure that in dealing with this disaster, we are minimizing the short term impacts, and we’re making sure that we’ve got the resources to fully recover.

 

The last point I’m going to make, and this is something that’s been repeatedly emphasized, here in Mississippi -- but it’s true in Florida, it’s true in Alabama and it’s true in portions of Louisiana -- there’s still a lot of opportunity for visitors to come down here, a lot of beaches that are not yet affected or will not be affected. And we just want to make sure that people who have travel plans down to the Gulf area remain mindful of that, because if people want to know what can they do to help folks down here, one of the best ways to help is to come down here and enjoy the outstanding hospitality.

 

All right, and I’ll be making longer comments when I get to Alabama this afternoon. Thank you, everybody.

 

END

12:00 P.M. CDT

[Guest LAW]

Remarks by the President After Touring Theodore Staging Facility

Theodore Staging Facility, Theodore, Alabama

 

3:05 P.M. CDT

 

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. I just had to -- a chance to tour this staging facility here at Theodore along with Admiral Allen and Governor Riley. I also want to acknowledge that Congressman Jo Bonner and a number of our elected officials are here and they just received an extensive briefing about what is taking place.

 

It is from this staging area and 16 others like it all across the Gulf Coast that our response to the oil spill is being carried out. I saw and many of you had an opportunity to see what is being done to repair and decontaminate boom, to train volunteers, and to help with the cleanup efforts. And their hard work and their sense of purpose on behalf of the people of Alabama as well as the Gulf Coast is inspiring.

 

I had a chance during the discussions with the state and local officials to reiterate to them what I've been saying all across the coast, and that is that we want to coordinate at every level -- federal, state, and local -- to make sure that we are leaving no stone unturned in terms of our ability to respond to this crisis.

 

Now, what I've heard from a number of local officials during my trip today is what I’ve heard from folks on each of the four visits that I’ve made to this region since the Deepwater Horizon explosion happened in April. There’s a sense that this disaster is not only threatening our fishermen and our shrimpers and our oystermen, not only affecting potentially precious marshes and wetlands and estuaries and waters that are part of what makes the Gulf Coast so special -- there’s also a fear that it can have a long-term impact on a way of life that has been passed on for generations.

 

And I understand that fear. The leaders and the officials who are with me understand it. Governor Riley understands it. He has been a regular presence on our daily coordinating calls, and a relentless advocate for Alabama throughout this process. And we are absolutely committed to working with him and all the local officials who are behind us to do everything in our power to protect the Gulf way of life so that it’s there for our children and our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren.

 

Now, everybody here has had experiences dealing with disasters. As we were flying over from Mississippi via helicopter, you could see the footprints of buildings that had been decimated from Katrina. But in some ways what we're dealing with here is unique because it's not simply one catastrophic event. It’s an ongoing assault whose movements are constantly changing. That's what makes this crisis so challenging. It means that it has to be constantly watched. It has to be tracked. We're constantly having to redeploy resources to make sure that they're having maximum impact. And we also need to make sure that we are constantly helping folks who have been hurt by it, even as we're stopping the oil from spreading into more and more areas.

 

So that means that this response effort has to happen on a bunch of different tracks. It means containing as much of the oil as we can as quick as we can. After seeing an initial oil collection plan from BP, we went back to them and said that they need to move faster and more aggressively. And they have now come back with a plan to accelerate steps to contain over 50,000 barrels a day by the end of June, two weeks earlier than they had originally suggested. Their revised plan also includes steps to better prepare against extreme weather events and other unforeseen circumstances in the months ahead, addressing another one of our concerns. And we’re going to continue to hold BP and any other responsible parties accountable for the disaster that they created.

 

Dealing with the aftermath of this spill also means protecting the health and safety of the folks who live and work here in Theodore, here in Alabama, and here on the Gulf Coast. As part of this effort, I’m announcing a comprehensive, coordinated, and multi-agency initiative to ensure that seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is safe to eat. Now, I had some of that seafood for lunch and it was delicious. But we want to make sure that the food industry down here as much as possible is getting the protect -- the protection and the certification that they need to continue their businesses. So this is important for consumers who need to know that their food is safe, but it's also important for the fishermen and processors, who need to be able to sell their products with confidence.

 

So, let me be clear: Seafood from the Gulf today is safe to eat. But we need to make sure that it stays that way. And that’s why, beyond closing off waters that have been or are likely to be exposed to oil, the FDA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are increasing inspections of seafood processors, strengthening surveillance programs, and monitoring fish that are caught just outside of restricted areas. And we’re also coordinating our efforts with the states, which are implementing similar plans.

 

These safety measures are on top of steps that we’ve taken to protect workers who are involved in the cleanup efforts. And part of the training that you observed here today involves making sure that workers are sticking to the protocols that are put in place so that when they are out there on the waters or here on land working with potentially toxic materials, that they're taking that seriously and that they're not cutting corners on safety, because we don't want tragedies on top of the tragedy that we're already seeing.

 

Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are inspecting all the staging areas like this one. They're boarding vessels off the coast to make sure that BP is complying with its safety obligations. If they see a problem, they’ll work with BP to resolve it as quickly as possible. And we’re also monitoring air and water across the Gulf Coast for hazardous chemicals and pollutants that could endanger oil spill workers or anybody else, so we can act swiftly should any health risks arise.

 

Now, these health and safety measures are just part of our overall effort to deal with the spill. All in all, we are confronting the largest environmental disaster in our history with the largest environmental response and recovery effort in our history. Over 27,000 personnel are working to safeguard our coasts and protect endangered wildlife. More than 5,400 skimmers, tugs, barges and other vessels -- some of which you saw as we came into this facility -- are currently responding to the spill. Over 2 million feet of containment boom and over 3 million feet of absorbent boom are being used to contain the spill, and millions of more feet are available.

 

In addition, we have authorized the deployment of 17,500 National Guardsmen and women to assist in the response effort. So far, only about 1,600 have been activated, and the rest stand ready to help whenever our governors choose to call on them.

 

Across the Gulf Coast, Guardsmen are supporting local, state, and federal authorities in a number of ways, from reconnaissance to hazardous material training. Guard aircraft are also assisting in the response and helping to coordinate the vessels that are out on the water. Here in Alabama in particular, about 200 of the roughly 450 Guardsmen who've been activated have received specialized training to assist BP with claims processing. So put simply, this is a multi-purpose force that's prepared to handle almost any challenge, and I hope our governors put them to good use.

 

So, the full resources of our government are being mobilized to confront this disaster. But it's not only important for everyone from the federal government on down to do all we can -- it’s also important for us to work together to make sure our efforts are well-coordinated. That’s why Governor Riley and the other Gulf Coast governors have been on a daily call with my administration, seven days a week, since this disaster occurred. That’s why we’re going to continue to work hand in hand with state and local authorities on every front, from containing as much oil as possible to protecting our coasts, until we put this tragic ordeal behind us.

 

Now, I can’t promise folks here in Theodore or across the Gulf Coast that the oil will be cleaned up overnight. It will not be. It's going to take time for things to return to normal. There's going to be a harmful effect on many local businesses and it's going to be painful for a lot of folks. Folks are going to be frustrated and some folks are going to be angry. But I promise you this: that things are going to return to normal. This region that's known a lot of hardship will bounce back, just like it's bounced back before. We are going to do everything we can, 24/7, to make sure that communities get back on their feet. And in the end, I am confident that we're going to be able to leave the Gulf Coast in better shape than it was before.

 

So, Governor Riley, I appreciate all your efforts. To all the local officials here who've been working so hard, we appreciate what you do each and every day.

 

And let me just make one last comment about our Coast Guard and about our National Incident Coordinator, Thad Allen. Thad Allen was about to retire and he has answered the call on behalf of this country and is working as hard as anybody in this country right now to help deal with this crisis. Members of the Coast Guard have been doing outstanding work each and every day, and so I just want to say to all of them that the country is proud of you, grateful to you. Keep up the good work.

 

All right. Thank you very much, everybody. (Applause.)

 

Q (Inaudible.)

 

THE PRESIDENT: I want to take this one question because there's been some reports in the news. I'm going to be meeting with the BP chairman and a number of officials on Wednesday. We have begun preliminary conversations about how do we structure a mechanism so that the legitimate claims that are going to be presented not just tomorrow, not just next week, but over the coming months, are dealt with justly, fairly, promptly.

 

So far, we've had a constructive conversation and my hope is, is that by the time the chairman and I meet on Wednesday, that we've made sufficient progress that we can start actually seeing a structure that would be in place. But it's too early now at this point, Major, for me to make an announcement. By Wednesday, though, my hope is, is that we've made some progress on this front.

 

All right.

 

Q (Inaudible.)

 

THE PRESIDENT: I'm going to let Thad Allen, who's the National Incident Coordinator, address this very quickly because we talked about it during our meeting.

 

ADMIRAL ALLEN: First of all, we have a number of different types of skimming equipment. Some are offshore deep-draft vessels; the skimming equipment is organically built into it. We have other skimming arrays that are towed with boom systems, and we have shallow water skimmers that are deployed inshore. They become the major resource of effectiveness to try and fight this battle offshore, and we know what we're doing near the wellhead. We have to push the enemy, if you will, back 20 or 30 miles offshore and do maximum skimming there.

 

We have over 400 of those skimming vessels that are actually organic -- organically contained skimming equipment. Our goal is to take the smaller equipment that's flexible, put it on vessels of opportunity, and then coordinate better with our local state partners, including National Guard overflights, local fishermen's associations, and so forth, mass our effect and get it pointed up with a command and control system that can attack it on all levels.

 

THE PRESIDENT: All right.

 

Q About the vessels of opportunity, there are a lot of local fishermen that say they're not being --

 

THE PRESIDENT: The -- this is an issue -- and you're only going to get two questions. This is an issue that's come up across the Gulf. Keep in mind what we're talking about with vessels of opportunity -- that could range from a big shrimp boat to just a little recreation boat that somebody has brought up.

 

So each of them is going to have different capacity. Some of them are going to be able to take swimming -- skimming equipment of the sort that Admiral Allen discussed and actually place it on the boat. Some of them aren't going to have that capacity, but maybe they can act as sentinels to spot oil, or maybe some of them are just shuttling supplies back and forth to these ships.

 

So what we're doing now is we're taking inventory of all the vessels that have presented themselves to determine which ones can go out in deep water -- they've got radio, they've got full equipment, they can actually lay out boom, they can engage in skimming -- which ones aren't able to do that, and that process is going to be coordinated.

 

But keep in mind we've got to do this across four states. And what that means is, is that at any given time, as Thad indicated, the priority might be we just want to get some stuff out 20 miles before it starts coming in closer, which means you're not going to see necessarily a lot of skimmers close in because every resource that we have is being deployed further out.

 

But one of the key points that we made with the regional incident commander is we've got to make sure that we've got a full inventory, we know exactly what the capacity of each of these boats are, we've made sure that people are being trained, and we're matched up folks who are trained with these vessels, and we start actually putting to work as quickly as possible.

 

All right.

 

Q (Inaudible.)

 

THE PRESIDENT: Well, look, I've seen a number of beautiful beaches. I saw some in Mississippi. We saw some beaches flying over. But I'll be honest with you -- that we're going to stop as much of the oil from coming in as possible. That's our number one job.

 

It turns out that if the oil hits the beaches, that's actually probably the easiest to clean up. So it's a concern obviously for tourism, it's a concern for an entire Gulf region that economically depends on the tourist season and this period of time when people are out of school. But those beaches will recover because those big globs of oil, when they hit the beaches, we can send a bunch of people out there and scoop them up, dispose of it properly, and those beaches will look pretty pristine a year or two years from now.

 

The biggest concern we have, actually, are the marshes, the estuaries, the wetlands, where if you start seeing that oil seeping in, that not only can kill oyster beds and other vitally important seafood and ecosystems, but even the repair efforts in those areas can actually destroy the ecology in the region.

 

So we're having to coordinate with the best scientists we've got available. Thad Allen is working with NOAA and all the other agencies to make sure that we are grading priorities in terms of areas that have to be protected first and foremost because they may have the most difficult time to recover. And that means that sometimes, for example, in Mississippi, where I just came from, they just made a decision they're not putting any boom in front of the beaches, because the fact of the matter is if the oil hits there it's bad but it's temporary, whereas in some of these other areas it could end up being permanent.

 

All right. Thank you, everybody. (Applause.)

 

END

3:22 P.M. CDT

[Guest DC Government Worker]

Top executives of the five major oil companies, including BP America, testified today before lawmakers and faced questions about their company’s track records on offshore oil drilling. At the House Energy Subcommittee hearing, witnesses discussed the impact of the nation’s dependence on oil and how the use of renewable and alternative energy sources can reduce overall oil dependence.