Guest Defenders of Wildlife Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 PRODUCT NAME : COREXIT® EC9527A APPLICATION : OIL SPILL DISPERSANT COMPANY IDENTIFICATION : Nalco Company 1601 W. Diehl Road Naperville, Illinois 60563-1198 EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER(S) : (800) 424-9300 (24 Hours) CHEMTREC Our hazard evaluation has identified the following chemical substance(s) as hazardous. Consult Section 15 for the nature of the hazard(s). For additional copies of an MSDS visit www.nalco.com and request access SKIN CONTACT : Can cause moderate irritation. Harmful if absorbed through skin. INGESTION : May be harmful if swallowed. May cause liver and kidney effects and/or damage. There may be irritation to the gastro-intestinal tract. INHALATION : Harmful by inhalation. Repeated or prolonged exposure may irritate the respiratory tract. SYMPTOMS OF EXPOSURE : Acute : Excessive exposure may cause central nervous system effects, nausea, vomiting, anesthetic or narcotic effects. Chronic : Repeated or excessive exposure to butoxyethanol may cause injury to red blood cells (hemolysis), kidney or the liver. AGGRAVATION OF EXISTING CONDITIONS : Skin contact may aggravate an existing dermatitis condition. HUMAN HEALTH HAZARDS - CHRONIC : Contains ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (butoxyethanol). Prolonged and/or repeated exposure through inhalation or extensive skin contact with EGBE may result in damage to the blood and kidneys. Hazardous Substance(s) CAS NO % (w/w) 2-Butoxyethanol 111-76-2 30.0 - 60.0 Organic sulfonic acid salt Proprietary 10.0 - 30.0 Propylene Glycol 57-55-6 1.0 - 5.0 WARNING Eye and skin irritant. Repeated or excessive exposure to butoxyethanol may cause injury to red blood cells (hemolysis), kidney or the liver. Harmful by inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed. Do not get in eyes, on skin, on clothing. Do not take internally. Use with adequate ventilation. Wear suitable protective clothing. Keep container tightly closed. Flush affected area with water. Keep away from heat. Keep away from sources of ignition - No smoking. May evolve oxides of carbon (COx) under fire conditions. PRIMARY ROUTES OF EXPOSURE : Eye, Skin HUMAN HEALTH HAZARDS - ACUTE : EYE CONTACT : Can cause moderate irritation. FIRST AID MEASURES EYE CONTACT : Flush affected area with water. Get medical attention. SKIN CONTACT : Flush affected area with water. Get medical attention. INGESTION : Do not induce vomiting without medical advice. If conscious, washout mouth and give water to drink. Get medical attention. INHALATION : Remove to fresh air, treat symptomatically. If symptoms develop, seek medical advice. NOTE TO PHYSICIAN : Based on the individual reactions of the patient, the physician's judgement should be used to control symptoms and clinical condition. PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS : Restrict access to area as appropriate until clean-up operations are complete. Stop or reduce any leaks if it is safe to do so. Do not touch spilled material. Ventilate spill area if possible. Use personal protective equipment recommended in Section 8 (Exposure Controls/Personal Protection). METHODS FOR CLEANING UP : SMALL SPILLS: Soak up spill with absorbent material. Place residues in a suitable, covered, properly labeled container. Wash affected area. LARGE SPILLS: Contain liquid using absorbent material, by digging trenches or by diking. Reclaim into recovery or salvage drums or tank truck for proper disposal. Contact an approved waste hauler for disposal of contaminated recovered material. Dispose of material in compliance with regulations indicated in Section 13 (Disposal Considerations). ENVIRONMENTAL PRECAUTIONS : Do not contaminate surface water. PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS : Restrict access to area as appropriate until clean-up operations are complete. Stop or reduce any leaks if it is safe to do so. Do not touch spilled material. Ventilate spill area if possible. Use personal protective equipment recommended in Section 8 (Exposure Controls/Personal Protection). RESPIRATORY PROTECTION : Where concentrations in air may exceed the limits given in this section, the use of a half face filter mask or air supplied breathing apparatus is recommended. A suitable filter material depends on the amount and type of chemicals being handled. Consider the use of filter type: Multi-contaminant cartridge. with a Particulate pre-filter. In event of emergency or planned entry into unknown concentrations a positive pressure, full-facepiece SCBA should be used. If respiratory protection is required, institute a complete respiratory protection program including selection, fit testing, training, maintenance and inspection. HAND PROTECTION : Neoprene gloves Nitrile gloves Butyl gloves PVC gloves SKIN PROTECTION : Wear standard protective clothing. EYE PROTECTION : Wear chemical splash goggles. HYGIENE RECOMMENDATIONS : Keep an eye wash fountain available. Keep a safety shower available. If clothing is contaminated, remove clothing and thoroughly wash the affected area. Launder contaminated clothing before reuse. HUMAN EXPOSURE CHARACTERIZATION : Based on our recommended product application and personal protective equipment, the potential human exposure is: Low PHYSICAL STATE Liquid APPEARANCE Clear Amber STABILITY : Stable under normal conditions. HAZARDOUS POLYMERIZATION : Hazardous polymerization will not occur. CONDITIONS TO AVOID : Extremes of temperature MATERIALS TO AVOID : Contact with strong oxidizers (e.g. chlorine, peroxides, chromates, nitric acid, perchlorate, concentrated oxygen, permanganate) may generate heat, fires, explosions and/or toxic vapors. HAZARDOUS DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS : Under fire conditions: Oxides of carbon CHRONIC TOXICITY DATA : The principal health effects following acute exposure to 2-butoxyethanol are irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract. 2-butoxyethanol is readily absorbed through the skin. In laboratory animals exposed to 2-butoxyethanol via inhalation, blood(hemolysis) and secondary effects on the kidney and liver have been observed. When 2- butoxyethaol is ingested it is metabolized to butoxyacetic acid (BAA), which can cause hemolysis. BAA is rapidly excreted in urine in animals and humans with an urinary excretion half-life of approximately 3-6 hours in humans. Human red blood cells have been shown to be significantly less sensitive to hemolysis than those of rodents and rabbits. These effects are transient and when exposure is discontinued, these effects subside. 2-butoxyethanol does not cause adverse reproductive or birth effects in animals, unless exposures occur at levels high enough to induce significant maternal toxicity. CARCINOGENICITY : None of the substances in this product are listed as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the National Toxicology Program (NTP) or the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). HUMAN HAZARD CHARACTERIZATION : Based on our hazard characterization, the potential human hazard is: High BIOACCUMULATION POTENTIAL Based on a review of the individual components, utilizing U.S. EPA models, this material is not expected to bioaccumulate. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD AND EXPOSURE CHARACTERIZATION Based on our hazard characterization, the potential environmental hazard is: Moderate Based on our recommended product application and the product's characteristics, the potential environmental exposure is: Low If released into the environment, see CERCLA/SUPERFUND in Section 15. If this product becomes a waste, it is not a hazardous waste as defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 40 CFR 261, since it does not have the characteristics of Subpart C, nor is it listed under Subpart D. As a non-hazardous waste, it is not subject to federal regulation. Consult state or local regulation for any additional handling, treatment or disposal requirements. For disposal, contact a properly licensed waste treatment, storage, disposal or recycling facility. This section contains additional information that may have relevance to regulatory compliance. The information in this section is for reference only. It is not exhaustive, and should not be relied upon to take the place of an individualized compliance or hazard assessment. Nalco accepts no liability for the use of this information. NATIONAL REGULATIONS, USA : OSHA HAZARD COMMUNICATION RULE, 29 CFR 1910.1200 : Based on our hazard evaluation, none of the substances in this product are hazardous. CERCLA/SUPERFUND, 40 CFR 302 : Notification of spills of this product is not required. SARA/SUPERFUND AMENDMENTS AND REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1986 (TITLE III) - SECTIONS 302, 311, 312, AND 313 : SECTION 302 - EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES (40 CFR 355) : This product does not contain substances listed in Appendix A and B as an Extremely Hazardous Substance. SECTIONS 311 AND 312 - MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET REQUIREMENTS (40 CFR 370) : Our hazard evaluation has found this product to be hazardous. The product should be reported under the following indicated EPA hazard categories: X Immediate (Acute) Health Hazard X Delayed (Chronic) Health Hazard X Fire Hazard Sudden Release of Pressure Hazard Reactive Hazard Under SARA 311 and 312, the EPA has established threshold quantities for the reporting of hazardous chemicals. The current thresholds are: 500 pounds or the threshold planning quantity (TPQ), whichever is lower, for extremely hazardous substances and 10,000 pounds for all other hazardous chemicals. TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (TSCA) : The substances in this preparation are included on or exempted from the TSCA 8( Inventory (40 CFR 710) FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ACT, CLEAN WATER ACT, 40 CFR 401.15 / formerly Sec. 307, 40 CFR 116.4 / formerly Sec. 311 : Substances listed under this regulation are not intentionally added or expected to be present in this product. Listed components may be present at trace levels. CLEAN AIR ACT, Sec. 112 (Hazardous Air Pollutants, as amended by 40 CFR 63), Sec. 602 (40 CFR 82, Class I and II Ozone Depleting Substances) : Substances listed under this regulation are not intentionally added or expected to be present in this product. Listed components may be present at trace levels. CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65 : Substances listed under California Proposition 65 are not intentionally added or expected to be present in this product. MICHIGAN CRITICAL MATERIALS : Substances listed under this regulation are not intentionally added or expected to be present in this product. Listed components may be present at trace levels. STATE RIGHT TO KNOW LAWS : The following substances are disclosed for compliance with State Right to Know Laws: 2-Butoxyethanol 111-76-2 Propylene Glycol 57-55-6 CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT (CEPA) : The substances in this preparation are listed on the Domestic Substances List (DSL), are exempt, or have been reported in accordance with the New Substances Notification Regulations. AUSTRALIA All substances in this product comply with the National Industrial Chemicals Notification & Assessment Scheme (NICNAS). CHINA All substances in this product comply with the Provisions on the Environmental Administration of New Chemical Substances and are listed on the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances China (IECSC). EUROPE The substance(s) in this preparation are included in or exempted from the EINECS or ELINCS inventories JAPAN All substances in this product comply with the Law Regulating the Manufacture and Importation Of Chemical Substances and are listed on the Existing and New Chemical Substances list (ENCS). KOREA All substances in this product comply with the Toxic Chemical Control Law (TCCL) and are listed on the Existing Chemicals List (ECL) PHILIPPINES All substances in this product comply with the Republic Act 6969 (RA 6969) and are listed on the Philippines Inventory of Chemicals & Chemical Substances (PICCS). Due to our commitment to Product Stewardship, we have evaluated the human and environmental hazards and exposures of this product. Based on our recommended use of this product, we have characterized the product's general risk. This information should provide assistance for your own risk management practices. We have evaluated our product's risk as follows: * The human risk is: Low * The environmental risk is: Low Any use inconsistent with our recommendations may affect the risk characterization. Our sales representative will assist you to determine if your product application is consistent with our recommendations. Together we can implement an appropriate risk management process. This product material safety data sheet provides health and safety information. The product is to be used in applications consistent with our product literature. Individuals handling this product should be informed of the recommended safety precautions and should have access to this information. For any other uses, exposures should be evaluated so that appropriate handling practices and training programs can be established to insure safe workplace operations. Please consult your local sales representative for any further information. REFERENCES Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposure Indices, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, OH., (Ariel Insight™ CD-ROM Version), Ariel Research Corp., Bethesda, MD. Hazardous Substances Data Bank, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland (TOMES CPS™ CD-ROM Version), Micromedex, Inc., Englewood, CO. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Man, Geneva: World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer. Integrated Risk Information System, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. (TOMES CPS™ CDROM Version), Micromedex, Inc., Englewood, CO. 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Guest Snake Oiler Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 Dispersant solutions are only a way for BP to sell, write-off the use of, and profit from the use of a "needed" consumable, much like the oil they sell us. The trouble is, these products only worsen the ecodamage in exchange for appeasement of the masses. All of this " we spent..." newspeak tends to mask the profits developed from associated markets like deep-water risk management, and toxic chemical sales. Ben Dover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe Taylor Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 Sulfur and sulfuric acid based dispersant makes the oil spewing into the gulf sink, where its impossible to clean up--and where it depletes oxygen levels under the water, killing plankton and everything above plankton in the food chain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSun Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 (edited) I am not into the game of politics. But.... One thing stood out to me on the President's speech to the nation. On April 20th, an explosion ripped through BP Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, about 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana. Eleven workers lost their lives. Seventeen others were injured. And soon, nearly a mile beneath the surface of the ocean, oil began spewing into the water. Because there has never been a leak this size at this depth, stopping it has tested the limits of human technology. That's why just after the rig sank, I assembled a team of our nation's best scientists and engineers to tackle this challenge -- a team led by Dr. Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and our nation's Secretary of Energy. Scientists at our national labs and experts from academia and other oil companies have also provided ideas and advice. Right after means 20 days after???? http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/546651/ Prepared by the Joint Information Center UPDATED May 10, 2010 7 PM PAST 24 HOURS The President Meets with Cabinet Members in the Situation Room President Obama met with a number of Cabinet members and senior staff in the White House Situation Room to review BP’s efforts to stop the oil leak as well as to decide on next steps to ensure all is being done to contain the spread, mitigate the environmental impact and provide assistance to affected states, including individuals, businesses, and communities. The President asked Secretary Chu to lead a team of top administration officials and government scientists to Houston this week for an extensive dialogue with BP officials to continue to aggressively pursue potential solutions. In addition, to deal more generally with the harms created by oil spills, the President has requested that legislation be sent to Congress to toughen and update the law surrounding caps on damages. It looks like Administration is going to have a hard time explaining this. Edited June 18, 2010 by BlackSun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LAW Posted June 18, 2010 Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill NIGHT OF TUESDAY, APRIL 20 Search and Rescue The U.S. government response to the BP Oil Spill began immediately after the explosion on the night of April 20 as an emergency search-and-rescue mission. At approximately 10:30 p.m. that night, notification was received that Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) Deepwater Horizon had exploded and was on fire. The rig was located 45 miles southeast of Venice, La. Establish Command Center to Address Potential Environmental Impacts Concurrently, the administration also quickly establishes a command center on the Gulf Coast to address the potential environmental impact of the event and to coordinate with all state and local governments. Since this point, the administration has continuously anticipated and planned for a worst-case scenario. NOAA Mobilizes to Provide Trajectory Support The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) mobilizes within three hours of the explosion and started to provide trajectory support and coordinated scientific weather and biological response services. The NOAA weather forecast office in Slidell, La., also provided weather information to the Coast Guard at its request shortly after the explosion to support initial search-and-rescue operations. The President is alerted The President is alerted to the event and he begins actively monitoring the situation. At the time, it was known that 126 people were on the rig when the explosion occurred. Assets Deployed To Date Total response vessels: Two Coast Guard cutters Total response aircraft: Four helicopters and one rescue plane WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21 Deputy Secretary of Interior David Hayes is Deployed to the Gulf Coast The morning after the explosion, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar deployed Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes to the Gulf Coast to assist with coordination and response to the event, and provide hourly reports to Secretary Salazar and other administration officials. Interagency Coordination Begins Across the Government, Federal On-Scene Coordinator is Named and Regional Response Team is Stood Up Interagency coordination begins immediately among federal partners—including the Coast Guard; the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Commerce (DOC), Interior (DOI); and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—providing federal assets and overseeing BP’s response. Pursuant to the National Contingency Plan, Rear Admiral Mary Landry was named the Federal On-Scene Coordinator and a Regional Response Team was stood up that included the U.S. Coast Guard, DHS, DOC/NOAA, DOI and the EPA, as well as state and local representatives. The Regional Response Team immediately began developing plans, providing technical advice and access to resources and equipment from its member agencies, and overseeing BP’s response. The Administration Oversees BP’s Response The administration begins holding meetings and regular calls with BP leadership to discuss BP’s response effort, as well as federal oversight and support, and urged BP to leverage additional assets to help respond to this event. Interagency Joint DHS-DOI Investigation Begins Secretary Salazar and Secretary Napolitano direct that a joint investigation begin into the cause of the event. The investigation, jointly led by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Minerals Management Service (MMS), are given subpoena power, will hold public hearings, and call witnesses. MMS and USCG begin interviewing rig personnel. National Park Service Plans Contingencies to Protect Vulnerable Parks Along Gulf Coast The National Parks Service (NPS) Spill Response Coordinator, Regional Emergency Services Coordinator, and Deputy Chief of Emergency Services begin strategic planning of contingencies to protect potentially vulnerable national parks along the Gulf Coast. MMS Establishes Ops Center and Deploys Staff to BP and Transocean Command Posts MMS establishes an Emergency Operations Center at its Gulf of Mexico Regional Office in New Orleans, and deployed employees to the BP Incident Command Post (ICP) and the Transocean ICP in Houston. NOAA Selects Scientific Support Coordinator and Deploys Him to USCG Command Post NOAA Environmental Scientist Charlie Henry arrive on site at the Coast Guard’s Command Post in Morgan City, La., to serve as NOAA’s Scientific Support Coordinator. NOAA issued the initial trajectory advice and began providing them twice daily. The President is Briefed The President monitors the response and is briefed throughout the day by the White House Situation Room Search and Rescue Continues Of the 126 total people on the rig at the time of the event, 115 crew members were accounted for. The Coast Guard continued to actively search for all 11 individuals still missing through the night, with multiple units, vessels and aircraft responding. Daily Response On-Site Press Briefing Begins The first in a daily series of press briefings was conducted between the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the Coast Guard, BP and Transocean. Assets Deployed To Date Total response vessels: Two Coast Guard cutters Total response aircraft: Four helicopters and one rescue plane Response Photos: http://cgvi.uscg.mil...2_itemId=836364 http://cgvi.uscg.mil...2_itemId=836361 http://cgvi.uscg.mil...2_itemId=835864 http://cgvi.uscg.mil...2_itemId=837369 THURSDAY, APRIL 22 Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Sinks At approximately 10:22 a.m., the oil rig sank with approximately 700,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board. The National Response Team (NRT) is Activated On the afternoon of April 22, the National Response Team (NRT) convenes its first daily meeting with leadership from across the federal government, including the White House, U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Defense, DHS, DOC, DOI and EPA, among others. The NRT is an organization of 16 federal departments and agencies responsible for coordinating emergency preparedness and response to oil and hazardous substance pollution events. During this event, NRT meetings have been run by Secretary Napolitano. The President Convenes a Principal Level Meeting: “Treat This Response as The Number One Priority” The President convenes a meeting in the Oval Office with principals across the government to discuss the situation and ongoing response efforts, and ordered that the administration use every single available resource at its disposal to respond to the event and investigate its cause. A readout was issued to press stating: “The President made sure that the entire federal government was offering all assistance needed in the rescue effort as well as in mitigating and responding to the environmental impact and that this response was being treated as the number one priority. The President asked the responding departments to devote every resource needed to respond to this incident and investigate its cause.” The NRT Holds Second Meeting of the Day to Implement President Obama’s Instructions Following the Oval Office meeting, the NRT holds a second evening meeting—again including the Coast Guard, the Department of Defense, DHS, DOC, DOI and EPA, among others. No Apparent Leak Air and sea restriction zones are established around the sink site for safety purposes. The Coast Guard conducted overflights and multiple unsuccessful dives were made with remote operated marine vehicles to find the wellhead. No leak was apparent. Dispersants Are Pre-Positioned In Case Situation Worsens Despite a lack of apparent leak, 100,000 gallons of dispersants are already pre-positioned between Stennis, Miss., Houma and Lake Charles, La., and pre-approved for use by EPA Regions VI and IV Regional Response Teams. NOAA Begins to Provide Marine Pollution Surveillance Reports NOAA Satellite and Information Service provides the first experimental marine pollution surveillance report using satellite data, and began providing daily updates. Search and Rescue Continues Coast Guard continues to actively search for all 11 missing individuals from the rig through the night, with multiple units responding. Intergovernmental Calls with Potentially Impacted Gulf Coast Communities Begin Intergovernmental calls update potentially impacted gulf coast communities the response are communicated to potentially impacted Gulf Coast communities Daily Response On-Site Press Briefing is Conducted The next in a daily series of press briefings was conducted between the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the Coast Guard, NOAA, BP and Transocean. Assets Deployed To Date Total response vessels: Two Coast Guard cutters Total response aircraft: Four helicopters and one rescue plane Response Photos: http://www.flickr.co...57623940838176/ http://www.flickr.co...N07/4545746887/ http://cgvi.uscg.mil...2_itemId=838790 FRIDAY, APRIL 23 No Apparent Leak The rig was found—sunken and upside down approximately 1,500 feet northwest of the blowout preventer. An oil sheen was reported with approximately 8,400 gallons estimated on the water and there was no apparent leak discovered. White House Convened Principal Level Meeting to Discuss Response and Planning In Case Situation Worsens White House convenes principal level meeting with top officials from across the government including Secretary Napolitano and the NRT in the White House Situation Room to review actions underway and discuss policy considerations and planning in case the situation worsens. U.S. Government Continues to Mobilize and Move More Resources In Case Situation Worsens The U.S. government continues to mobilize and move more resources into the gulf to support BP, the responsible party, and apply federal resources to mitigate environmental damage, including moving 8 more vessels to the area EPA Prepares To Deploy Staff to the Region for Air Monitoring EPA begins preparations to deploy staff to the region to support the Coast Guard with air monitoring and other activities. MMS Shuts Down Two Pipelines In the Area To Do Inspection MMS reports that two pipelines in the vicinity of the sunken rig were shut down until they could be inspected. Sunken Rig Assessments Continue Four remote operated marine vehicles continue to monitor the stack, conduct surveys of the riser and pipelines, and assess the stability of the sunken rig. Unified Area Command is Formally Stood Up The Unified Area Command is formally and fully stood up in Robert, La., after three days of informal operations and planning. The President is Briefed The President monitors the response and is briefed throughout the day by the White House Situation Room NOAA’s National Weather Service Begins Coordinated Scientific Weather Reports NOAA’s National Weather Service begins providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services to federal, state and local organizations. Search and Rescue Suspends at 5p.m The Coast Guard continues to actively search for all 11 missing individuals until approximately 5 p.m., when the search was suspended. Daily Legislative Calls Begin and Daily Response On-Site Press Briefing and Intergovernmental Calls Are Conducted, Deepwaterhorizonresponse.com is Launched The Coast Guard conducts the next in a daily series of press briefings and intergovernmental calls. A response website with consolidated information was established at http://www.deepwater...zonresponse.com. Assets Deployed To Date—8 More Vessels Arrive Total response vessels: approximately 10 Oily water recovered: 7,600 gallons Dispersant used: 1,900 gallons SATURDAY, APRIL 24 First Oil Leaks Discovered and USCG Elevates Response For the first time, oil was found to be leaking—one leak from the riser and one leak from the drill pipe. The Coast Guard elevated the response and established a Regional Command Center and Joint Information Center in Robert, La., inviting all partners in the response to join. NPS Prepares for Potential Oil Spill on national park land along the Gulf Coast NPS begins cataloging resources and sampling pre-landfall conditions of resources in order to prepare for potential impact of the oil spill on national park land along the Gulf Coast. MMS Begins to Review BP Applications for Permit to Drill Two Relief Wells MMS reports that they expected to receive and begin reviewing BP Applications for Permit to Drill (APD) for two relief wells. Four remote operated marine vehicles continued to monitor the stack, conduct surveys of the riser and pipelines, and assess the stability of the sunken rig. The President is Briefed The President monitors the response and is briefed throughout the day by the White House Situation Room Daily On-Site Press Briefing, Legislative and Intergovernmental Calls are Conducted The next in a daily series of press briefings is conducted between the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the Coast Guard, NOAA, BP and Transocean—this time at the newly-formed Joint Information Center in Robert, La., as well as daily legislative and intergovernmental calls. Assets Deployed To Date Total response vessels: approximately 10 Oily water recovered: approximately 40,000 gallons Response Photos: http://www.flickr.co...gd8/4549418892/ SUNDAY, APRIL 25 Overflights indicated the oil spill size was approximately 48 miles wide by 39 miles long. Outreach to Potentially Impacted Gulf Coast States, Response Equipment Staging Areas Established All potentially impacted Gulf Coast states are notified and invited to participate in the command center located in Robert, La. Response equipment staging areas were established in Venice, La., Biloxi, Miss., and Pensacola, Fla. U.S. Naval Air Station Serves as Staging Facility At the request of the Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy provides Naval Air Station Pensacola as a staging facility for BP-contractor provided equipment (i.e. containment booms, recovery barges, tractor trailer trucks, various pumps and other related oil response equipment). 20 More Vessels and 500 Responders Are Deployed In Case Situation Worsens The response continues to mobilize and move more resources into the gulf to support BP, the responsible party, and apply federal resources to mitigate environmental damage, including moving 20 more vessels to the area and deploying 500 responders MMS Approves Resumption of One of the Two Pipelines Previously Shut Down and Works With BP on Exploration Plan to Drill Relief Wells MMS approves resumption of one of the two pipelines that were previously shut down to allow for inspection, and continued to work with BP on an exploration plan to drill the two relief wells. The President is Briefed The President monitors the response and is briefed throughout the day by the White House Situation Room Daily On-Site Press Briefing, Legislative and Intergovernmental Calls are Conducted The next in a daily series of press briefings is conducted between the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the Coast Guard, NOAA, BP and Transocean at the Joint Information Center in Robert, La., as well as daily legislative and intergovernmental calls. Assets Deployed To Date-20 More Vessels and 500 Responders Total response vessels: more than 30 Boom deployed: 21,340 feet Oily water recovered: approximately 42,000 gallons Dispersant used: 12,600 gallons Dispersant available: approximately 100,000 gallons Overall personnel responding: approximately 500 Response Photos: http://cgvi.uscg.mil...2_itemId=841178 http://www.flickr.co...gd8/4552485336/ MONDAY, APRIL 26 Secretary Salazar Announces Physical Inspections of All Deepwater Rigs Secretary Salazar directs MMS to commence physical inspections of all deepwater rigs to be concluded with two weeks, followed by physical inspections of all deepwater platforms. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Begin Identifying High Priority National Resources for Booming Operations The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service begin working with the Coast Guard and other partners to identify high-priority natural resources (national wildlife refuges) for booming operations along potentially affected Gulf Coast areas. The President is Briefed The President monitors the response and is briefed throughout the day by the White House Situation Room BP Submits Application for Preliminary Drilling MMS reports that the Application for Preliminary Drilling (APD) for the Development Driller III had been submitted by BP and was currently under review. A total of 15 MMS personnel were deployed to support event response. Daily On-Site Press Briefing, Legislative and Intergovernmental Calls are Conducted The next in a daily series of press briefings is conducted between the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the Coast Guard, NOAA, BP and Transocean at the Joint Information Center in Robert, La., as well as daily legislative and intergovernmental calls. Assets Deployed To Date- 500 More Responders Deploy Total response vessels: more than 30 Boom deployed: 21,340 feet Oily water recovered: 48,384 gallons Dispersant used: 14,654 gallons Dispersant available: 119,734 gallons Overall personnel responding: more than 1,000 Response Photos: http://www.flickr.co...57623940838176/ http://www.flickr.co...57623940838176/ http://www.flickr.co...gd8/4558215118/ TUESDAY, APRIL 27 DOI-DHS Announce Formal Investigation Next Steps Secretary Salazar and Secretary Napolitano announce the formal next steps to their joint investigation underway into the causes of the explosion that left 11 workers missing, three critically injured, and an ongoing oil spill that the responsible party and federal agencies are working to contain and clean up. It is proceeding under a Joint Statement of Principles and Convening Order, which convenes the formal joint investigation, and a Memorandum of Agreement, which lays out roles and responsibilities that relate to each agency’s area of expertise. White House Meets with BP to Discuss Response Efforts Numerous top administration officials, including Secretary Napolitano, Secretary Salazar, White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Carol Browner hold meetings in Washington with BP executives and received briefings on company efforts to stop the oil flow. The President is Briefed The President monitors the response and is briefed throughout the day by the White House Situation Room Controlled Burn Plans Are Approved Plans for a controlled burn of contained oil were approved late at night for the following day. Burns of this type are heavily dependent on weather conditions. Daily On-Site Press Briefing, Legislative and Intergovernmental Calls are Conducted The next in a daily series of press briefings is conducted between the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the Coast Guard, NOAA, BP and Transocean at the Joint Information Center in Robert, La., as well as daily legislative and intergovernmental calls. Assets Deployed To Date-20 Additional Vessels Arrive Total response vessels: approximately 50 Boom deployed: 29,280 feet Boom available: 80,900 feet Oily water recovered: 260,652 gallons Dispersant used: 29,140 gallons Dispersant available: 119,734 gallons Overall personnel responding: more than 1,000 Response Photos: http://www.flickr.co...57623940838176/ http://www.flickr.co...57623940838176/ http://www.flickr.co...gd8/4558745875/ http://governor.alab...ail.aspx?ID=995 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28 Controlled Burn Is Conducted A successful controlled, on-location burn is conducted for approximately 30 minutes—a strategy designed to minimize environmental risks by removing large quantities of oil in the Gulf of Mexico following the April 20 explosion. Burns of this type are heavily dependent on weather conditions. Secretary Salazar Travels to BP Command Center in Houston Secretary Salazar travels to the BP command center in Houston to review BP’s operations and response efforts. MMS Approves First Drilling Permit for First Relief Well MMS reports that the drilling permit for the first relief well had been approved, and that the application for the second relief well was under review. U.S. Navy Sends Additional Assets In direct support of the Coast Guard under an existing pollution clean-up and salvage operations agreement, the Navy provides a variety of oil pollution control equipment. The Navy sent thousands of feet of inflatable oil boom with mooring equipment, several skimming systems, related support gear, and personnel to support oil spill response efforts. Naval Air Station Pensacola is serving as a staging facility for Coast Guard contractor-provided equipment. Daily On-Site Press Briefing, Legislative and Intergovernmental Calls are Conducted The next in a daily series of press briefings is conducted between the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the Coast Guard, NOAA, BP and Transocean at the Joint Information Center in Robert, La., as well as daily legislative and intergovernmental calls. Additional Breach Discovered, President is Briefed and Response Escalates Late in the day, BP alerted the U.S. government to an additional breach. As soon as the additional breach was discovered, senior officials from across the government already convened in the White House Situation Room immediately briefed the President on Air Force One, and Rear Admiral Landry is sent back out for the second time that day to brief press, this time on the additional breach and the steps the administration is taking to respond, including that the President urged – out of an abundance of caution, and mindful of the new information – that we must continue to pre-position resources to continue to aggressively confront this incident. Assets Deployed To Date Total response vessels: approximately 50 Boom deployed: 147,100 feet Oily water recovered: 400,080 gallons Dispersant used: 56,000 gallons Dispersant available: 119,734 gallons Overall personnel responding: more than 1,000 Response Photos: http://www.flickr.co...57623940838176/ http://www.flickr.co...N07/4566316896/ More Information can be found here. 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Guest LAW Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill THURSDAY, APRIL 29 Oil Spill Update During the PDB The President receives another in depth briefing of the escalating situation in his morning PDB session Spill of National Significance is Declared and White House Holds Briefing for White House Reporters on The Additional Breach and Corresponding Response Efforts Senior officials from across the government, including Secretary Napolitano, EPA Administrator Jackson and NOAA Administrator Lubchenco and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs brief White House reporters in the White House briefing room on the change in the event: the additional breach. Secretary Napolitano announces that the event would now become designated a Spill of National Significance (SONS), which built on the efforts already underway from day one to leverage the full resources of the federal government to be brought to bear in response to this further escalating event. The SONS designation enabled the appointment of a National Incident Commander to coordinate response resources at the national level. The designation does not provide additional funding or authority—nor was it needed, as that authority already existed and resources were mobilized in case the situation worsened from day one. This is why the day DHS announced the SONS designation, there were already more than 70 vessels in the Gulf of Mexico responding to the spill and approximately 1,100 personnel already deployed and on scene to assist. The President Orders Secretary Salazar to Deliver Report on Additional Safety Measures for Offshore Operations to be Completed Within 30 Days Secretary Salazar receives direction from the President to deliver in 30 days a report with recommendations on what, if any, additional safety measures should be required for offshore operations. He then announced that inspections of all deepwater rigs and platforms were underway. The President Makes Remarks on the Oil Spill’s Escalated Situation The President updates the American people on the worsening situation in the Gulf of Mexico and states that his administration will continue to use every single available resource at our disposal, including potentially the Department of Defense, to address the incident. White House Convenes Deputy’s Committee Meeting in Situation Room The White House convenes a meeting at the deputy secretary level with senior officials from across the government to discuss the escalating situation, the response and to continue planning for worsening situations DoD Designates Mississippi’s Kessler Air Force Base as Base Support Installation DOD designates Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi as a base support installation. The installation will serve as a location where military units conduct logistical operations. DOI Secretary Salazar Hosts Meeting of Oil and Gas Companies to Urge Them To Help Secretary Salazar spends the day in Houston reviewing BP’s operations and response efforts. Upon his return from Houston, Secretary Salazar hosts a meeting of oil and gas companies in his office and urged them to make available all available resources to the response. Daily On-Site Press Briefing, Legislative and Intergovernmental Calls are Conducted The next in a daily series of press briefings was conducted between the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the Coast Guard, NOAA, BP and Transocean at the Joint Information Center in Robert, La., as well as daily legislative and intergovernmental calls. Assets Deployed To Date-Additional 25 Vessels Arrive Total response vessels: approximately 75 Boom deployed: 174,060 feet Boom available: 243,260 feet Oily water recovered: 763,560 gallons Dispersant used: 98,361 gallons Dispersant available: 75,000 gallons Overall personnel responding: more than 1,000 Response Photos: http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=844167 http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=844164 http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/449676main_gulf-spill-full.jpg FRIDAY, APRIL 30 The President Dispatches Senior Administration Officials to the Gulf Coast The President dispatches Secretary Napolitano, Secretary Salazar, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner, and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco to the Gulf Coast. The President Makes Remarks on the Oil Spill’s Escalating Situation The President updates Americans on the ongoing federal response to the worsening BP oil spill National Guard Activation In response to the BP oil spill, the Secretary of Defense authorizes under Title 32 the mobilization of the Louisiana National Guard to help in the ongoing efforts to assist local communities in the cleanup and removal of oil and to protect critical habitats from contamination. Secretary of Defense Approves Request for Two C-130 Aircrafts To Respond The Secretary of Defense approves a request for two C-130 aircraft with Modular Aerial Spray Systems (MASS), which are currently en route to the affected area. The Coast Guard requested assistance from the Department of Defense for these aircraft. These aircraft dispense the same dispersant chemical being used by BP and the federal responders. Each system is capable of covering up to 250 acres per flight with three flights per aircraft per day. Response Crews Begin Testing New Dispersant Technique Response crews begin testing a new technique to break up the oil before it reaches the surface—a remotely operated underwater vehicle dispensing sub-surface dispersant at a rate of nine gallons per minute. Nearly 3,000 gallons of subsea dispersants were applied, and BP and NOAA evaluated these tests to determine the feasibility of continued use of subsea dispersants. EPA Begins Monitoring Water Quality, Administrator Jackson Remains On The Ground EPA begins monitoring water quality in the Gulf Coast region. EPA Administrator Jackson remains on the ground in the region for the following three days, visiting sites in Louisiana and Mississippi and meeting with community leaders, local industry and elected leaders at the state and local level. The President is Briefed The President monitors the response and is briefed throughout the day by the White House Situation Room DOI Establishes Outer Continental Shelf Safety Oversight Board DOI establishes the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Safety Oversight Board to provide recommendations regarding interim measures that may enhance OCS safety, as well as improving and strengthening the Department’s overall management, regulation and oversight of OCS operations. Secretary Salazar will provide a report to President Obama within 30 days on what, if any, immediate additional precautions and technologies should be required Senior Federal and State Officials Hold Joint Press Briefing On-Site Secretary Napolitano, Secretary Salazar, EPA Administrator Jackson, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles conducted a press briefing. Daily legislative and intergovernmental calls were also conducted. NOAA Provides Additional Resources To Protect Critical Wildlife Personnel from NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries program provided additional resources for both response and assessment efforts to protect critical wildlife. Sixth Staging Area Stood Up A sixth staging area is set up in Port Sulphur, La., joining five others in Venice, La., Biloxi, Miss., Pascagoula, Miss., Theodore, Ala., Pensacola, Fla. Assets To Date—1,000 More Responders Arrive Total response vessels: approximately 75 Boom deployed: 217,000 feet Boom available: 305,760 feet Oily water recovered: 853,146 gallons Dispersant used: 139,459 gallons Dispersant available: 51,000 gallons Overall personnel responding: approximately 2,000 Response Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavynvns/4574068993/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavynvns/4574069413/ http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=844563 http://www.flickr.com/photos/uscgd8/4566787948/ SATURDAY, MAY 1 Secretary Napolitano Names U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen to Serve as National Incident Commander As part of the designation of the BP Oil Spill as a Spill of National Significance, Secretary Napolitano announces that Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will serve as the National Incident Commander for the administration’s continued, coordinated response— providing additional coordinated oversight in leveraging every available resource to respond to the BP oil spill and minimize the associated environmental risks. Admiral Allen has overseen Coast Guard efforts since the moment this event began, when the agency responded quickly to the April 20 explosion in a search and rescue capacity in order to save lives. With this formal designation Admiral Allen is able to continue to lead and coordinate ongoing federal actions to mitigate the oil spill, for which BP is responsible and required to pay response and cleanup costs. The President is Briefed The President monitors the response and is briefed throughout the day by the White House Situation Room White House Convenes Deputy’s Committee Meeting in Situation Room The White House convenes a meeting at the deputy secretary level with senior officials from across the government to discuss the escalating situation and the response White House Homeland Security Advisor and U.S. Coast Guard commandant Brief Reporters Via Conference Call on the Ongoing Response Efforts White House Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan and Admiral Allen brief media via conference call about ongoing efforts to contain the spill and minimize associated environmental risks. DoD Airlifts Additional Booms To Better Protect Gulf Coast To prepare for the possible spreading of the oil slick across the Gulf Coast and in support of the 2nd Unified command Center in Mobile, Ala., the Department of Defense airlifted additional boom materials to Mobile, located on four tractor trailers to expedite transportation on the receiving end. Eight Staging Areas Begin Operating Eight staging areas were operating in Venice, La., Biloxi, Miss., Pascagoula, Miss., Theodore, Ala., Pensacola, Fla., Port Sulphur, La., Gulfport, Miss., and Port Fourchon, La. Assets To Date Total response vessels: approximately 75 Boom deployed: 275,580 feet Boom available: 316,470 feet Oily water recovered: more than 1 million gallons Dispersant used: 142,914 gallons Dispersant available: 68,300 gallons Overall personnel responding: approximately 2,000 Response Photos: http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=847276 SUNDAY, MAY 2 President Obama Visits Gulf Coast to Inspect Response Effort President Obama visits the Gulf Coast to inspect response operations firsthand, underscoring the administration’s all-hands-on-deck response to protect the coastline of potentially affected Gulf Coast states. EPA Posts First Air Monitoring Data Results EPA posts on its dedicated response website the first air monitoring data it has collected in the area—with no red flags. NOAA Announces Fishing Restriction NOAA announces a fishing restriction for a minimum of ten days in federal waters most affected by the BP oil spill, largely between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida’s Pensacola Bay. The closure was effective immediately. This order balances economic and health concerns and only closes those areas affected by oil. Details can be found here. Secretaries Napolitano and Salazar Host Gulf Coast States Conference Call Secretaries Janet Napolitano and Ken Salazar spoke by conference call to Governors Haley Barbour (MS), Bob Riley (AL), Rick Perry (TX), Charlie Crist (FL) and the Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Bobby Jindal (LA). Gov. Jindal was with President Obama. They briefed the Governors on the ongoing response to the BP oil spill in the gulf. They spoke specifically about efforts to stop the oil leaks and about mitigating the oil’s impact on the shorelines of their states. Additionally, they spoke about ways to enhance what has been strong cooperation between the federal government and the states. 30 More Vessels and Additional 1,000 Responders Are Deployed to the Gulf Coast The response continues to mobilize and move more resources into the gulf to support BP, the responsible party, and apply federal resources to mitigate environmental damage, including moving 30 more vessels to the area and deploying an additional 1,000 responders BP Begins Accepting Claims BP begins accepting claims for the Gulf Coast oil spill via BP’s helpline at 1-800-440-0858. A BP fact sheet with additional information is available here. Those who have already pursued the BP claims process and are not satisfied with BP’s resolution can call the Coast Guard at 1-800-280-7118. More information about what types of damages are eligible for compensation under the Oil Pollution Act as well as guidance on procedures to seek that compensation can be found here. Additional DoD Assets Arrive Two Modular Aerial Spray System (MASS) aircraft were deployed in support of the event. Both aircraft have multiple missions scheduled daily, contingent on weather. These aircraft can dispense the same dispersant chemical being used by BP and the federal responders. Each system is capable of covering up to 250 acres per flight with three flights per aircraft per day—building on existing dispersant capabilities. A C-17 aircraft carrying pollution response boom components for support flew from Travis AFB in California and arrived at Mobile International Airport. MMS Reports that BP Begins Drilling First Deep-Water Intercept Relief Well MMS reported that BP began drilling the first deep-water intercept relief well. This action is expected to take approximately 90 days. Assets To Date—30 More Vessels and Additional 1,000 Responders Arrive Total response vessels: 104 Boom deployed: 243,200 feet Boom available: 522,821 feet Oily water recovered: more than 1 million gallons Dispersant used: 156,012 gallons Dispersant available: 75,124 gallons Overall personnel responding: approximately 3,000 MONDAY, MAY 3 The President Dispatches Senior Cabinet Officials Back to the Gulf Coast The President dispatches the secretaries of Commerce, Interior and Homeland Security, the EPA Administrator and the NOAA Administrator to return to the Gulf Coast this week. Specific details on their travel will come from their departments and agencies, but collectively they will be inspecting the ongoing, coordinated response efforts to mitigate the impact of the spill on public health, the environment and the economy. They will meet with business owners to discuss potential economic impacts of this spill across the Gulf Coast region. Senior Administration Officials Meet with BP Senior Leadership Secretary Salazar, Secretary Napolitano, EPA Administrator Jackson and other members of the Obama administration met with BP CEO Tony Hayward and BP America Chairman and President Lamar McKay at the Department of the Interior to discuss ongoing, coordinated response efforts and receive an update on BP’s mitigation plans for potentially impacted Gulf Coast states. This was the most recent in a series of meetings that have taken place between administration leadership and BP leadership. White House Convenes Deputy’s Committee Meeting in Situation Room The White House convenes a meeting at the deputy secretary level with senior officials from across the government to discuss the escalating situation, the response and to continue planning for worsening situations More Than 2,000 Volunteers Are Trained To Assist More than 2,000 volunteers receive training to assist in the response effort to that date. Volunteer recruitment efforts include outreach to local fishermen with boats, which can be used as vessels of opportunity to assist contractors in deploying boom. OSHA Ensures Cleanup Workers Receive Necessary Protection Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels visits Louisiana with a team of experienced hazardous materials professionals leading an effort to ensure that oil spill cleanup workers receive necessary protections from the hazards of this work. OSHA is consulting with BP, as well as federal agency partners, to ensure that workers receive appropriate training and protective equipment. Assets To Date—80 More Vessels Arrive Total response vessels: 183 Boom deployed: 156,703 feet Boom available: 530,061 feet Oily water recovered: more than 1 million gallons Dispersant used: 156,012 gallons Dispersant available: 230,138 gallons Overall personnel responding: approximately 3,000 TUESDAY, MAY 4 Cabinet Officials Brief Members of Congress Secretary Salazar, Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, Administrator Jackson, DHS Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute and Admiral Allen provided a bi-partisan and bi-cameral briefing to Congress on the administration’s all-hands-on-deck response to the spill. They updated members of Congress on the status of ongoing, coordinated response efforts in the Gulf coast states and delivered an update on BP’s mitigation plans for potentially impacted Gulf Coast states. Cabinet Officials Host Daily Coordination Calls with the Gulf Coast State Governors To ensure consistent coordination with the Gulf Coast states, Admiral Thad Allen, Secretaries Janet Napolitano and Ken Salazar, Administrator Lisa Jackson and NOAA Deputy Under Secretary Monica Medina began daily calls with the Governors from the five Gulf Coast states to provide updates on the response to the BP oil spill and answer any questions that arise. Governors Barbour, Crist, Jindal, Perry and Riley have been invited to participate in the daily calls moving forward. These daily calls are a follow up to the calls last Friday and Sunday between the Governors and the agencies involved in the federal response, as well as the calls last week between the President and the Governors and the President’s visit to the region on Sunday. These calls are intended to further the already unprecedented cooperation and focused effort between state and local officials and the federal government in response to this situation. National Guard Activation Secretary Gates has authorized use of Title 32 status for up to 17,500 National Guard members in four states: Alabama (3,000), Florida (2,500), Louisiana (6,000) and Mississippi (6,000). The state of Louisiana has activated approximately 1,200 National Guard members under Title 32 for command and control and sandbagging operations in St Bernard and Plaquemines parishes. Louisiana National Guard personnel are actively manning the Joint Operations Center and Tactical Aviation Cell. 20 More Vessels and 4,500 Responders Are Deployed to the Gulf Coast The response continues to mobilize and move more resources into the gulf to support BP, the responsible party, and apply federal resources to mitigate environmental damage, including moving 20 more vessels to the area and deploying an additional 4,500 responders Air Quality Monitoring EPA’s Air Quality Index (AQI) tracks levels of particulate matter and ozone along the Gulf Coast—data available publicly daily at http://www.airnow.gov and http://gulfcoast.airnowtech.org. In addition to these monitors, EPA’s emergency response teams have put up multiple monitoring stations to track larger particulate matter. The location of these monitoring stations is flexible as conditions change during this response. The next in a daily series of press briefings was conducted between the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the Coast Guard, NOAA, BP and Transocean at the Joint Information Center in Robert, La., as well as daily legislative and intergovernmental calls. Assets To Date—20 More Vessels and 4,000 Responders Arrive Total response vessels: nearly 200 Boom deployed: 367,881 feet Boom available: more than 1 million feet Oily water recovered: more than 1 million gallons Dispersant used: nearly 160,000 gallons Dispersant available: 230,000 gallons Overall personnel responding: approximately 7,500 WEDNESDAY, MAY 5 Secretary Salazar Gulf Coast Visit Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar surveyed ongoing response efforts to combat the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, inspecting the four-story cofferdam that will attempt to capture the largest leak from the damaged wellhead; making an aerial survey of containment and cleanup efforts underway on Gulf waters; and visiting national wildlife refuges on the Louisiana and Alabama coast to assess on-the-ground efforts to protect sensitive areas. Successful Controlled Burn Favorable weather conditions allowed responders to conduct a successful controlled burn operation. As part of a coordinated response that combines tactics deployed above water, below water, offshore, and close to coastal areas, controlled burns efficiently remove oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife. NASA Satellite Assets At NOAA’s request, NASA has agreed to use their ER-2 aircraft, equipped with a highly specialized scanner (the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) system) to provide NOAA high resolution images of the threatened Gulf shoreline. This will assist valuable NOAA’s damage assessment activities by forecasting spill trajectories and conducting mass balance calculations. Additionally, NASA has employed satellite instruments both to detect the extent of the entire oil spill, and to see the details of the extent of selected areas of the spill. Additional Staging Location A 10th staging location was established in Panama City, Fla., joining nine others in Biloxi, Miss., Pensacola, Fla., Pascagoula, Miss., Dauphin Island, Ala., Port Sulphur, La., Shell Beach, La., Slidell, La., Port Fourchon, La., and Venice, La. Aerial Dispersant Spray Missions Modular Aerial Spray System (MASS) aircraft flew four missions—dispensing the same dispersant chemical being used by BP and the federal responders. These systems are capable of covering up to 250 acres per flight. Seafood Inspection NOAA Fisheries continues to collect seafood samples and transfer those to the National Seafood Inspection Lab. NOAA Ocean and Marsh Imaging Flights Two NOAA turbo-prop aircraft are positioned in Mobile, Ala. One will fly marine mammal survey missions—the second aircraft will conduct ocean imaging missions, providing valuable information about the oil thickness and density on the sea surface. A third NOAA aircraft is positioned in New Orleans and staged to conduct aerial photographic flights of marsh areas. Ocean Exploration Mission A NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research-sponsored mission is en route to collect seafloor and water column data from areas near the oil spill source. National Park Service Response Website The National Park Service created an oil spill response website, available at http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm, to update the public about potential park closures, resources at risk, and NPS actions to protect vital park space and wildlife. Total response vessels: nearly 200 Boom deployed: 564,991 feet (regular plus sorbent boom) Boom available: 1.6 million feet (regular plus sorbent boom) Oily water recovered: more than 1.2 million gallons Dispersant used: more than 190,000 gallons Dispersant available: more than 55,600 gallons Overall personnel responding: approximately 7,900 THURSDAY, MAY 6 Top Officials Visit Gulf Coast Top administration officials traveled to the Gulf Coast at the direction of the President 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. Secretary Napolitano and Secretary Locke visited to Biloxi, Miss., and Pensacola, Fla., 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. Administrator Lubchenco accompanied the group to Biloxi, then joined White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley in Pascagoula, Miss., to tour NOAA’s seafood inspection lab. Secretary Salazar visited the Mobile Command Center in Mobile, Ala., to observe response efforts and talk with responders about ongoing operations and mitigation plans. He also met with BP Officials at their command center in Houston to get an update on BP’s efforts to close down their leaks. EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe traveled to Louisiana, where he reviewed EPA’s ongoing air and water monitoring activities, met with local and community leaders, and assessed the environmental situation on the ground. Low-Interest Loans for Small Businesses Small Business Administration Administrator Karen Mills announced the agency is making low-interest loans available to Louisiana Gulf Coast small businesses suffering financial losses following the oil spill, which shut down commercial and recreational fishing along the state’s southeast coast—acting under the SBA’s authority to offer economic injury assistance in response to a May 4 request from Gov. Bobby Jindal. NOAA Mission Redirected for Oil Spill Response A NOAA-sponsored ocean mission, set to explore for deep sea corals, has been redirected to collect seafloor and water column data from areas near the Gulf of Mexico oil spill source. Researchers from the National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology are on a university research ship to obtain core sediment samples from the seafloor and water samples from the water column in areas near the spill source. The samples are expected to provide important information about the abundance of marine organisms and the presence of chemicals in ocean water and sediments—information for a baseline against which to measure change if those areas are affected by sinking oil. Oil Reaches Shoreline Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Teams (SCAT)—federal, state and BP officials working to assess and determine how cleanup will be conducted, and oversee cleanup operations—confirmed that oil was found on the beach at Chandeleur Islands, a small group of uninhabited barrier islands off the northeast of the Mississippi Delta. The Chandeleur Islands are part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge. Successful Controlled Burn Favorable weather conditions allowed responders to conduct a successful controlled burn operation for the second consecutive day. As part of a coordinated response that combines tactics deployed above water, below water, offshore, and close to coastal areas, controlled burns efficiently remove oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife. Emergency Response Stockpiles Arrive More than 80 flatbed trucks carrying Emergency Ship Salvage Material supplies—part of a managed network of emergency response equipment stockpiles pre-positioned to support and augment U.S. Navy Fleet capabilities to respond to pollution and other events—have arrived at staging areas for immediate deployment. Cofferdam Drill Ship Inspection Completed MMS completed its production system inspection for the drill ship Discoverer Enterprise—the vessel that will be used to operate the cofferdam system and process the oily water pumped from the riser plume. CDC Toxic Substance Monitoring The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry are monitoring the gulf oil spill and offering assistance as needed to lead federal agencies and impacted states and communities. Oil Cleanup Worker Health & Safety Training National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is working with BP contractors to provide technical assistance in development and deployment of health and safety training to workers. New Weather Forecast Website NOAA’s National Weather Service has created a special forecast website, available at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lix/. NOAA Aircraft Missions NOAA aircraft flew marine mammal survey missions and ocean imaging missions—providing valuable information about the oil thickness and density on the ocean surface. NPS Incident Management Teams The National Park Service has activated two incident management teams in the Gulf. Many other park service employees in the area are supporting the response with technical information and assistance. Aerial Dispersant Spray Missions Modular Aerial Spray System (MASS) aircraft flew numerous dispersant missions—dispensing the same dispersant chemical being used by BP and the federal responders. These systems are capable of covering up to 250 acres per flight. To ensure nearby residents are informed and protected, the EPA is constantly monitoring air quality in the Gulf area through air monitoring air craft, and fixed and mobile air stations. Total response vessels: nearly 270 Boom deployed: approximately 750,000 feet (regular plus sorbent boom) Boom available: 1.4 million feet (regular plus sorbent boom) Oily water recovered: more than 1.8 million gallons Dispersant used: more than 253,000 gallons Dispersant available: more than 317,000 gallons Overall personnel responding: more than 10,000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LAW Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 FRIDAY, MAY 7 Deploying and Activating the Coffer Dam The Unified Area Command is carefully tracking the complicated procedure to assemble a subsea capture system that would entail pumping leaking oil up to a vessel on the surface. Offshore Drilling Permit Applications Halted Secretary Salazar announced that, as a result of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill, beginning April 20—the date of the explosion—no applications for drilling permits will go forward for any new offshore drilling activity until the Department of the Interior completes the safety review process that President Obama requested. In accordance with the President’s request, the Department will deliver its report to the President by May 28. The only exceptions to the new rule regarding permit approvals are the two relief wells that are being drilled in response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Expanded Fishing Restriction NOAA has modified and expanded the boundaries of the closed fishing area to better reflect the current location of the oil spill, and is extending the fishing restriction until May 17. The closed area now represents slightly less than 4.5 percent of Gulf of Mexico federal waters. The original closure boundaries, which took effect last Sunday, encompassed less than three percent. This leaves many areas that are still available for fishing. The vast majority of Gulf waters has not been affected by the oil spill and continues to support productive fisheries and tourism activities. NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco and her staff will continue to meet with fishermen in the oil-affected area to listen to their concerns and share with them what NOAA scientists have learned so far about how the oil might be affecting their potential seafood catch. Fish & Wildlife Monitoring More than 160 Fish & Wildlife Service personnel are involved in the oil spill response in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the west coast of Florida. Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Teams (SCAT) continue to assess and determine how cleanup will be conducted, and oversee cleanup operations. FWS personnel continue to conduct overflights of the Chandeleur Islands today to monitor the status of the brown pelican colonies. FWS closed the Breton National Wildlife Refuge to public entry. The refuge closure is important to keep the public safe, to minimize disturbance to nesting colonial sea birds, and to allow personnel conducting cleanup operations and recovery efforts to work safely and efficiently. Emergency Food Support USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) met with Louisiana food bank directors to discuss potential need for USDA food support and to assess inventory that might be available for distribution to affected areas. FNS was informed that BP has made a $100,000 contribution to assist with local emergency food needs. FNS discussed income eligibility of potential Louisiana women, infants and children affected by the oil spill with the State of Louisiana. Secretary Salazar Oversight Activities Secretary Salazar continued his oversight activities in a meeting with BP officials in Houston today and met with the manufacturers of the Blowout Preventer (BOP) device to discuss the damaged wellhead. The BOPs contain mechanisms designed to shut off the flow of oil and gas, either on command or automatically, when a wellhead is damaged or experiences a blowout. Federal and company engineers are seeking to determine why the BOP atop the Deepwater Horizon well failed to activate as designed. Secretary Salazar directed U.S. Geological Survey Director Dr. Marcia McNutt to remain at BP’s command center to help coordinate the joint efforts of federal scientists and BP engineers who are working on several technological challenges and approaches to securing the damaged well head, capturing the leak and controlling the spill. Aerial Dispersant Missions Modular Aerial Spray System (MASS) aircraft flew multiple missions—dispensing the same dispersant chemical being used by BP and the federal responders. These systems are capable of covering up to 250 acres per flight. Successful Controlled Burn Favorable weather conditions allowed responders to conduct a successful controlled burn operation for the second consecutive day. As part of a coordinated response that combines tactics deployed above water, below water, offshore, and close to coastal areas, controlled burns efficiently remove oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife. Total response vessels: nearly 270 Boom deployed: approximately 829,000 feet – more than 150 miles (regular plus sorbent boom) Boom available: approximately 1.3 million feet (regular plus sorbent boom) Oily water recovered: nearly 1.9 million gallons Dispersant used: more than 282,000 gallons Dispersant available: more than 317,000 gallons Overall personnel responding: more than 10,000 SATURDAY, MAY 8 Natural Resources Impact Assessments Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland and National Parks Service Director John Jarvis surveyed the impact of the oil spill on natural resources in the Gulf Islands. In total, 310 DOI personnel have been deployed as part of the oil spill response, representing the DOI Gulf Leadership Team, FWS, MMS, NPS and the DOI Office of Emergency Management. U.S. Geological Survey Oil Response Team Activated The U.S. Geological Survey Oil Response Team was activated to communicate and coordinate daily response activities, including supplying biologic, coastal geology, hydrology and geographic data to other agencies, partners, and emergency responders. Damage Assessment Activities NOAA’s Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program is coordinating an assessment of damage to natural resources with federal partners, BP (as the responsible party), and trustees in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. Multiple agencies from each state are engaged. This assessment will gauge impacts to fish, shellfish, marine mammals, turtles, birds and other sensitive resources as well as their habitats, including wetlands, beaches, mudflats, bottom sediments, corals and the water column. The trustees will also assess any lost human uses of these resources, for example, fishing, hunting, and beach recreational closures. The trustees are also assessing the efficacy of evaluating impacts from the response, including burning, and dispersant use at the surface and at depth. Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) is a legal process to determine the type and amount of restoration needed to compensate the public for harm to natural resources and their human uses that occur as a result of an oil spill. For more information, visit here. Expanded Low-Interest Small Business Loans SBA Administrator Karen Mills announced that SBA is making economic injury assistance available in 21 additional parishes for small businesses suffering financial losses following the Deepwater BP oil spill that shut down commercial and recreational fishing along the state’s southeast coast. With these additions, SBA economic injury loans are now available in 34 Louisiana parishes and seven Mississippi counties. Fishing Industry Engagement NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco and her staff continue to meet with fishermen in the oil-affected area to listen to their concerns and share with them what NOAA scientists have learned so far about how the oil might be affecting their potential seafood catch. NOAA Observational Flights NOAA aircraft flew observational overflights of the oil spill, during which trained observers recorded locations of oil and affected wildlife. NOAA aircraft also flew coastal photography and mapping missions. A NOAA P‐3 aircraft (one of NOAA’s hurricane hunter aircraft) flew preparatory missions to calibrate trajectory models of the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current. Total response vessels: more than 270 Boom deployed: approximately 923,000 feet (regular plus sorbent boom) Boom available: approximately 1.3 million feet (regular plus sorbent boom) Oily water recovered: nearly 2.1 million gallons Dispersant used: approximately 290,000 gallons Dispersant available: more than 185,000 gallons Overall personnel responding: more than 10,000 SUNDAY, MAY 9 DOI Leadership Deployments Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar dispatched Director of the National Park Service Jon Jarvis and Acting Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service Rowan Gould to command centers along the Gulf Coast to help lead efforts to protect coastal communities and natural resources from oil spill. Jarvis is stationed in the Mobile, Ala., Incident Command Center, and Gould is stationed in the Houma, La., Incident Command Center. Drilling Rig Inspection and Oversight MMS has completed its inspections of all 30 deepwater drilling rigs and is now inspecting all deepwater production platforms. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) continues to work with BP to explore all options that could stop or mitigate oil leaks from the damaged well. Pursuant to MMS’s regulatory authority, all plans are being reviewed and approved by MMS before implementation. Snare Booms Erected Cleanup crews have placed snare boom to collect tarballs in the affected area on Dauphin Island. Snare boom can be staked along beaches and shoreline to act as a filter and prevent tarballs from coming ashore. Analysis of the tarballs is being conducted to determine the origin of the oil and may take 48 hours to complete. Shoreline assessment teams typically consist of three or four trained personnel prepared to evaluate a section of shoreline, equipped with proper protective gear. Trained volunteers may assist members of the group. Team members must have basic site safety training and training sufficient to complete an evaluation of the beach. Reports of tarballs can be made to the Coast Guard at any time at 1-800-448-5816. 13 Staging Areas Along Gulf Coast 13 staging areas have been set up to protect vital shoreline in all potentially affected Gulf Coast states (Biloxi, Miss., Pascagoula, Miss., Pensacola, Fla., Panama City, Fla., Dauphin Island, Ala., Grand Isle, La., Shell Beach, La., Slidell, La., Venice, La., Orange Beach, Al., Theodore, Al., Pass Christian, Ms., Cocodrie, La.). NOAA Oversight Activities NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco met with scientists at the Dauphin Island (Ala.) Sea Lab and representatives from the Mobile (Ala.) Port Authority, and participated in a briefing at the Mobile Incident Command Center. NOAA continues to provide scientific support including: modeling the trajectory and location of the oil, getting pre-impact shoreline samples surveys and baseline measurements, and planning for open water and shoreline remediation. NOAA Observational Flights One of NOAA’s P-3 (hurricane hunter) aircraft conducted a flight to help monitor the location of the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current. NOAA also flew missions for marine mammal surveys, coastal photography and mapping purposes. Assets to Date Total response vessels: more than 275 Boom deployed: more than 1 million feet (regular plus sorbent boom) Boom available: more than 1.3 million feet (regular plus sorbent boom) Oily water recovered: approximately 3.5 million gallons Dispersant used: approximately 325,000 gallons Dispersant available: more than 500,000 gallons Overall personnel responding: approximately 10,000 MONDAY, MAY 10 The President Meets with Cabinet Members in the Situation Room President Obama met with a number of Cabinet members and senior staff in the White House Situation Room to review BP’s efforts to stop the oil leak as well as to decide on next steps to ensure all is being done to contain the spread, mitigate the environmental impact and provide assistance to affected states, including individuals, businesses, and communities. The President asked Energy Secretary Stephen Chu to lead a team of top administration officials and government scientists to Houston this week for an extensive dialogue with BP officials to continue to aggressively pursue potential solutions. In addition, to deal more generally with the harms created by oil spills, the President has requested that legislation be sent to Congress to toughen and update the law surrounding caps on damages. EPA Administrator Jackson Returns to the Gulf Coast Administrator Jackson made another visit to the Gulf region to oversee efforts to mitigate the environmental and human health impact of the ongoing BP oil spill—visiting Baton Rouge, La., to receive a briefing by Louisiana State University scientists; and Robert, La., to receive a briefing by federal agency scientists. Secretary Salazar Dispatches Top Land Management Official Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced today that Director of the Bureau of Land Management Robert Abbey has been dispatched to the Gulf Coast to support ongoing response efforts to the BP Deepwater oil spill. Navy Supports Skimming Operations The U.S. Navy is providing assistance in the areas of skimming and salvage operations—including 16 Modular Skimming Systems deployed to Gulfport, Miss. 1,400 total associated Department of Defense personnel have been deployed in support of spill cleanup and mitigation. New Staging Location Opens in Amelia, La. 14 staging areas have been set up to protect vital shoreline in all potentially affected Gulf Coast states (Biloxi, Miss., Pascagoula, Miss., Pensacola, Fla., Panama City, Fla., Dauphin Island, Ala., Grand Isle, La., Shell Beach, La., Slidell, La., Venice, La., Orange Beach, Al., Theodore, Al., Pass Christian, Ms., Amelia, La., and Cocodrie, La.). Property Damage Claims Processed BP reports that 5,710 property damage claims have been opened, from which $2.4 million has been disbursed. No claims have been denied at this time. Approximately 60 operators are answering phones, and average wait time is currently less than a minute. To file a claim, or report spill-related damage, call BP’s helpline at (800) 440-0858. For 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. NOAA Conducts Research and Evaluation NOAA Research is evaluating the information obtained from the NOAA P-3 (hurricane hunter) aircraft flight over the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current on May 8. Lessons Learned from Exxon Valdez Examined Alaska and Louisiana Sea Grant personnel are meeting regularly with Alaska Oil Spill Responders to explore lessons learned from the Exxon Valdez incident and possible applications to the Deepwater Horizon. NOAA’s Sea Grant is a university-based network of more than 3,000 scientists, engineers and educators. Fish & Wildlife Field Crews Respond Eight field crews have been deployed from the Dennis Pass Wildlife Staging Area to observe the impact on wildlife due to the spill. Wildlife search and capture teams conducted boat operations from the Lake Borgne to the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River and west to Cameron, La. Four helicopters conducted aerial surveys to observe wildlife and determine if rescue operations are needed in potentially affected areas. Water and Sediment is Sampled The U.S. Geological Survey completed water and sediment sampling at 16 sites along coastal Alabama and Mississippi. USGS is preparing for sampling in Texas and Florida, and also for sea-grass bed surveys. Plans Begin for Bioremediation USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is assessing the capabilities of Plant Materials Centers and asking commercial growers to ramp up plant propagation efforts for potential future bioremediation efforts. Aerial Dispersant Spray Missions Flown Modular Aerial Spray System (MASS) aircraft flew multiple missions—dispensing the same dispersant chemical being used by BP and the federal responders. These systems are capable of covering up to 250 acres per flight. Assets to Date Total response vessels: more than 290 Boom deployed: more than 1 million feet (regular plus sorbent boom) Boom available: more than 1.4 million feet (regular plus sorbent boom) Oily water recovered: approximately 3.6 million gallons Dispersant used: approximately 372,000 gallons Dispersant available: more than 180,000 gallons Overall personnel responding: approximately 10,000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest norwegcat Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 U.S. Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-05) released the following statement denouncing comments made by Rep. Joe Barton of Texas during a hearing by the House Energy & Commerce Committee: "People’s livelihoods are being threatened by this oil spill. The economic and cleanup costs are immeasurable at this point. BP is responsible for those costs and this Member of Congress will make sure they pay up. "While the administration has bungled the response, the facts still remain that this is BP’s mess and they will be held accountable.” Barton is an absolute **smile** who lives in the pocket of BP lobbyists. He puts his own personal financial interests ahead of the country!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest insightbites Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Montage of clips from Keith Olbermann and (mostly) Rachel Maddow, regarding BP CEO's (Tony Hayward) June 17, 2010, testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, focusing mainly on the ranking Republican member, Texas U.S. Representative, Joe Barton, who offered a heartfelt apology to Hayward and BP for the White House's "shakedown" of BP and $20 billion "slush fund" creation from the day before. Rachel puts it all in perspective as she analyzes it in terms of the broader Republican Party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Independent Thinker Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Why does the Republican Party want taxpayers to foot the bill of this disaster? I thought the Republican party was for no taxes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jack Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Representatives Barton and Price have nothing to apologize for. Look, it may sound cold hearted but it is the truth – big business is the driving force in American economics and big oil is big business, creating tens of thousands of jobs in America and uptold billions of economic good. My only complaint is that BP caved in to democrats rather than reward their stockholders. Instead of pouting and begging for a free handout, those freeloaders living in the Gulf who are out a dollar or two should look for other work. I am proud that the Republican Party has been and always will be the defender of big business and big profit in America. Let the freeloaders and crybabies in the Gulf region go find a democrat (if they exist down there) to beg for handouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Suck My Pump Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Dude you do not know what the frak you are talking about. I hope you mouth that sentiment in public. Lets see how you feel after someone shoves a quart of oil down your throat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GOBama Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 I liked the fact that President Obama sat down with BP Execs and persuaded them to set up the escrow fund that is completely lawful. Not only is it lawful, it is a great victory for people damaged by the spill. We now have a voluntary assurance that BP will pay AT LEAST $20 billion dollars to the victims of the spill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tea Party Patriot Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 I am not so sure about this $20 Billion spill fund is all that great. Unless Congress changes the rules, British Petroleum will be able to write off the whole enchilada. That means it will essentially pay $5 Billion less on taxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pamela Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Sulfur and sulfuric acid based dispersant makes the oil spewing into the gulf sink, where its impossible to clean up--and where it depletes oxygen levels under the water, killing plankton and everything above plankton in the food chain. You are correct if the Corexit toxicity levels are high. Embryo-larval and early life stages generally are more sensitive to Corexit. The half maximal effective concentration (EC50) Corexit dispersants induces a decreased growth response in half of tested organisms halfway between the baseline and maximum after 48 to 96 hours. The half maximal lethal concentration (LC50) Corexit dispersants causes mortality in 50% of test organisms in 48 to 96 hours. http://www.iosc.org/papers/00020.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LAW Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Although the crude oil is more toxic than the authorized dispersants, much is unknown about the long term environmental impacts of dispersants when used in these unprecedented volumes on the surface and in the subsea. Because of this and due to the effectiveness of subsea applications, EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard directed BP to significantly ramp down their use of dispersants. BP has complied and has significantly reduced dispersant use. “It is the consensus of the group that up to this point, use of dispersants and the effects of dispersing oil into the water column has generally been less environmentally harmful than allowing the oil to migrate on the surface into the sensitive wetlands and near shore coastal habitats,” said Nancy Kinner, University of New Hampshire co‐director of the Coastal Response Research Center. http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/dispersants/science-meeting.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greenzen Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 The news just keeps getting worse... http://www.huliq.com/9990/methane-newest-bp-oil-spill-threat-gulf-mexico Methane is newest BP oil spill threat for Gulf of Mexico oil spill cleanup All eyes have been on the continuous outflow of oil in the Gulf of Mexico but a new and less known threat has surfaced. Methane gas keeps being released in the gulf waters and threatens the natural habitat of sea creatures. The “flow team” of the US Geological Survey estimates that 2,900 cubit feet of methane gas is being released into the gulf waters with every barrel of oil. The constant flow of 20,000 barrels of crude oil would place the total daily amount of methane at roughly 5.8 million cubic feet. Methane gas depletes the natural oxygen levels found in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico which are crucial for the survival of plankton and other sea creatures in the natural food chain. The high concentration of methane is now threatening to suffocate the seafood population. The US Geological Survey team estimates that since the April 20th accident on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform that 4.5 billion cubic feet of methane has already been released but the total amount could be as high as 9 billion cubic feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Europa Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 The government believes that a bubble of methane burst up from the seafloor and ignited the rig explosion. Methane crystals also clogged a four-story containment box that engineers earlier tried to place on top of the breached well. Now they are talking that the methane will suffocate sea life in the gulf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BP Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 BP announced today that oil and gas is flowing through a second containment system attached to the Deepwater Horizon rig’s failed blow out preventer (BOP). This second system supplements the lower marine riser package (LMRP) cap containment system, which remains in operation. The new system is connected directly to the BOP and carries oil and gas through a manifold and hoses to the Q4000 vessel on the surface. The Q4000 uses a specialised clean-burning system to flare oil and gas captured by this second system. Oil and gas collected from the BOP reached the Q4000 at approximately 1:00 am CDT (7.00 am BST) on June 16. Operations continue to stabilise and optimise the performance of the second containment system. Information on the volume of oil collected and gas flared by the LMRP cap containment system is being updated twice daily on BP’s website, www.bp.com. When measurements are available for volumes of oil and gas being flared by the Q4000, this information will be added to the updates on BP’s website. Neither the new capture system nor the LMRP containment cap system has ever before been deployed at these depths and conditions, and their efficiency and ability to contain the oil and gas cannot be assured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BP Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 BP today announced significant progress in its half-billion dollar pledge to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GRI). Three research institutions in the Gulf region will receive a total of $25 million in fast-track funding for high-priority studies of the distribution, composition and ecological interactions of oil and dispersant. On May 24 BP announced a commitment of up to $500 million to the GRI open research program to study the impact of the Deepwater Horizon incident, and its associated response, on the environment and public health in the Gulf of Mexico. "It is vitally important that research start immediately into the oil and dispersant's impact, and that the findings are shared fully and openly," said BP chief executive Tony Hayward. "We support the independence of these institutions and projects, and hope that the funding will have a significant positive effect on scientists' understanding of the impact of the spill." Three initial studies will help establish critical baseline data as the foundation for subsequent research. In this first round of funding, GRI is providing: * $5 million to Louisiana State University; * $10 million to the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) hosted by the University of South Florida; * $10 million to the Northern Gulf Institute (NGI), a consortium led by Mississippi State University (NGI). The $5 million to LSU is part of GRI's commitment to provide $10 million over 10 years to the university. This was announced by GRI at its launch on May 24, 2010. This funding is in recognition of LSU's significant experience in dealing with the oil and gas industry, and its deep multi-disciplinary knowledge of the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf region. "Being selected to receive funds from BP to conduct research into the impacts of oil spills and dispersants on the environment is truly a testament to the high-caliber research expertise of our faculty," said LSU Interim Vice Chancellor for Research & Economic Development Doris Carver. "These grant dollars will allow our researchers to put their expertise to work to help understand the environmental impacts of oil spills and to develop solutions to help mitigate those impacts." FIO is a consortium of 20 institutions in Florida with marine science interests, including the 11 state universities. FIO was established by the State University System to support Florida's coastal marine science, oceanography and management programs through education, research, and public outreach. FIO facilitates the activities of educators, scientists and agencies responding to state, regional, national and international issues through provision of centralized facilities and research vessels. "I am proud of the Florida Institute of Oceanography and the service it has provided to our state and nation in this time of crisis," said Frank T. Brogan, Chancellor of the State University System of Florida. "As a statewide collaborative of researchers from public and private universities and marine research institutes, the FIO is uniquely positioned to provide an organized approach to this research effort. BP's support will enable the institute to develop critical baseline data for scientists to use as they continue their work on how to best deal with the ramifications of the spill in the Gulf of Mexico." "We are very pleased to begin addressing the immediate needs of assessing the impact on the state of Florida," said William Hogarth, acting director of the FIO and dean of USF's College of Marine Science. "We look forward to continuing to work on researching, monitoring and understanding the impacts of the oil spill on Florida." NGI is a consortium of universities led by Mississippi State University, in partnership with the University of Southern Mississippi, Louisiana State University, Florida State University, and Dauphin Island Sea Lab. "Based at Stennis Space Center, NGI and its member universities have proven themselves to be leaders in research that can advance our scientific understanding of the Gulf region and its climate, natural resources, and habitat," said David Shaw, Mississippi State's Vice President for Research and Economic Development. The institute will bring extensive background and expertise to this very important undertaking." In the near future BP will publish a Request for Proposals, inviting research institutions to participate in an independent peer-review process to register their interest in becoming a GRI Research Center. These centers will be selected by a peer review process, overseen by GRI's Advisory Council. GRI will use the highest professional standards in determining the institutions that will receive this competitive funding. Once issued, the RFP will be available to download from www.bp.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DeepwaterHorizonJIC Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 Dr. Heidi Stout details the efforts at the Theodore Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center as Rachael Newman and Michelle Bellizzi show how an oiled gannet is cleaned June 17, 2010. U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 3rd Class Colin White. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DeepwaterHorizonJIC Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 Horizon Hotline: * Environmental Hotline/Community Information - 866-448-5816 * Assistance Hotline/Boom Reports - 281-366-5511 * Vessels of Opportunity (boats) - (866) 279-7983 or (877) 847-7470 * Wildlife Distress Hotline - 866-557-1401 * PEC Hotline (Specialty Volunteer Training) - 866-647-2338 * Claims Hotline - 800-440-0858 * Medical Support Hotline - 888-623-028 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DeepwaterHorizonJIC Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 PAST 24 HOURS BP Continues to Optimize Oil Recovery Rates from its Leaking Well BP continues to capture some oil and burn gas at the surface using its containment dome technique, which is being executed under the federal government’s direction. In addition to the Discoverer Enterprise, which is linked by the riser pipe to the wellhead, a second recovery vessel, the Q4000, continues to flare off additional oil and gas being brought up through the choke and kill lines—a method that was also put in place at the government’s direction. Progress Continues in Drilling Relief Wells The Development Driller III continues to drill the first relief well to a depth of approximately 11,000 feet below the sea floor, and crews have begun the process of cementing and casing the well liner. The Development Driller II has drilled the second relief well—a redundancy measure taken at the direction of the administration—to a depth of approximately 5,000 feet below the sea floor. Interior Department Reaches Nearly 1,000 Personnel Deployed to Gulf Response The Department of the Interior has deployed nearly 1,000 total personnel as part of the administration-wide response to the BP oil spill—including approximately 500 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 170 from the Minerals Management Service, nearly 200 from the National Park Service and approximately 70 from the U.S. Geological Survey, in addition to senior officials engaged both in Washington and leading DOI efforts along the Gulf Coast, with all actions coordinated by National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen. Volunteers Receive Training to Help National Park Visitors Understand the Oil Spill Community volunteers will start joining National Park Service rangers on the shores of Gulf Islands National Seashore to talk with summer visitors about the oil spill’s effects on the barrier islands and their natural and cultural resources. Prior to working on the beaches, the volunteers will receive training from NPS rangers, biologists and communications specialists. Join this training to film/interview community members who will learn the knowledge and techniques to provide key information to beach goers related to health and safety, recreational opportunities, and resource protection messages. EPA Continues to Conduct Air, Water and Sediment Monitoring in the Gulf. EPA is conducting additional air monitoring for ozone and airborne particulate matter. The air monitoring conducted through June 17 has found levels of ozone and particulates ranging from the "good" to "unhealthy for sensitive groups" levels on EPA’s Air Quality Index. EPA’s recent surface water results collected along the Gulf Coast have found the combination of oil related organic compounds to exceed chronic aquatic life benchmarks. These are levels that could impact the health, growth or reproductive activity of aquatic life if exposed for an extended period of time. 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. 64,536 claims have been opened, from which more than $104.4 million have been disbursed. No claims have been denied to date. There are 698 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 the deployment of 17,500 National Guard troops from Gulf Coast states to respond to this crisis; to date, 1,612 have been activated. * Approximately 33,000 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife and cleanup vital coastlines. * More than 6,300 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 2.44 million feet of containment boom and 3.87 million feet of sorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill—and approximately 544,000 feet of containment boom and 1.88 million feet of sorbent boom are available. * Approximately 22.9 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered. * Approximately 1.36 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied—931,000 on the surface and 436,000 subsea. More than 500,000 gallons are available. * 244 controlled burns have been conducted, efficiently removing a total of more than 5.25 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. * Approximately 59 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently experiencing impacts from BP’s leaking oil—approximately 34 miles in Louisiana, four miles in Mississippi, nine miles in Alabama, and 12 miles in Florida. * Approximately 80,800 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters remain closed to fishing in order to balance economic and public health concerns. More than 66 percent remain open. Details can be found at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/. * To date, the administration has leveraged assets and skills from numerous foreign countries and international organizations as part of this historic, all-hands-on-deck response, including Canada, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization and the European Union's Monitoring and Information Centre. Resources: * For information about the response effort, visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. * For specific information about the federal-wide response, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/deepwater-bp-oil-spill. * To contact the Deepwater Horizon Joint Information Center, call (985) 902-5231. * To volunteer, or to report oiled shoreline, call (866) 448-5816. Volunteer opportunities can also be found here. * To submit your vessel as a vessel of opportunity skimming system, or to submit alternative response technology, services, or products, call 281-366-5511. * To report oiled wildlife, call (866) 557-1401. * For information about validated environmental air and water sampling results, visit www.epa.gov/bpspill. * For National Park Service updates about potential park closures, resources at risk, and NPS actions to protect vital park space and wildlife, visit http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm. * For Fish and Wildlife Service updates about response along the Gulf Coast and the status of national wildlife refuges, visit http://www.fws.gov/home/dhoilspill/. * For daily updates on fishing closures, visit http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov. * For information on assistance loans for affected businesses, visit the SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance, call (800) 659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. * To file a claim with BP, visit www.bp.com/claims or call BP’s helpline at (800) 440-0858. A BP fact sheet with additional information is available here. 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. More information about what types of damages are eligible for compensation under the Oil Pollution Act as well as guidance on procedures to seek that compensation can be found here. * In addition, www.disasterassistance.gov has been enhanced to provide a one-stop shop for information on how to file a claim with BP and access additional assistance—available in English and Spanish. * Any members of the press who encounter response personnel restricting their access or violating the media access policy set forth by Admiral Allen should contact the Joint Information Center. Click here for more information, including a list of regular embed opportunities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Heather Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 On Tuesday evening immediately following the President's address in the Oval Office, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs took questions submitted and voted on by the public during the course of the day. Over 7,200 questions were submitted, and we didn't have a chance to get to all of them during the live chat. Below are answers to some of the most popular questions in each category that we didn't have a chance to answer on Tuesday. http://www.google.com/moderator/#16/e=12142 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest August Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 Here are the questions I liked: carmanah_bc "Cameron International, whose blowout preventer failed and caused the leak in the first place, is currently trading near 52 week high. Why are they not being pinned with accountability? The fact that they are an American company?" JOI "Why are Toxic chemicals/dispersant being used by BP? The long term Ecological effects are unknown on sea-life, cleanup crews, environment. Why was this allowed by the FDA? There's other SAFE products available. "Special Interest" pulling the strings?" John "Can we have a guarantee that the American people will not be taxed to pay for this and BP will be held accountable for 100% of the costs related to this incident?" Squirrek "Why have Haliburton, whose rig it was that sunk, and TransOcean, whose platform it was, never been mentioned? Why silence about these two companies who definitely are culpable?" Jack "I walked along an oil soaked beach with my son yesterday. Do you have any idea how heart breaking it is to see a 12 year old boy pick up an oil-drenched fish and ask you "what is this?" I feel politicians don't have a real connection to the disaster." Pourquoi "Why were there no more cut off valves installed along the line, maybe a mile down the line or way from the blowout preventer?" Clean Energy Now "A BP whistleblower reports that the BP Atlantis rig is dangerously close to failure (and 2000 ft. deeper than Deepwater Horizon). How can the Admin. act IMMEDIATELY to ensure the Gulf doesn't experience a similar catastrophe in the near future?" Jamie "Will Obama require BP to account for the entire water column, including the seafloor and the millions of cu ft of dissolved natural gas that's killing the GOM ecosystem? Don't let BP's PR limit this disaster to only what's floating in plain view." Tara Devlin "Why doesn't the President create a Green Civilian Conservation Corp - like FDR did to solve the man-made environmental catastrophe of the dustbowl? This would put people back to work, stimulate the economy AND get help secure energy independence." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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