Oil Leak at Gulf of Mexico Oil Well

[Guest CynSix]

I hope we can get this fixed soon. I told my mother I want to visit the Gulf of Mexico.

[Guest Deepwater Horizon Response]

Commander Admiral Thad Allen comments on placement of containment cap:

 

The placement of the containment cap is another positive development in BP's most recent attempt to contain the leak, however, it will be sometime before we can confirm that this method will work and to what extent it will mitigate the release of oil into the environment," said Admiral Thad Allen, National Incident Commander. "Even if successful, this is only a temporary and partial fix and we must continue our aggressive response operations at the source, on the surface and along the Gulf's precious coastline.

 

For information about the response effort, visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.

[Guest Maggie]

The outflow from the well head look more powerful from this camera.

 

Skandi Rov1

[Guest Maggie]

I like the idea by Kieth Bird

 

 

An aggressive approach that will STOP all the flow. It’s a self-tapping device that would be pinned to the end of a drill bit with 2 huge, removable pins. “ROV” (BP could just do what they do best.) By using their precision drilling skills, they would just need to drive the “self-tapping plug into place with a drilling rig. This would seal the deal!! The plug would work like a “tap & die” set, cutting its own threads creating a seal as it reaches the finer threads. (This would even work with the rough cut they just made with the shears.)

[Guest Guest]

Dear President Obama and Secretary Salazar:

 

I am writing to express my grave concerns regarding the severe economic impact of a six-month (or longer) suspension of activity at 33 previously permitted deepwater drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, including and in particular the 22 deepwater drilling rigs currently in operation off the Louisiana coast.

 

Already, Louisiana has suffered severe negative economic and ecological impacts from the BP oil spill. Our seafood industry is experiencing huge economic losses that have only been partially mitigated by a frustratingly slow and inadequate BP claims process. Moreover, our precious wetlands are suffering incalculable, permanent damages, while our tourism industry faces escalating losses.

 

During one of the most challenging economic periods in decades, the last thing we need is to enact public policies that will certainly destroy thousands of existing jobs while preventing the creation of thousands more.

 

The Louisiana Department of Economic Development estimates that the active drilling suspension alone will result in a loss of 3,000 to 6,000 Louisiana jobs in the next 2-3 weeks and potentially over 10,000 Louisiana jobs within a few months. If the suspension of active drilling activity continues for an extended period, LED estimates that our state risks losing more than 20,000 existing and potential new Louisiana jobs in the next 12-18 months.

 

Obviously these losses would come on top of those already generated by the spill and its related effects. Moreover, the announced moratorium of deepwater drilling activity creates a significant risk that many of these drilling platforms would be relocated to other countries -- along with the hundreds of high paying jobs that they each create.

 

Additionally, I fully understand the need for strict oversight of deepwater drilling. However, I would ask that the federal government move quickly to ensure that all deepwater drilling is in proper compliance with federal regulation and is conducted safely so that energy production and more importantly, thousands of jobs, are not in limbo.

 

Thank you in advance for your swift consideration of this request.

 

Sincerely,

Governor Bobby Jindal

 

I HATE drilling for oil and I don't care one single bit about lost jobs. Lost jobs?! really?! tell that to all the Louisiana fisherman who are permanently out of business, the tourism industry that just went all to he-l-l the contaminated beaches, the marshlands destroyed forever and the wildlife gasping for air as they suffocate to death. I don't give a flying crap about your jobs!

[Guest Joey Thompson]

To be completely honest, I think using a nuclear weapon in the Gulf of Mexico sea-floor wouldnt be a bad idea for a couple reasons. The first being, comparatively speaking, I think it would be less expensive than cleaning up another 100,000,000 gallons of oil. Secondly, I think It would be a great deterrent to our sworn enemies due to it giving them a moments hesitation before carrying out more acts of terrorism. Think "damn, they put a tactical nuclear warhead in the ocean? Those Americans - They's crazy."

 

 

[Luke_Wilbur]

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Darrell Issa (R-CA) announced today released documents obtained from the Coast Guard including a log of events from the immediate aftermath of the April 20 explosion onboard the Deepwater Horizon shedding new information on the first days of the disaster.

 

These documents raise new questions about whether the White House was slow to respond to an incident that was quickly recognized by the Coast Guard as a potentially catastrophic threat to the environment, said Issa. "It appears as if this Administration would rather tell a half-truth if the full-truth doesn't fit the story they want to tell. Less than 48 hours after the explosion multiple attempts to activate the blowout preventer had already failed and the Coast Guard knew 8,000 barrels of crude oil spilling into gulf waters each day was a real possibility. Americans have a right to be outraged by this spill, by top government officials caught off-guard, and by the facts the White House omitted in explaining what it knew and when it knew it.

 

 

Click Here for Story and Timeline Compiled by the Center for Public Integrity

 

 

 

Highlights from the logs:

 

• New Questions about Erroneous Oil Leak Estimates – On April 21 the Coast Guard evaluated the "potential environmental threat" and concluded that in addition to 700,000 gallons of diesel from the vessel there was an "estimated potential of 8000 barrels per day of crude oil, if the well were to completely blowout." This estimate, made one day after the explosion, was larger than both the initial 1000 barrels per day first estimate of oil lost and the first upward revision to 5000 barrels of oil leaking per day.
• Early Failed Attempts to Secure the Well – While it has been reported that the first efforts to use remote operated vehicles (ROV) to activate the well's blowout preventer occurred on April 25, Coast Guard logs indicate that efforts actually began on April 21. On April 22 logs state, "ROV attempts to shut-in the well were unsuccessful; a third attempt is being conducted."
• The White House and "No Apparent Leak" – The White House Oil Spill Timeline states that on April 23 there was "No Apparent Leak." Coast Guard documents, however, reveal the full context of the claim. Coast Guard logs from April 23 state: "Earlier reports that the ROV had confirmed that that the blowout preventer valve was closed was incorrect. ROV has only been able to confirm there is no visible flow from the well." Why wasn't the oil visually evident? Coast Guard logs from April 22 point to the massive fire: "The majority of the oil continues to be mitigated by the fire … use of ROV to shut-in the well has been unsuccessful after several attempts."

 

Click here to read the Coast Guard documents and logs on the early hours of the Gulf oil spill tragedy.

Edited June 4, 2010 by Luke_Wilbur

[Guest BP]

BP announced that oil and gas is being received onboard the Discoverer Enterprise following the successful placement of a containment cap on top of the Deepwater Horizon's failed blow-out preventer (BOP). This follows the cutting and removal of the riser pipe from the top of the BOP's lower marine riser package (LMRP).

 

It is expected to take one or more days for flow rates of oil and gas to stabilize and it is not possible at this stage to estimate how much oil and gas will be captured by this containment system.

 

All of these operations are complex, involve risks and uncertainties, and have to be carried out by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) at 5,000 feet under water. Systems such as the LMRP containment cap never before have been deployed at these depths and conditions. The containment system's efficiency, continued operation, and ability to contain the oil and gas cannot be assured.

 

Preparations continue for the planned enhancements to the containment system as announced on June 1. Work continues on the first relief well, which started on May 2, and the second relief well, which started on May 16. Both wells are still estimated to take around three months to complete from commencement of drilling.

[Guest LAW]

Remarks by the President After Briefing on Gulf Oil Spill Update

Louis Armstrong International Airport, New Orleans, Louisiana

 

2:29 P.M. CDT

 

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I want to thank everybody who participated in this meeting. Most of the folks here were in the meeting that we had last week. One of the encouraging signs is that, at least with respect to Louisiana, it seems that we made some progress.

 

The most obvious area of progress was, coming out of the meeting last week, trying to bridge what seemed to be differences with respect to the berm, the barrier islands that Governor Jindal had proposed, and we now have that authority and dredging is beginning. And now we want to make sure that BP is paying up, but it seems like we're making progress on that front.

 

I know that a lot of the press may be curious about what's happening in terms of the attempts to cap the well. I don't want to go into the technical details here. I'd prefer Thad to give an update when he has had a chance to talk directly with command and control about what's happening there. But it does appear that the cap, at least for now, is holding; that some hydrocarbons are being sent up to the surface; and that they are still ratcheting up the amount of oil and gas that's being extracted -- they're doing it carefully so that they don't dislodge or disrupt the cap in some fashion.

 

We will know more over the next 24 to 48 hours. And it is way too early to be optimistic. But we're just going to keep on monitoring it, and Thad will give you a more thorough briefing when he knows more.

 

We spent a lot of time here just talking about the logistics of the response on the shore as oil begins to come in. And everybody here has particular concerns because we've got limited resources. We're trying to get more boom, for example, into the places that are needed. We deployed initially a lot of boom here in Louisiana. That meant that some in Alabama wasn't where it was supposed to be. Governor Riley has been appropriately concerned -- that's a mild way of putting it -- about what's being done with respect to Alabama plans. And what I told him was, is that Thad Allen will be meeting with him individually with respect to the Alabama plan and if he's not satisfied with the answers that are given over the course of this weekend, then he's going to call me and we're going to meet and sort this out.

 

Here in Louisiana, where the oil has hit most rapidly, there are still areas where, for example, the mayor, here, was talking to fishermen; they want to try to build up some barriers to estuaries and areas that are particularly vulnerable. Thad Allen is going to be following up with each of the parish presidents in terms of figuring out what's going on.

 

One of the things that we've done to make sure that organizationally things are working the way they should is we now have a Coast Guard official who is stationed with each parish president and we actually have a BP representative who is stationed with each parish president, so that they have direct access to making sure that any information, any problems that they've got, are immediately being shot up to Thad and he can respond quickly. And we want to set that up not just in Louisiana, but in Alabama as well as in Florida -- we want county equivalents to have that same kind of representation and rapid response.

 

We also talked about claims. And this is an area where I think everybody has a lot of concern. My understanding is, is that BP has contracted for $50 million worth of TV advertising to manage their image during the course of this disaster. In addition, there are reports that BP will be paying $10.5 billion -- that's billion with a B -- in dividend payments this quarter.

 

Now, I don't have a problem with BP fulfilling its legal obligations. But I want BP to be very clear, they've got moral and legal obligations here in the Gulf for the damage that has been done. And what I don't want to hear is, when they're spending that kind of money on their shareholders and spending that kind of money on TV advertising, that they're nickel-and-diming fishermen or small businesses here in the Gulf who are having a hard time.

 

We've assigned federal folks to look over BP's shoulder and to work with state and local officials to make sure that claims are being processed quickly, fairly, and that BP is not lawyering up, essentially, when it comes to these claims.

 

They say they want to make it right. That's part of their advertising campaign. Well, we want them to make it right. And what that means is that if a fisherman got a $5,000 check, and the next time he goes in, because it's a new month, suddenly BP is saying, well, we need some documentation and this may take six months to process, or 60 days to process -- or 30 days to process, for that matter -- that fisherman, with all his money tied up in that boat, just may not be able to hang on for another 30 days. He may lose his boat and his livelihood.

 

We heard from one of the parish presidents about a shrimp processing plant. They've got a bunch of shrimp on ice, so they're selling inventory, but they're not bringing any new product in. And BP says to them, well, you know what, your sales don't seem to have declined. And they try to explain, yes, but we've had to lay off all our workers because we're not bringing any new shrimp in and our cupboards are going to be bare in the next several weeks -- BP has got to be able to anticipate that.

So the key point I'm making here is, this has been a disaster for this region and people are understandably frightened and concerned about what the next few months and the new few years may hold. I am absolutely confident about the resilience of this area long term, but if we can make sure that BP is doing the right thing on the front end, it's going to make it an awful lot easier for us to fully recover on the back end. And by the way, it may end up being cheaper for BP.

 

And so Thad, who's interacting with BP on a regular basis, I think is emphasizing this. My administration is emphasizing it. I want them to hear directly from me and I want the public to hear from me -- they need to make sure that they are following through on these claims in a expeditious, fair way. And if they're not, then we are going to stay on them about it.

 

We've already submitted one bill and they haven't said that they're not paying it, so I don't want to anticipate problems. But we are already starting to see at the local level folks experiencing problems. And we don't want those problems to build up -- we want to nip that at the bud right now.

 

And the fact that BP can pay a $10.5 billion dividend payment is indicative of how much money these folks have been making. And given the fact that they didn't fully account for the risks, I don't want somebody else bearing the costs of those risks that they took. I want to make sure that they're paying for it.

 

All right. The last point I wanted to make is we did talk about what the environmental quality is down here right now. Lisa Jackson has been down here all week and she went all across the country -- or all across the state of Louisiana. She's going to be monitoring what's going on in Alabama and Florida as well.

 

So far, the air quality, water quality, is continually being tested and doesn't seem to be much elevated above normal levels. But I want to emphasize something that she just told us, and that is people who are onsite involved in cleanup, they have to be mindful of the fact that we're dealing with toxins here. This could be -- this could make people very sick if they're not careful. They've got to get the appropriate training. They need the appropriate equipment. If they get sick, we now have health centers that are stationed at each of these points.

 

Lisa, do you want to talk about that briefly?

 

ADMINISTRATOR JACKSON: Yes, sir. We have health and safety officers and stations at each muster point. So if someone does come back in and feels in any way that they've been exposed, or even if they just don't feel well, the first thing to do is to report it so that we have a record of it, we can track it down, and we can ensure that they're not in any way penalized for reporting and making sure that they put their health and the health of their family first.

 

THE PRESIDENT: Again, I want to just emphasize, everybody down here -- every local official, every state official -- is working as hard as they can. Our federal teams are working as hard as they can. There are still going to be glitches in the response. There are still going to be arguments and disagreements between local and state, state and federal, between everybody and BP, between states and states, in terms of how we're allocating some of these resources. But I think that Thad Allen has committed to me and the people of the Gulf that we're going to cut through any bureaucratic red tape, any problems that we've got, and we will fix problems that have been identified.

 

And that was the commitment I made last week. Some of the problems have been fixed; some new ones have resurfaced. We'll fix those, too. And we'll keep on coming back until we have dealt with an unprecedented crisis.

 

But I'm very thankful to everybody for the constructive meeting and the constructive approach that I think everybody is taking in terms of solving this problem.

 

All right. Thank you, everybody.

 

Q Mr. President, what did you say to the parish presidents about the difficulty -- the economic difficulties from the drilling moratorium?

 

THE PRESIDENT: We had a conversation about that, as well, and what I told them is very simple. When I made the decision to issue the moratorium, we knew that that would have an economic impact. But what I also knew is that there was no way that we can go about business as usual when we discovered that companies like BP, who had provided assurances that they had fail-safe backup, redundant systems, in fact, not only didn't have fail-safe systems, but had no idea what to do when those fail-safe systems broke down.

 

Now, I announced this week that Bob Graham and Bill Reilly, two respected individuals who have experience both on the environmental side as well as in the energy sector, are going to be examining over the next six months what went wrong, but more important -- forward looking, how do we, in fact, increase domestic oil production without seeing the kinds of disasters that we are all witnessing on television day in, day out.

 

I think Governor Jindal, I know other parish presidents, expressed concern about the immediate economic impact. And what I said to them is the same thing I said to Graham and Reilly, which is, if they can front-load some of the analysis of what went wrong and how you would solve what has happened and what can happen, and you can do that more quickly than six months, then let me know. Don't hold the results of your review for six months, and then tell me. Tell me when you find out.

 

But what I told the folks in this room was I'm not going to cut corners on it, and I'm not going to press them to move faster than it would take to do an accurate, independent job based on sound science, because I do not want to see this thing repeated again. And the American people don't, and I promise you the people of the Gulf don't want to see it either.

 

And as difficult as it may be, it's important for us to do this right, because if we don't do it right, then what you could end up seeing is an even worse impact on the oil industry down here, which is so important to so many jobs.

 

And I think everybody here emphasized -- and I want to be clear -- I didn't hear anybody here say that they want unsafe operations on these rigs and they certainly don't want to see a repeat of this disaster. They did ask, can we do it faster. And what I said to them was the same thing that I said to Graham and Reilly, which is, you do it as fast as it takes to do it right.

 

All right? Thank you, everybody.

 

Q Do you want BP to pay that dividend? Are you calling on them not to?

 

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, guys.

 

I want to make sure that they are paying the folks in Louisiana for the havoc that they wreaked, and the folks in Alabama and the folks in Florida. I don't want them nickel-and- diming people down here. I want them to abide by their obligations to their shareholders; I want them to abide by the obligations to people down here, as well.

 

All right. Thank you, folks.

[Guest greenzen]

As work continues to install the LMRP cap, this video animation illustrates how it will be connected to the drillship riser, prepped, maneuvered into position and installed on top of the BOP stack.

[Guest Deepwater Horizon Incident]

The Interagency Alternative Technology Assessment Program workgroup, newly established by the National Incident Commander for the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, announced here Friday a new effort to collect and review oil spill response solutions from scientists and vendors.

 

The Coast Guard's Research and Development Center, in collaboration with interagency partners, issued a Broad Agency Announcement on www.FedBizOpps.gov, calling for the submission of white papers that cover: oil sensing improvements to response and detection; oil wellhead control and submerged oil response; traditional oil spill response technologies; alternative oil spill response technologies; and oil spill damage assessment and restoration.

 

The IATAP and the RDC will screen and triage submissions based on technical feasibility efficacy and deployability. This will be a federal process to ensure a fair, systematic, responsive and accountable review of alternative response technologies by interagency experts.

 

The IATAP and RDC initial screening will result in one of three determinations: the white paper has a potential for immediate benefit to the oil spill response effort; the white paper submission needs more detailed investigation or evaluation by the appropriate government agency; or the white paper submission does not support this incident.

 

The IATAP workgroup, established by Adm. Thad Allen, the national incident commander, includes the U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Interior, Minerals Management Service, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Agriculture.

 

The Research and Development Center, located in New London, Conn., is part of the U.S. Coast Guard Acquisition Directorate's Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Program. The Acquisition Directorate has been supporting the response to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill with an on-site subject matter expert who provides guidance on in-situ burns, dispersant and sorbent boom use. The RDT&E Program's Fire and Safety Test Detachment in Mobile, Ala., is coordinating local logistical support for volunteers in the Gulf Coast region. The RDC also participates in the interagency Flow Rate Technical Group, helping provide the latest scientifically validated information about the amount of oil flowing from the Mississippi Canyon 252 well.

 

For more information about the Coast Guard's Acquisition Directorate visit http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg9/rdc/.

[Guest Marx]

Subsea operational update:

 

The riser was cut above the LMRP with shears at approximately 9:00 am CDT

on June 3.

 

The LMRP cap was placed on top of the LMRP at approximately 8:35 pm CDT

on June 3.

 

Gas first reached the Discoverer Enterprise at approximately 11:00 pm CDT on June 3; oil followed at approximately

11:10 pm CDT.

 

During the first twelve hours of operation, 1810 barrels of oil were collected as the LMRP Cap was carefully operationalized.

 

There is a rumor that BP did not want to totally stop the flow of oil or they will lose their oil well permit. I wonder if any of this is true???

[Guest Oil Spill Recovery]

Seal Well Now – drill +1000′ parallel proximity shaft – place proper amount of explosives – seal new shaft – detonate !

 

OR – replace old flange at top of BOP – anybody notice it bolts on !!!

add on should have shut off valve !

 

Oil Containment Rings OCR’s – Need to be installed Now

 

If we collect 99% of the oil being spilled – then bp can take time to kill the well.

 

Start to build a “oil collection ring” flotation miles in diameter which has large booms (100′ by 6′ diameters)with deep aprons that zipper together as they extend deep(300′ or more) below the surface (this happens physically as aprons on modules are zipped) and capture the rising oil leak – which is continually pumped into tankers/barges – circumvent first ring with a second and so on as needed.

[Guest RT]

New BP live video feed shows more oil leaking at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. BP CEO Tony Hayward said the containment cap placed on the ruptured deep-sea well in the Gulf had collected about 10,000 barrels of oil over the last 24 hours, and that BP hope a second containment system will be in place by next weekend.

 

[Guest CNN Viewer]

CNN Video Exclusive look at relief well effort

 

CNN's Kyra Phillips had exclusive access to the rig where relief wells are being dug to try and end Gulf oil leak.

[Guest Samiam]

This entire fiasco was completely unnecessary. We should have embarked on a Manhattan Project of building thorium nuclear reactors years ago and rendered fossil fuel irrelevant, and the entire Middle East along with it.

 

See this article: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/12/ff_new_nukes/all/1

 

We can have all the clean energy we want. Right now. Oil is, quite simply, a fantastically stupid way to power civilization.

[Guest Patrick]

Ever wonder why Jimmy Carter was the only president in the last half century that attempted to diminish our dependence on oil. Ever wonder why Congress passed regulation that the Department of Energy only has 30 days to evaluate environmental impact of offshore drilling. Greed.

[Guest LDWF]

Biologists from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries responded to 60 calls reporting oiled birds in and around Grand Isle Thursday June 3, resulting in the successful location and capture of 35 brown pelicans and 15 gulls. One pelican, dubbed the "Governor's bird," was discovered by Gov. Bobby Jindal's staff as he toured the area.

 

Other rescue teams retrieved 10 additional oiled birds Thursday, including pelicans and a tern. All of the birds were collected from areas in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impact zone.

 

LDWF Secretary Robert Barham said "I am pleased that we were able to rescue so many birds, including our state bird, the brown pelican. But I'm afraid that our work has just started."

 

Found throughout the affected portions of Louisiana, 324 birds have been processed through the wildlife rehabilitation triage center set up at Fort Jackson in Buras. Near! ly 200 birds were dead before their arrival at the center. Twenty-four birds have been treated and released.

 

Oil-spill responders have discovered 278 sea turtles in the five-state impact area, 68 of which were found in Louisiana. Three of the Louisiana turtles were observed covered in oil and brought to the Louisiana Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program facility in New Orleans.

 

Of 31 dolphins reported dead in the impact area, 20 were discovered in Louisiana. The cause of death is still pending in all cases.

 

"Wildlife is both our business and our passion," said Barham. "Each and every animal is important to us and we will do everything possible to give them a fighting chance."

[Guest Tipur]

Biologists from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries responded to 60 calls reporting oiled birds in and around Grand Isle Thursday June 3, resulting in the successful location and capture of 35 brown pelicans and 15 gulls. One pelican, dubbed the "Governor's bird," was discovered by Gov. Bobby Jindal's staff as he toured the area.

 

Other rescue teams retrieved 10 additional oiled birds Thursday, including pelicans and a tern. All of the birds were collected from areas in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impact zone.

 

LDWF Secretary Robert Barham said "I am pleased that we were able to rescue so many birds, including our state bird, the brown pelican. But I'm afraid that our work has just started."

 

Found throughout the affected portions of Louisiana, 324 birds have been processed through the wildlife rehabilitation triage center set up at Fort Jackson in Buras. Near! ly 200 birds were dead before their arrival at the center. Twenty-four birds have been treated and released.

 

Oil-spill responders have discovered 278 sea turtles in the five-state impact area, 68 of which were found in Louisiana. Three of the Louisiana turtles were observed covered in oil and brought to the Louisiana Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program facility in New Orleans.

 

Of 31 dolphins reported dead in the impact area, 20 were discovered in Louisiana. The cause of death is still pending in all cases.

 

"Wildlife is both our business and our passion," said Barham. "Each and every animal is important to us and we will do everything possible to give them a fighting chance."

 

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The democrats can always blame this on the republicans.

[Guest scott bowlan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0onXmlFgF8I

 

Everything going on right now is just smoke and mirrors. The only intention BP has is to get the relief wells drilled. Once they are drilled BP can bring the field into production. If they cap the well the Obama administration is going to shut them down indefinitely. When the relief wells are drilled, they may get shut down temporarily as well, but with all the money BP is spending their primary objective is to get the well ready for production.

 

The current maneuver they are trying is simply another method of siphoning some of the oil again. The spill will end when BP is ready to produce.

[Guest Donald Allen]

With the engineering and technological knowhow of NASA, NOAA, JPL, etc and the industrial capacity of American industry, this problem could and should have been solved long before now.

[Guest Carlos]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The democrats can always blame this on the republicans.

 

What happened to conservative republicans staunch belief that private sector should be handling this? I thought republicans would not want the federal government interfering with this mess. We will be weeding out who wrote the legislation that way to begin with.

[Guest Tea Party Patriot]

Everyone knows BP has both Democrats and Republicans in their pockets. What is sad is that this containment unit is now sucking up under a half a million gallons per day. But, what are we going to do about the other half a million still leaking?

 

But even after that, there will be oil out there for months to come," Admiral Allen said. "This will be well into the autumn. This is a siege across the entire Gulf. This spill is holding everybody hostage, not only economically but physically. And it has to be attacked on all fronts.

 

What are we going to do now that we know BP didn't file all the required permits?

 

As more and more chocolate brown and orange gunk covers our shorelines people will focusing on POTUS not being able to stop it. President Obama should be living down at the Gulf until this is resolved.

==============================================================

 

( c ) Federal removal authority.

( 1 ) General removal requirement.

( A ) The President shall, in accordance with the National Contingency Plan and any appropriate Area Contingency Plan, ensure effective and immediate removal of a discharge, and mitigation or prevention of a substantial threat of a discharge, of oil or a hazardous substance--

( i ) into or on the navigable waters;

( ii ) on the adjoining shorelines to the navigable waters;

( iii ) into or on the waters of the exclusive economic zone; or

( iv ) that may affect natural resources belonging to, appertaining to, or under the exclusive management authority of the United States.

( B ) In carrying out this paragraph, the President may--

( i ) remove or arrange for the removal of a discharge, and mitigate or prevent a substantial threat of a discharge, at any time;

( ii ) direct or monitor all Federal, State, and private actions to remove a discharge; and

( iii ) remove and, if necessary, destroy a vessel discharging, or threatening to discharge, by whatever means are available.

 

( 2 ) Discharge posing substantial threat to public health or welfare.

( A ) If a discharge, or a substantial threat of a discharge, of oil or a hazardous substance from a vessel, offshore facility, or onshore facility is of such a size or character as to be a substantial threat to the public health or welfare of the United States (including but not limited to fish, shellfish, wildlife, other natural resources, and the public and private beaches and shorelines of the United States), the President shall direct all Federal, State, and private actions to remove the discharge or to mitigate or prevent the threat of the discharge.

( B ) In carrying out this paragraph, the President may, without regard to any other provision of law governing contracting procedures or employment of personnel by the Federal Government--

( i ) remove or arrange for the removal of the discharge, or mitigate or prevent the substantial threat of the discharge; and

( ii ) remove and, if necessary, destroy a vessel discharging, or threatening to discharge, by whatever means are available.

 

( 3 ) Actions in accordance with National Contingency Plan.

( A ) Each Federal agency, State, owner or operator, or other person participating in efforts under this subsection shall act in accordance with the National Contingency Plan or as directed by the President.

( B ) An owner or operator participating in efforts under this subsection shall act in accordance with the National Contingency Plan and the applicable response plan required under subsection ( j ), or as directed by the President, except that the owner or operator may deviate from the applicable response plan if the President or the Federal On-Scene Coordinator determines that deviation from the response plan would provide for a more expeditious or effective response to the spill or mitigation of its environmental effects.

 

=====================================================================

 

Read the rest here...

 

http://www.epa.gov/Region7/laws_regulations/CWA/section311.htm

[Guest Stephen Clarke]

Make no mistake. This is THE GREATEST environmental tragedy the US has seen. The key lies in the correct and effective legislation of energy companies to ensure that this doesn't happen. You can thank Dick Cheney for not requiring deep ocean wells to employ a fail-safe called an "acoustic switch". If a relief well were also required prior to drilling, the closure of this well would have been an easy task.

 

Take BP to task. Boycott BP and pressure your elected officials to force BP to foot the bill and provide equitable financial reparations to the people of the gulf coast.

[Guest Desert Rat]

I am sitting down watching the sunset with my wife thinking how could we let this happen. I listen to the news and now I am hearing that our oil is being exported to foreign countries. Why the hell are we doing that when we have an oil shortage??? How long has that been going on???