July 16, 2010 from deepwaterhorizon.com
Approximately 43,800 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife and cleanup vital coastlines.
More than 6,900 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.
More than 3.32 million feet of containment boom and 7 million feet of sorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill—and approximately 856,000 feet of containment boom and 2.74 million feet of sorbent boom are available.
More than 33.3 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.
Approximately 1.84 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied—1.07 million on the surface and 771,000 sub-sea. Approximately 541,000 gallons are available.
387 controlled burns have been conducted, efficiently removing a total of more than 10.98 million gallons of oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife. Because calculations on the volume of oil burned can take more than 48 hours, the reported total volume may not reflect the most recent controlled burns.
17 staging areas are in place to protect sensitive shorelines.
Approximately 587 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled—approximately 336 miles in Louisiana, 112 miles in Mississippi, 68 miles in Alabama, and 71 miles in Florida. These numbers reflect a daily snapshot of shoreline currently experiencing impacts from oil so that planning and field operations can more quickly respond to new impacts; they do not include cumulative impacts to date, or shoreline that has already been cleared.
Approximately 83,927 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters remain closed to fishing in order to balance economic and public health concerns. More than 65 percent remains 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 Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Spain, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization, the European Union's Monitoring and Information Centre, and the European Maritime Safety Agency.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Tarballs on the beach
We took a trip to Waveland/Bay St. Louis today to see how the Mississippi coast was fairing.
Click on any picture for a larger version.
We spied a few victims of the oil spill:
We entered the beach area by the Silver Slipper Casino. As we walked the beach in Lakeshore/Waveland it was very clean.
Thinking we could venture behind the casino - to a place that sold bait - I drove to the back of the building but was stopped by a guy clad all in black who told me I couldn't go any further and to turn around. I complied.
As we were leaving the casino grounds, we spotted two "vessels of opportunity" leaving the command center to lay boom.
We walked out onto the beach outside the casino and it was clean and pristine. I felt great. So we decided to venture down the beach towards Bay St. Louis.
Beach Boulevard is being resurfaced and it was very slow going.(Waveland seems to be doing construction on 90% of their roads simultaneously).
We came upon a group people cleaning the beach - so that's why it appeared so clean!!
Apparently, they bus the beach cleaners to the spots to be cleaned every day. Each group is escorted by rent a cops. As we approached the group, I could see the Barney Fife guy coming towards my car. I ignored him and kept driving.
It's true what they say about these beach cleaners working 20 minutes and taking 20 minute breaks.
I drove about a mile past the beach cleaners and we got out and walked the beach. We were now on the Waveland/Bay St. Louis city limits.
Five years post Katrina, views like this represent the majority of the beach front homes.
Walking down to the shoreline, it was apparent that the beach cleaners hadn't been here since high tide.
The tarballs are the black "rocks" in this picture.
The lines made as the tide receded seem to contain minute pieces of oil by product.
The size and shape of the tar balls varied. I supposed this is due to "weathering".
This group of globs had the consistency of clay. Very ugly.
This was the largest tar ball we found.
A dead blue crab amidst petroleum. So sad.
Boom is useless on beaches due to the wind and tides.
After walking down the beach for some time we noticed storm clouds moving our way, so we headed back towards the car.
Along the sidewalk of the beach we spotted three straw booms that apparently had blown off the beach.
Walking back to the car, I snapped a few pictures that I'd like to use in my calendar next year.
We the residents of the Gulf Coast survived Katrina. We will survive this.
Click on any picture for a larger version.
We spied a few victims of the oil spill:
We entered the beach area by the Silver Slipper Casino. As we walked the beach in Lakeshore/Waveland it was very clean.
Thinking we could venture behind the casino - to a place that sold bait - I drove to the back of the building but was stopped by a guy clad all in black who told me I couldn't go any further and to turn around. I complied.
As we were leaving the casino grounds, we spotted two "vessels of opportunity" leaving the command center to lay boom.
We walked out onto the beach outside the casino and it was clean and pristine. I felt great. So we decided to venture down the beach towards Bay St. Louis.
Beach Boulevard is being resurfaced and it was very slow going.(Waveland seems to be doing construction on 90% of their roads simultaneously).
We came upon a group people cleaning the beach - so that's why it appeared so clean!!
Apparently, they bus the beach cleaners to the spots to be cleaned every day. Each group is escorted by rent a cops. As we approached the group, I could see the Barney Fife guy coming towards my car. I ignored him and kept driving.
It's true what they say about these beach cleaners working 20 minutes and taking 20 minute breaks.
I drove about a mile past the beach cleaners and we got out and walked the beach. We were now on the Waveland/Bay St. Louis city limits.
Five years post Katrina, views like this represent the majority of the beach front homes.
Walking down to the shoreline, it was apparent that the beach cleaners hadn't been here since high tide.
The tarballs are the black "rocks" in this picture.
The lines made as the tide receded seem to contain minute pieces of oil by product.
The size and shape of the tar balls varied. I supposed this is due to "weathering".
This group of globs had the consistency of clay. Very ugly.
This was the largest tar ball we found.
A dead blue crab amidst petroleum. So sad.
Boom is useless on beaches due to the wind and tides.
After walking down the beach for some time we noticed storm clouds moving our way, so we headed back towards the car.
Along the sidewalk of the beach we spotted three straw booms that apparently had blown off the beach.
Walking back to the car, I snapped a few pictures that I'd like to use in my calendar next year.
We the residents of the Gulf Coast survived Katrina. We will survive this.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
they choked off the well
Baby steps, but check it out here….the only thing you see is the dispersants being squirted out:
http://www.wwl.com/View-all-12---Spill-Cam---video-feeds/7381402
pray!
The Gulf and Me
| Interactive Project Spotlights Lives Changed by Oil Spill ; Effort to culminate in customizable book "The Gulf and Me: A Storygathering Journey" has two components: a community-driven website where people affected by the spill can upload their stories and images to share with others, and an upcoming journey through the Gulf region by Atlanta-based writer, personal historian and custom book designer Michael Pearson to collect additional stories. The project will culminate with publication of "The Gulf and Me," a book of stories and photos chronicling the experiences of Gulf Coast residents affected by the spill. Individuals, organizations and communities will have an opportunity to customize the book to feature their own experiences, creating a unique memoir of an unprecedented disaster. Stories posted to the website, including those generated during the storygathering expedition, will remain freely available on the Web indefinitely. A portion of any proceeds will go to Gulf recovery efforts. "The Deepwater Horizon oil spill has disrupted untold thousands of lives and threatens to change life in the Gulf of Mexico for years to come," Pearson said. "It's important to tell the stories of everyday people affected by what's happened and to preserve those stories. We need to remember years from now that this disaster will have had not just enormous environmental and policy impacts, but significant personal impacts, as well." An integral part of "The Gulf and Me" is the opportunity for the people closest to the story, Gulf Coast residents, to help direct the expedition by nominating people and places to be profiled, according to Pearson, a former journalist with The Associated Press and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The trip is being designed to be detailed in near-real time on the website, with frequent image and video updates, journal entries and an active Twitter feed. Some interviews and tours may be streamed live, with visitors having an opportunity to participate by asking their own questions. To view the project, please visit www.thegulfandme.com. To submit profile nominations, visit "The Assignment Desk" http:// www.thegulfandme.com/the-assignment-desk. SOURCE The Gulf and Me Project |
Day 86 numbers
By the Numbers to Date:
• More than 6,800 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.
• More than 3.21 million feet of containment boom and 6.6 million feet of sorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill—and approximately 875,000 feet of containment boom and 2.65 million feet of sorbent boom are available.
• More than 31.8 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.
• Approximately 1.82 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied—1.07 million on the surface and 749,000 sub-sea. Approximately 516,000 gallons are available.
• 348 controlled burns have been conducted, efficiently removing a total of more than 10.3 million gallons of oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife. Because calculations on the volume of oil burned can take more than 48 hours, the reported total volume may not reflect the most recent controlled burns.
• 17 staging areas are in place to protect sensitive shorelines.
• Approximately 572 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled—approximately 328 miles in Louisiana, 108 miles in Mississippi, 67 miles in Alabama, and 69 miles in Florida. These numbers reflect a daily snapshot of shoreline currently experiencing impacts from oil so that planning and field operations can more quickly respond to new impacts; they do not include cumulative impacts to date, or shoreline that has already been cleared.
• Approximately 83,927 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters remain closed to fishing in order to balance economic and public health concerns. More than 65 percent remains 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 Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Spain, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization, the European Union's Monitoring and Information Centre, and the European Maritime Safety Agency.
• More than 6,800 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.
• More than 3.21 million feet of containment boom and 6.6 million feet of sorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill—and approximately 875,000 feet of containment boom and 2.65 million feet of sorbent boom are available.
• More than 31.8 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.
• Approximately 1.82 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied—1.07 million on the surface and 749,000 sub-sea. Approximately 516,000 gallons are available.
• 348 controlled burns have been conducted, efficiently removing a total of more than 10.3 million gallons of oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife. Because calculations on the volume of oil burned can take more than 48 hours, the reported total volume may not reflect the most recent controlled burns.
• 17 staging areas are in place to protect sensitive shorelines.
• Approximately 572 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled—approximately 328 miles in Louisiana, 108 miles in Mississippi, 67 miles in Alabama, and 69 miles in Florida. These numbers reflect a daily snapshot of shoreline currently experiencing impacts from oil so that planning and field operations can more quickly respond to new impacts; they do not include cumulative impacts to date, or shoreline that has already been cleared.
• Approximately 83,927 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters remain closed to fishing in order to balance economic and public health concerns. More than 65 percent remains 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 Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Spain, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization, the European Union's Monitoring and Information Centre, and the European Maritime Safety Agency.
Pelicans of Racoon Island
Dammit I'm tired of crying.
From AP via nola dot com:
Biologists say oil has smeared at least 300 pelicans and hundreds of terns in the largest seabird nesting area along the Louisiana coast -- marking a sharp and sudden escalation in wildlife harmed by BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The government counts only oiled birds collected for rehabilitation or found dead, for use as evidence in the spill investigation. Oiled birds in the many nesting areas that dot the Gulf coast typically are left in place and not counted in official tallies.
Researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology said Wednesday that they had spotted the oiled pelicans on Raccoon Island over the past several days. The spit of land lines the Gulf outside the state's coastal marshes. An estimated 10,000 birds nest on the island in Terrebonne Parish.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Lisa Williams said state and federal observers had documented only 68 oiled pelicans on Raccoon Island.
Biologist Marc Dantzker with Cornell -- considered one of the nation's premier institutions for bird research -- said about 30 to 40 of the pelicans spotted by his group were oiled "head-to-tail." Many more had visible blotches of oil.
Dead birds also were seen, although no count was available for those.
"This is a major oiling event of an incredibly important seabird colony," Dantzker said. "Many of these birds will be dead soon -- weeks and months. These blotches are deadly."
Even a small amount of oil can kill birds because it hampers their ability to regulate their body temperature.
The Raccoon Island colony was established by the state in the 1980s. Its successful expansion epitomized restoration efforts that brought brown pelicans off the endangered species list last year.
Oil from the spill 50 miles off the coast hit the island on July 10, after Hurricane Alex drove high seas into the region as it passed to the south, according to Louisiana officials. And with millions of gallons of crude still at sea it could be hit again.
"This is not like Exxon Valdez where you had tens of thousands of birds killed all at once," said Ken Rosenberg, director of conservation science at the Cornell laboratory. "It's more insidious because it is literally happening in waves and it's happening over and over again as the birds are moving around."
Dantzker said he was surprised the government's number was so low and speculated that they used a different method to count oiled birds.
"Come out and look with us," he said. "If you're on the island and using binoculars you will see those birds."
Across the Gulf, roughly 3,000 killed or oil-covered birds have been collected by wildlife agencies since BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and sank on April 20, killing 11 workers.
Williams, the wildlife official, declined to say how many more birds that were not collected might have oil on them. She said those figures were being compiled, but the results would not be available for some time.
As has been the case with other nesting colonies, Williams said her agency did not plan to rescue the oiled birds from Raccoon Island because that could disrupt other birds in the colony. Entering a colony can flush nesting birds and lead to adults inadvertently killing their young.
"We don't want to cause more harm than good," Williams said
From deepwater horizon website
Raccoon Island, off the coast of Terrebonne Parish in Louisiana, is being closely monitored for the impact of oil on wildlife that inhabits the land mass that is part of the Isle Dernieres Barrier Island Refuge.
Managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), Raccoon Island provides habitat for one of the largest nesting colonies in the state. Consequently, LDWF biologists as well as biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have been monitoring the island daily and following carefully crafted protocols that consider the overall health and safety of the bird colony when recovery of oiled birds is considered. The protocols require that bird colonies are not to be disturbed unless a large percentage of the birds are oiled, or heavily oiled individuals are accessible without causing increased colony stress or oiling. The number and extent of oiled birds currently observed on Raccoon Island do not meet the requirements of the protocols.
Federal and state biologists surveying the island have confirmed hundreds of birds have visible oil ranging from light to heavy. These observations have also been made by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology which has a video crew recording the impacts of the oil spill on wildlife.
It is difficult to assess the exact number of oiled birds and the situation is being monitored daily. In addition to approximately 20,000 nesting pairs of birds present, estimates of another 35,000 adults, immature birds, and chicks comprise a population of concern to state and federal biologists. Approximately 2,500 pairs are pelicans and the other birds are terns, gulls, and wading birds such as herons and egrets.
“We fully support the efforts of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and other officials in the region to monitor and assess the impacts on birds and other wildlife," said Ken Rosenberg, Director of Conservation Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “We know it is too early to assess the full impacts of the oil spill on birds. The Cornell Lab's video crew has not been involved in official survey efforts, but they have estimated the numbers of birds at their filming locations based on what they could see. In particular, we absolutely support the policies and decision-making of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding efforts to recover and rehabilitate badly oiled birds,” Rosenberg said. “They are doing a great job of ensuring that the harm to wildlife is minimized.”
“The majority of affected birds observed by the Cornell team had small amounts of oil on their feathers, and would not warrant capture and recovery efforts that could disturb and further endanger these sensitive colonies. The longer-term population impacts from these lightly oiled birds are of concern, however, and continued monitoring is critical,” concludes Rosenberg.
Of the 68 heavily oiled birds observed on July 10, 14, and 15, six were rescued safely by LDWF biologists based on protocols observed by these biologists working on the bird rescue mission. No rescues are attempted on the island where rescue activity would disturb unoiled or slightly oiled birds, and increase the possibility of putting additional birds at risk.
The rescue of oiled wildlife impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill continues to be an important mission for the LDWF and the USFWS. State and federal field biologists patrol coastal waters and marshes daily searching for wildlife in distress, including thousands of coastal shorebirds, wading birds and migratory species.
From AP via nola dot com:
Biologists say oil has smeared at least 300 pelicans and hundreds of terns in the largest seabird nesting area along the Louisiana coast -- marking a sharp and sudden escalation in wildlife harmed by BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The government counts only oiled birds collected for rehabilitation or found dead, for use as evidence in the spill investigation. Oiled birds in the many nesting areas that dot the Gulf coast typically are left in place and not counted in official tallies.
Researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology said Wednesday that they had spotted the oiled pelicans on Raccoon Island over the past several days. The spit of land lines the Gulf outside the state's coastal marshes. An estimated 10,000 birds nest on the island in Terrebonne Parish.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Lisa Williams said state and federal observers had documented only 68 oiled pelicans on Raccoon Island.
Biologist Marc Dantzker with Cornell -- considered one of the nation's premier institutions for bird research -- said about 30 to 40 of the pelicans spotted by his group were oiled "head-to-tail." Many more had visible blotches of oil.
Dead birds also were seen, although no count was available for those.
"This is a major oiling event of an incredibly important seabird colony," Dantzker said. "Many of these birds will be dead soon -- weeks and months. These blotches are deadly."
Even a small amount of oil can kill birds because it hampers their ability to regulate their body temperature.
The Raccoon Island colony was established by the state in the 1980s. Its successful expansion epitomized restoration efforts that brought brown pelicans off the endangered species list last year.
Oil from the spill 50 miles off the coast hit the island on July 10, after Hurricane Alex drove high seas into the region as it passed to the south, according to Louisiana officials. And with millions of gallons of crude still at sea it could be hit again.
"This is not like Exxon Valdez where you had tens of thousands of birds killed all at once," said Ken Rosenberg, director of conservation science at the Cornell laboratory. "It's more insidious because it is literally happening in waves and it's happening over and over again as the birds are moving around."
Dantzker said he was surprised the government's number was so low and speculated that they used a different method to count oiled birds.
"Come out and look with us," he said. "If you're on the island and using binoculars you will see those birds."
Across the Gulf, roughly 3,000 killed or oil-covered birds have been collected by wildlife agencies since BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and sank on April 20, killing 11 workers.
Williams, the wildlife official, declined to say how many more birds that were not collected might have oil on them. She said those figures were being compiled, but the results would not be available for some time.
As has been the case with other nesting colonies, Williams said her agency did not plan to rescue the oiled birds from Raccoon Island because that could disrupt other birds in the colony. Entering a colony can flush nesting birds and lead to adults inadvertently killing their young.
"We don't want to cause more harm than good," Williams said
From deepwater horizon website
Raccoon Island, off the coast of Terrebonne Parish in Louisiana, is being closely monitored for the impact of oil on wildlife that inhabits the land mass that is part of the Isle Dernieres Barrier Island Refuge.
Managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), Raccoon Island provides habitat for one of the largest nesting colonies in the state. Consequently, LDWF biologists as well as biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have been monitoring the island daily and following carefully crafted protocols that consider the overall health and safety of the bird colony when recovery of oiled birds is considered. The protocols require that bird colonies are not to be disturbed unless a large percentage of the birds are oiled, or heavily oiled individuals are accessible without causing increased colony stress or oiling. The number and extent of oiled birds currently observed on Raccoon Island do not meet the requirements of the protocols.
Federal and state biologists surveying the island have confirmed hundreds of birds have visible oil ranging from light to heavy. These observations have also been made by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology which has a video crew recording the impacts of the oil spill on wildlife.
It is difficult to assess the exact number of oiled birds and the situation is being monitored daily. In addition to approximately 20,000 nesting pairs of birds present, estimates of another 35,000 adults, immature birds, and chicks comprise a population of concern to state and federal biologists. Approximately 2,500 pairs are pelicans and the other birds are terns, gulls, and wading birds such as herons and egrets.
“We fully support the efforts of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and other officials in the region to monitor and assess the impacts on birds and other wildlife," said Ken Rosenberg, Director of Conservation Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “We know it is too early to assess the full impacts of the oil spill on birds. The Cornell Lab's video crew has not been involved in official survey efforts, but they have estimated the numbers of birds at their filming locations based on what they could see. In particular, we absolutely support the policies and decision-making of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding efforts to recover and rehabilitate badly oiled birds,” Rosenberg said. “They are doing a great job of ensuring that the harm to wildlife is minimized.”
“The majority of affected birds observed by the Cornell team had small amounts of oil on their feathers, and would not warrant capture and recovery efforts that could disturb and further endanger these sensitive colonies. The longer-term population impacts from these lightly oiled birds are of concern, however, and continued monitoring is critical,” concludes Rosenberg.
Of the 68 heavily oiled birds observed on July 10, 14, and 15, six were rescued safely by LDWF biologists based on protocols observed by these biologists working on the bird rescue mission. No rescues are attempted on the island where rescue activity would disturb unoiled or slightly oiled birds, and increase the possibility of putting additional birds at risk.
The rescue of oiled wildlife impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill continues to be an important mission for the LDWF and the USFWS. State and federal field biologists patrol coastal waters and marshes daily searching for wildlife in distress, including thousands of coastal shorebirds, wading birds and migratory species.
Not Okay
Here's a link to a must read post on nolafemmes. It mirrors the feelings of we the residents of the Gulf as we go through this disastrophe.
Protect Gulf Wildlife, Not BP
Here's an email I got from the Gulf Restoration Network
Tell the Feds to Stop the Secrecy and Protect the Gulf!
Dear Judy,
Recently, we began receiving reports of inadequately trained BP contractors crushing bird eggs and disturbing tern nests in coastal areas. These disturbing reports were coming from independent monitors - citizens, journalists, and groups like GRN - who have been out in the impacted areas working to make sure that BP and federal officials do everything possible to clean up this mess.
Independent voices are essential for gathering the full knowledge of the disaster's impacts that is so desperately needed, but BP is working hard to stem the flow of information. Unfortunately, the federal government seems to be taking some pointers from BP's playbook.
Restrictions on air space over the impacted area continue to frustrate efforts to monitor the disaster and new rules limit on-the-ground access to cleanup operations - threatening independent monitors with felony charges and $40,000 penalties. What we need is more transparency, not more rules!
Tell the Feds to stop protecting BP, and start protecting Gulf wildlife, click here:
http://action.healthygulf.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4314
It is essential that our leaders do everything necessary to protect Gulf communities, and wildlife. As this massive clean-up and recovery effort continues, increased transparency is vital to successfully restoring the Gulf, defending our communities, and making sure this never happens again. Please add your voice to the chorus of independent voices calling for more transparency, and better protection for Gulf wildlife.
For the future of the Gulf,
Aaron Viles
Campaign Director
The Gulf Restoration Network is a diverse network of local, regional, and national groups and individuals dedicated to protecting and restoring the valuable natural resources of the Gulf of Mexico. Don't worry, GRN will never sell or share your information. To unsubscribe, visit this site.
Animal Autopsies in Gulf Yield a Mystery
Excerpts from an article in the NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/science/earth/15necropsy.html?th&emc=th
Studies show that dispersants, which break down oil into tiny droplets and can also break down cell membranes, make oil more toxic for some animals, like baby birds. And the solvents they contain can break down red blood cells, causing hemorrhaging. At least one fresh dolphin carcass found in the Gulf was bleeding from the mouth and blowhole, according to Lori Deangelis, a dolphin tour operator in Perdido Bay.
Another dolphin, its ribs broken, was hit by a boat, a catastrophe that dolphins are normally nimble enough to avoid. The veterinarian, Dr. Connie Chevis, found a tarlike substance in the dolphin’s throat. The substance will be analyzed to see if it is oil, but one theory is that the animal could have been disoriented by oil exposure, which can have a narcotic effect, rendering it incapable of avoiding a boat strike. Ms. Deangelis said the dolphins on her recent tours have been “acting like they’ve had three martinis.”
Despite an obvious suspect, oil, the answer is far from clear. The vast majority of the dead animals that have been found — 1,866 birds, 463 turtles, 59 dolphins and one sperm whale — show no visible signs of oil contamination. Much of the evidence in the turtle cases points, in fact, to shrimping or other commercial fishing, but other suspects include oil fumes, oiled food, the dispersants used to break up the oil or even disease.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/science/earth/15necropsy.html?th&emc=th
Studies show that dispersants, which break down oil into tiny droplets and can also break down cell membranes, make oil more toxic for some animals, like baby birds. And the solvents they contain can break down red blood cells, causing hemorrhaging. At least one fresh dolphin carcass found in the Gulf was bleeding from the mouth and blowhole, according to Lori Deangelis, a dolphin tour operator in Perdido Bay.
Another dolphin, its ribs broken, was hit by a boat, a catastrophe that dolphins are normally nimble enough to avoid. The veterinarian, Dr. Connie Chevis, found a tarlike substance in the dolphin’s throat. The substance will be analyzed to see if it is oil, but one theory is that the animal could have been disoriented by oil exposure, which can have a narcotic effect, rendering it incapable of avoiding a boat strike. Ms. Deangelis said the dolphins on her recent tours have been “acting like they’ve had three martinis.”
Despite an obvious suspect, oil, the answer is far from clear. The vast majority of the dead animals that have been found — 1,866 birds, 463 turtles, 59 dolphins and one sperm whale — show no visible signs of oil contamination. Much of the evidence in the turtle cases points, in fact, to shrimping or other commercial fishing, but other suspects include oil fumes, oiled food, the dispersants used to break up the oil or even disease.
The Emotional Impact
BP’s massive and ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is not Louisiana’s problem or a Gulf coast problem or America’s problem, says Frank Brigtsen. It’s a world problem, he states firmly. And, the ripple impact is beginning to be felt in every corner of the country. We have to figure out a better way of doing things and how to help each other during times of crisis, he says.
Even though a successful restaurant owner and chef, Brigtsen is unusually candid about the grief he’s feeling these days about the magnitude of destruction inflicted across his beloved southern Louisiana and the Gulf coast region by BP’s pollution of the Gulf, and the widespread unemployment it has caused.
“Once again, we in New Orleans are on a strange adventure we don’t want to be on,” he says. “The BP oil spill has taken parts of our lives away.”
To understand the scale of the human suffering that is today being caused by the BP oil spill, Brigtsen says you’ve got to actually see it.
Brigtsen says that ever since he and his wife drove to Grand Isle, La., to stand on a pier and actually see the oil floating on the water, he’s been having sleepless night, depression and periods of just crying.
The real tragedy, he says, is the human side … a lot of people who cannot go to work and are in need … lives pulled out from under their feet … and a feeling of helplessness.
On a more positive side, Brigtsen talks about the leaders of his industry – the famed New Orleans restaurants – pulling together to during this crisis, as they did during Katrina and other times, to help others by providing food.
Frank Brigtsen and his family own Brigsten’s, a landmark eating place on Dante Street in New Orleans.
From Louisiana Seafood Board News
Even though a successful restaurant owner and chef, Brigtsen is unusually candid about the grief he’s feeling these days about the magnitude of destruction inflicted across his beloved southern Louisiana and the Gulf coast region by BP’s pollution of the Gulf, and the widespread unemployment it has caused.
“Once again, we in New Orleans are on a strange adventure we don’t want to be on,” he says. “The BP oil spill has taken parts of our lives away.”
To understand the scale of the human suffering that is today being caused by the BP oil spill, Brigtsen says you’ve got to actually see it.
Brigtsen says that ever since he and his wife drove to Grand Isle, La., to stand on a pier and actually see the oil floating on the water, he’s been having sleepless night, depression and periods of just crying.
The real tragedy, he says, is the human side … a lot of people who cannot go to work and are in need … lives pulled out from under their feet … and a feeling of helplessness.
On a more positive side, Brigtsen talks about the leaders of his industry – the famed New Orleans restaurants – pulling together to during this crisis, as they did during Katrina and other times, to help others by providing food.
Frank Brigtsen and his family own Brigsten’s, a landmark eating place on Dante Street in New Orleans.
From Louisiana Seafood Board News
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
A Louisiana Hero-Drew Landry
During the hearings held on July 12-13 a crawfisherman named Drew Landry used music to eloquently portray the trials and tribulations of the Gulf region because of the oil spill. Here's the video
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Moratorium impact to Louisianians
Granted, offshore drilling is dangerous. But right now there is no alternative for energy awaiting to be embraced. So face it folks, we need oil for the near term until there is a safer, greener alternative.
That said, the impact of Obama's blanket moratorium is going to have a HUGE impact. No one knows the exact numbers, but here's a guess by Loren Scott, professor emeritus at Louisiana State University.
video courtesy of heritage dot org
Add those 32,000 jobs lost to the thousands of jobs lost in the fishing industry, the ~12,000 jobs lost* by Avondale shutting down and the 1,000 jobs lost due to the cancellation of Orion program by who else: Obama.
That's about 50,000 jobs, counting the jobs lost for indirect support services. In one state.
And I'm being laid off in the 4th quarter. Oh well, I'll just go on unemployment, which was the president's answer to the job losses.
What a mess.
*12,000 jobs include the 5,000 direct and the rest are indirect jobs.
That said, the impact of Obama's blanket moratorium is going to have a HUGE impact. No one knows the exact numbers, but here's a guess by Loren Scott, professor emeritus at Louisiana State University.
video courtesy of heritage dot org
Add those 32,000 jobs lost to the thousands of jobs lost in the fishing industry, the ~12,000 jobs lost* by Avondale shutting down and the 1,000 jobs lost due to the cancellation of Orion program by who else: Obama.
That's about 50,000 jobs, counting the jobs lost for indirect support services. In one state.
And I'm being laid off in the 4th quarter. Oh well, I'll just go on unemployment, which was the president's answer to the job losses.
What a mess.
*12,000 jobs include the 5,000 direct and the rest are indirect jobs.
Saving White Pelicans
From a clarionledger.com article about a zoo in Jackson, Ms. helping oiled, handicapped white pelicans:
Cautiously shifting from right to left in opposition to Dave Wetzel's motions, the 20 American white pelicans have not adapted to their temporary home - a large wire holding cage with two kiddie pools that has become their sanctuary since the Gulf Coast oil spill damaged their habitat and forced their removal.
Volunteers rescued the pelicans being rehabilitated and housed at the Jackson Zoo until permanent homes at animal facilities can be found.
Wetzel, the zoo's deputy director, has a degree in zoology fueled by an interest in birds. That's one reason the Jackson Zoo was able to become a bird holding hub.
"We volunteered because it's our state that is going to be affected," he said Tuesday.
Read the full article here
Cautiously shifting from right to left in opposition to Dave Wetzel's motions, the 20 American white pelicans have not adapted to their temporary home - a large wire holding cage with two kiddie pools that has become their sanctuary since the Gulf Coast oil spill damaged their habitat and forced their removal.
Volunteers rescued the pelicans being rehabilitated and housed at the Jackson Zoo until permanent homes at animal facilities can be found.
Wetzel, the zoo's deputy director, has a degree in zoology fueled by an interest in birds. That's one reason the Jackson Zoo was able to become a bird holding hub.
"We volunteered because it's our state that is going to be affected," he said Tuesday.
Read the full article here
Jazz Funeral
On July 8th the final external fuel tank manufactured at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East was delivered to NASA. We celebrated the way only New Orleans celebrates: with a Jazz Funeral. Here is a short film put together by Lockheed Martin.
that methane bubble
There has been a rumor going around about a huge methane bubble in the Gulf of Mexico that is going to cause the evacuation of the entire Gulf Coast and create an oil tsunami. Wow, some people have too much time on their hands.
Here is a blog that puts this crazy myth to rest:
Thanks to Maitri for the link. (http://vatul.net/blog/)
Day 85 Numbers
From deepwaterhorizonresponse.com
By the Numbers to Date (7/13/2010)
:
· The administration has authorized the deployment of 17,500 National Guard troops from Gulf Coast states to respond to this crisis; currently, 1,564 are active.
· More than 45,000 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife and cleanup vital coastlines.
· More than 6,800 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.
· More than 3.15 million feet of containment boom and 6.34 million feet of sorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill—and approximately 892,000 feet of containment boom and 2.66 million feet of sorbent boom are available.
· More than 31.4 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.
· Approximately 1.81 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied—1.07 million on the surface and 735,000 sub-sea. Approximately 502,000 gallons are available.
· 330 controlled burns have been conducted, efficiently removing a total of more than 10.3 million gallons of oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife. Because calculations on the volume of oil burned can take more than 48 hours, the reported total volume may not reflect the most recent controlled burns.
· 17 staging areas are in place to protect sensitive shorelines.
· Approximately 550 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled—approximately 311 miles in Louisiana, 102 miles in Mississippi, 66 miles in Alabama, and 71 miles in Florida. These numbers reflect a daily snapshot of shoreline currently experiencing impacts from oil so that planning and field operations can more quickly respond to new impacts; they do not include cumulative impacts to date, or shoreline that has already been cleared.
· Approximately 83,927 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 remains 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 Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Spain, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization, the European Union's Monitoring and Information Centre, and the European Maritime Safety Agency.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
A little levity
July 10--
The 47-year-old Mesilla Park man is recovering at a Texas burn center after being found on the U.S. 70 bridge over Del Rey Boulevard just before 7 p.m. Monday, with "significant" burns to his leg, buttocks, his plastic prosthesis "and what was left of his sock," according to Las Cruces Police Department reports.
In addition to "the burnt remains" of his clothing, an officer also found a 5-inch tube stuffed with wire mesh, which appeared to have been used as a smoking pipe.
The cause of the burns, the man told police, was losing a drinking game for having "only drank a six-pack," according to the police report.
As punishment, his three friends set his jeans and his prosthesis on fire and let the material -- then his flesh -- burn and blacken until he "could not stand the pain of wearing clothes" and stripped down to his shoes, the police report states.
When he couldn't stand the flames any more, he asked for a ride from his friend's home on
Before police arrived, the man
ended up throwing his cigarettes and wallet into the bed of a truck, whose occupants locked the door and drove off when they saw he was naked. (The motorist later contacted police to return the man's wallet.)
No criminal charges were filed against the men who set him on fire or left him on the highway, and the man told police he didn't once try to stop them.
"If they had lost the bet," the man told police, "he would have done the same to them."
Oilspill Website for public comments
Gulf Oil Spill Commission Launches Public Comment Feature on Website, as First Public Meeting Begins
Source: PRNewswire
PRESS RELEASE
Publication date: 2010-07-12
Those who want to make their voices heard can do so at www.oilspillcommission.gov. Details about the time and place for the first public meeting can also be found on the site.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Waveland, Mississippi
Here is a photographic journal showing the oil spoiling the beach at Waveland, Mississippi.
http://andylevin.com/2010/07/waveland-mississippi-bp-spill/
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Friday, July 09, 2010
Report: BP crimnally abused animals
Activist Files Police Report - Alleges BP Criminally Abused Animals
(New Orleans, LA) –The Executive Director of the Humane Society of Louisiana, Jeff Dorson, filed a police report yesterday with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Department, alleging that BP violated several Parish ordinances hundreds of times since the April 20th blowout of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig. The report alleges that BP violated the parish animal cruelty codes and the ordinances that specifically prohibit the exposure of poisonous materials, the avoidance of mistreatment of animals, and the littering of waterways.
"I realize this is a modest legal action in light of the crisis, but I hope it has a significant impact.” Dorson says. “Every time we see an oil-covered animal and contaminants in the water we are witnessing a crime and it should be reported."
Dorson backed his claims with information he gathered on three visits to the barrier islands in Barataria Bay off Grand Isle. His photos of oiled birds and oil globs bobbing in the water, along with statistical counts of captured animals injured by oil and the number that subsequently died are included in the police report.
The claim will be reviewed by the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office where the decision on whether to prosecute will be made. If the matter is tried in court, hundreds of residents could be called to testify. Dorson says: “I hope they prosecute and allow us to testify in open court. We need to stand up for the tens of thousands of birds and animals who have been in harmed, killed, or displaced by this criminal activity," Dorson adds.
Established in 1988, The Humane Society of Louisiana is one of the state's largest animal protection agencies, with over 10,000 members and supporters. To tackle many of the issues surrounding the BP Deep Horizon oil spill, the group launched Operation Here to Help, which can be found on Facebook. For more information, please call 1-888-6-humane or visit www.humanela.org.
(New Orleans, LA) –The Executive Director of the Humane Society of Louisiana, Jeff Dorson, filed a police report yesterday with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Department, alleging that BP violated several Parish ordinances hundreds of times since the April 20th blowout of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig. The report alleges that BP violated the parish animal cruelty codes and the ordinances that specifically prohibit the exposure of poisonous materials, the avoidance of mistreatment of animals, and the littering of waterways.
"I realize this is a modest legal action in light of the crisis, but I hope it has a significant impact.” Dorson says. “Every time we see an oil-covered animal and contaminants in the water we are witnessing a crime and it should be reported."
Dorson backed his claims with information he gathered on three visits to the barrier islands in Barataria Bay off Grand Isle. His photos of oiled birds and oil globs bobbing in the water, along with statistical counts of captured animals injured by oil and the number that subsequently died are included in the police report.
The claim will be reviewed by the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office where the decision on whether to prosecute will be made. If the matter is tried in court, hundreds of residents could be called to testify. Dorson says: “I hope they prosecute and allow us to testify in open court. We need to stand up for the tens of thousands of birds and animals who have been in harmed, killed, or displaced by this criminal activity," Dorson adds.
Established in 1988, The Humane Society of Louisiana is one of the state's largest animal protection agencies, with over 10,000 members and supporters. To tackle many of the issues surrounding the BP Deep Horizon oil spill, the group launched Operation Here to Help, which can be found on Facebook. For more information, please call 1-888-6-humane or visit www.humanela.org.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Surviving the Oil Spill
Louisiana Seafood Board Newsroom
A Gulf Fisherman Speaks Out About Surviving the Oil Spill
Posted: 07 Jul 2010 10:01 PM PDT
Pete Gerica is 57-years-old and has fished the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Portchartrain, north of New Orleans, all his life. As a 3rd generation southern Louisiana fisherman, there is determined grit in his words when asked about the massive BP oil gusher in the Gulf and pride in his profession as an independent Louisiana fisherman.
Gerica’s keenly aware of public concern over seafood safety but he points out that Louisiana seafood is under more testing scrutiny and inspections than any other seafood in America, and far more carefully checked than the significant influx of seafood from unregulated foreign sources.
Gernica has been catching drum fish in Gulf waters in recent weeks that are open to fishermen and has not seen or heard of fish tainted by oil.
Peter Gerica believes the lack of usual availability of fish and shellfish from Louisiana is attributed to restrictions on fishing, and that’s led to a false perception about quality.
While millions gallons of oil have poured into the Gulf of Mexico, Gerica steers away from anything that might sound promotional or self-serving. He talks about the research that is being done by scores of scientists and marine biologists and prefers to stick with the facts.
There is currently a significant shortage, he says, of wild caught seafood from Louisiana due to Gulf fishing waters being closed for precautionary reasons, and not – he emphasizes – because of any pollution of seafood. Louisiana fishing waters are a main source for America.
Gerica believes the lack of usual availability of fish and shellfish from Louisiana has shortages and that’s led to a false perception about quality.
Furthermore, he points out that tar balls in the water – now making for sensational media coverage – are nothing new. Tar balls have been seen on beaches and in Gulf and ocean waters for generations … and, as long as anyone can remember. Many come from natural oil leakage in the ocean floor, he says.
Gerica and his wife lost everything five years ago during Hurricane Katrina, including three fishing boats. They nearly died after being swept into a tree. He rebuilt and takes pride in the quality of fish and shrimp he catches, when available, and says that he’ll survive the BP oil spill … even though the end is not yet in sight today.
A Gulf Fisherman Speaks Out About Surviving the Oil Spill
Posted: 07 Jul 2010 10:01 PM PDT
Pete Gerica is 57-years-old and has fished the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Portchartrain, north of New Orleans, all his life. As a 3rd generation southern Louisiana fisherman, there is determined grit in his words when asked about the massive BP oil gusher in the Gulf and pride in his profession as an independent Louisiana fisherman.
Gerica’s keenly aware of public concern over seafood safety but he points out that Louisiana seafood is under more testing scrutiny and inspections than any other seafood in America, and far more carefully checked than the significant influx of seafood from unregulated foreign sources.
Gernica has been catching drum fish in Gulf waters in recent weeks that are open to fishermen and has not seen or heard of fish tainted by oil.
Peter Gerica believes the lack of usual availability of fish and shellfish from Louisiana is attributed to restrictions on fishing, and that’s led to a false perception about quality.
While millions gallons of oil have poured into the Gulf of Mexico, Gerica steers away from anything that might sound promotional or self-serving. He talks about the research that is being done by scores of scientists and marine biologists and prefers to stick with the facts.
There is currently a significant shortage, he says, of wild caught seafood from Louisiana due to Gulf fishing waters being closed for precautionary reasons, and not – he emphasizes – because of any pollution of seafood. Louisiana fishing waters are a main source for America.
Gerica believes the lack of usual availability of fish and shellfish from Louisiana has shortages and that’s led to a false perception about quality.
Furthermore, he points out that tar balls in the water – now making for sensational media coverage – are nothing new. Tar balls have been seen on beaches and in Gulf and ocean waters for generations … and, as long as anyone can remember. Many come from natural oil leakage in the ocean floor, he says.
Gerica and his wife lost everything five years ago during Hurricane Katrina, including three fishing boats. They nearly died after being swept into a tree. He rebuilt and takes pride in the quality of fish and shrimp he catches, when available, and says that he’ll survive the BP oil spill … even though the end is not yet in sight today.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
A request for help
From Pensacola resident Diana Stephens
A message that might help us "Fight BP on their own turf".
Who knows, it may work. Please read and send an email to Ms. Caroline Lucas (email in this message)
Got this reply from Rob, a UK resident, in response to one of my oil spill vids on Youtube. He suggest that we, the American people. contact a minister in the Parliment, whose platform is focused on the environment and Ecology. Since BP is a British company, I believe this is a great idea.
*** PLEASE be kind in your email to her. . . she is sympathetic to our cause and may be able to help get Corexit banned in the US. ****
Here is his reply:
"hi Diana,
I'm from the UK and have been watching this tragedy unfold with horror and sadness - my heart goes out to all you locals esp. the media over here has been useless in reporting the truth, which is to be expected with such a huge corporation involved. Very few people I fear are really aware of what's going on.
A huge worry and mistake is clearly the use of corexit, and I have been thinking about how to raise the awareness of the problem with the public. Seeing as BP is considered by many to be a British company, I think it's about time we got our government involved. We have one (yes, only one) green party politician who holds a seat in our parliament (for Brighton). Her whole politics is based around the enviroment and ecology.
I've been writing to others like you who've been doing an amazing job on youtube with the suggestion that you and as many locals and viewers write to this minister. Her email is as follows:
caroline.lucas.mp@parliament.uk
She is able to raise issues in public debate within the house of commons, directly to the prime minister and all of our politicians. The debates are also televised, so will go out to the nation and be picked up by the media. I don't know whether or not she is already working on this, but my view is that if she is bombarded with emails directly from you residents at source, then she will find herself at the centre of an ecological mission that her conscience will find hard to ignore. We can put this mission upon her in the nicest way, as she is quite possibly the most influential green politician in the UK.
I would like to suggest that perhaps the most pressing issues to begin with are to make her aware of the vile horrors of corexit, and urge her to request that the government force BP to cease using this chemical, and to accept the offers of outside help which they have so far refused, as after all this is now a global issue rather than a corporate one.
I hope you are able to co-ordinate as many emails as possible to Caroline - I really think there is a possibility of achieving something this way. Please pass this message on to as many as possible.
Good luck and all the very best to you,
Rob"
A short polite email - detailing what we have been and are going thru - might just help us. Please, send one to her. Thanks
A message that might help us "Fight BP on their own turf".
Who knows, it may work. Please read and send an email to Ms. Caroline Lucas (email in this message)
Got this reply from Rob, a UK resident, in response to one of my oil spill vids on Youtube. He suggest that we, the American people. contact a minister in the Parliment, whose platform is focused on the environment and Ecology. Since BP is a British company, I believe this is a great idea.
*** PLEASE be kind in your email to her. . . she is sympathetic to our cause and may be able to help get Corexit banned in the US. ****
Here is his reply:
"hi Diana,
I'm from the UK and have been watching this tragedy unfold with horror and sadness - my heart goes out to all you locals esp. the media over here has been useless in reporting the truth, which is to be expected with such a huge corporation involved. Very few people I fear are really aware of what's going on.
A huge worry and mistake is clearly the use of corexit, and I have been thinking about how to raise the awareness of the problem with the public. Seeing as BP is considered by many to be a British company, I think it's about time we got our government involved. We have one (yes, only one) green party politician who holds a seat in our parliament (for Brighton). Her whole politics is based around the enviroment and ecology.
I've been writing to others like you who've been doing an amazing job on youtube with the suggestion that you and as many locals and viewers write to this minister. Her email is as follows:
caroline.lucas.mp@parliament.uk
She is able to raise issues in public debate within the house of commons, directly to the prime minister and all of our politicians. The debates are also televised, so will go out to the nation and be picked up by the media. I don't know whether or not she is already working on this, but my view is that if she is bombarded with emails directly from you residents at source, then she will find herself at the centre of an ecological mission that her conscience will find hard to ignore. We can put this mission upon her in the nicest way, as she is quite possibly the most influential green politician in the UK.
I would like to suggest that perhaps the most pressing issues to begin with are to make her aware of the vile horrors of corexit, and urge her to request that the government force BP to cease using this chemical, and to accept the offers of outside help which they have so far refused, as after all this is now a global issue rather than a corporate one.
I hope you are able to co-ordinate as many emails as possible to Caroline - I really think there is a possibility of achieving something this way. Please pass this message on to as many as possible.
Good luck and all the very best to you,
Rob"
A short polite email - detailing what we have been and are going thru - might just help us. Please, send one to her. Thanks
Gunderboom
The City of Ocean Springs will soon be home to a BP pilot booming program. Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran met with BP officials at the Department of Marine Resources headquarters Sunday morning.
After many meetings with BP, Mayor Moran said she now feels the city is on track to achieving its goal of preparedness.
"We made a presentation again Sunday for the ocean boom called Gunder Boom, proposing a stretch that would go from East Deer Island all the way to Marsh Point near East Beach," said Mayor Moran.
Because of that presentation, BP has agreed to fund a pilot program for a section of the boom.
Too bad Louisiana hasn’t tried to use Gunder Boom. It looks like a great way to keep oil and tarballs out.
Here’s a website with drawings showing how the boom works
http://www.gunderboom.com/
Michoud's past, present and future
From spaceref dot com (http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.rss.html?id=1410), a great article about where I work.
NASA's Last Two Space Shuttle External Tanks Are Being Built at Michoud
Ken Kremer
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 -
Ken Kremer for NASA Watch , NASA Michoud Assembly Facility, LA
The last two Space Shuttle External Tanks (ET's) likely to be produced in history are entering their final closeout assembly operations at the NASA-owned Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans as the shuttle program draws ever closer to its looming retirement date, now reset to early 2011.
These two final tanks are destined for the last scheduled flight of the shuttle program - STS 134 - and what's currently base lined as the Launch-On-Need (LON) rescue mission (STS 335), respectively. They are designated as tanks ET-138 and ET-122. STS 134 is currently scheduled to lift off on Feb. 28, 2011.
I had the rare opportunity to inspect these final ET's up close during my tour of NASA's new Lunar Orion Ground Test Article (GTA). Read my Orion reports here and here.
The giant tanks play a dual role. First, they supply the super cold cryogenic propellants - liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen - to fuel the Orbiters three main engines during the thunderous ascent to orbit. Second, they provide the structural backbone to the shuttle system by absorbing most of the seven million pounds of thrust exerted by the solid rocket boosters and main engines.
The tank work is taking place amidst great uncertainty for all the aerospace workers employed on the Space Shuttle Program at Michoud and at all other NASA and shuttle contractor locations across the US.
Massive job cuts in the tens of thousands are set to occur as the Shuttle program is ended and as the termination of NASA's follow on Constellation moon program, which would have employed some of these folks, was recently accelerated by the Obama Administration. Indeed many thousands of shuttle contractor workers have already been layed off.
Until recently, Michoud was a beehive humming with construction activity for our nation's space program. Now it's almost like a ghost town, sadly foreshadowing the coming demise of the shuttle program as the ET manufacturing lines have been shut down. More than 1000 layoffs have already taken place at Michoud even as the US remains in the grip of the worst economic recession since the Depression.
ET manufacturing is the main activity at Michoud and the facility was one of the largest industrial employers in the New Orleans area, now further battered by the economically devastating effects of the BP Gulf oil spill.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems manufactures the huge ET's at Michoud under a contract from NASA that was awarded in 1973. These last tanks are being assembled under a contract that extends through 2010. To date, three test tanks and 132 flight tanks have been delivered to NASA.
"We are down to about 1200 employees from a total of about 2200 working at Michoud. And, we are on a rapid decline," Lockheed spokesman Kevin Barre told me. "Layoffs started about one year ago. There is still no direction from NASA on the future of the facility. The ET weld tools are now covered and in storage. They belong to NASA".
Most of the current tank work is focused on ET-138, with three shifts working diligently around the clock in the Test & Checkout Building, # 420. Test & Checkout is the final stop for an ET during build before being rolled out to the shipping barge to KSC.
During my visit, expert teams of highly experienced and dedicated personnel were busily working on the umbilical connections, foam modifications, feed lines, ice frost ramps, electrical lines and much more as I stood in awe on top of the wraparound scaffolding, just inches from the giant yellow tank positioned hoizontally on the shop floor and which stretches 154 feet in length and 27.6 feet in diameter and a mere one half inch thick.
See my ET-138 photos below and 360 degree panoramas courtesy of Nasatech.net: http://nasatech.net/
I was lucky to stride back and forth along the tank where very few folks are permitted, from the nose cap of the tank to the rear and also gaze straight at the two complex and rectangular shaped umbilical plate assemblies containing the critical oxygen and hydrogen feed lines which are coupled directly to the rear of the orbiter during launch.
Panorama from bottom of ET-138 near umbilical plate assemblies
Panorama near top of ET-138 next to fuel feed lines
Lockheed is targeting to complete ET-138 around June 29. ET-138 will then be transported about one mile to the sites deep-water access port and placed aboard a barge named Pegasus.
A delivery celebration of sorts is planned for July 8, although for many of those fortunate to still be employed it may harken to a somber funeral procession.
"There will be a New Orleans second line with a jazz band following the tank to the barge!," according to Lockheed spokesman Kevin Barre.
The "Second line" is a "quintessential New Orleans art form -- a jazz funeral without a body". Second line is a New Orleans tradition where participants follow the brass band and enjoy the music with a parade of traditional dance and twirling parasols and handkerchiefs.
The tanks are then towed on the barge for a 900 mile voyage across the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida and up to the Kennedy Space Center on a trip lasting five or six days. NASA officials are in the process of determining whether the catastrophic BP oil leak in the Gulf will affect the timing or the route of the barge. There were some minor adjustments to the path of the barge on the prior ET shipment.
These tanks are the newest version dubbed the Super Lightweight Tank (SLWT), weighing some 58,500 pounds. They are 7,500 pounds lighter than the prior Lightweight Tanks (LWT) because of the use of a significantly stronger and less dense aluminum lithium alloy.
The weight savings with the SLWT translates directly pound for pound to an increase in the shuttle's payload capacity to orbit and was vital for enabling the shuttle to loft the heavier components required to build and supply the International Space Station. The first SLWT lifted off on 2 June 1998, powering STS 91 into orbit.
The Michoud facility sits on an 832 acre property in eastern New Orleans. It features one of the largest manufacturing plants in the world, encompassing over 43 acres under one roof and a deep water access port which is a necessity for the transportation of large space structures via ocean-going barge.
Everyone I spoke with at Michoud wished the program would continue but sadly realizes that it won't. They are uniformly proud of their accomplishments and their role in supporting the US Space Program.
The ET teams motto is "The Last One will be the Best One !"
They are a highly dedicated lot. Half the folks at Michoud lost their homes during Hurricane Katrina and pushed on with the work despite the terrible aftermath and kept the shuttle program running on schedule.
One employee said to me, "In addition to aerospace workers, there are a whole lot of regular working folks from the community who contribute to the program, in many different ways. I'm always amazed at what a great job local, family-owned contractors are capable of when becoming involved with our space programs."
"It helps to put into perspective where the funding for these programs really goes. I get the impression some times that the public has the idea that billions of dollars are actually loaded into a rocket and blasted into space, never to be seen again. They don't seem to notice the regular folks, like steel workers, carpenters, electricians and pipe fitters, their suppliers and equipment vendors, who all participate in and benefit from these kinds of programs. They are all very much part of the space program too, although if you're up to your elbows in a mud pit, you probably don't feel much like an astronaut."
NASA has done studies on what it would take in terms of time and money to restart the ET production line, but that study has not been released to the public.
Senior NASA shuttle managers have told me that it would take roughly 2 years from the date the order was placed to produce the first new tank. In the meantime, there are numerous "piece parts" for one to two tanks currently sitting on the floor at the facility which could be assembled together and which I personally saw.
NASA and Lockheed are also working together at Michoud to repair ET-122 which was heavily damaged during Hurricane Katrina.
Watch for my upcoming feature on observing the restoration of ET-122.
ET-122 will be stacked for the contingency mission STS 335 along with Orbiter Atlantis and the last SRB's which recently arrived at KSC in late May. Read my features on the last SRB's and Atlantis last flight and tribute here:
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1399
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1395
Obamath
President Barack Obama on Saturday announced about $2 billion in new investments to help build clean energy technology and create thousands of jobs.
In his weekly address, Obama said that the Department of Energy is slated to award nearly $2 billion in conditional commitments to two solar companies: Abengoa Solar and Abound Solar Manufacturing.
The construction will create about 1,600 jobs in Arizona and more than 70 percent of the components and products used in construction will be manufactured in the United States “boosting jobs and communities in states up and down the supply chain,” Obama said. Abound Solar Manufacturing will manufacture advanced solar panels at two new plants in Colorado and Indiana, creating more than 2,000 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs.
The drilling moratorium in the Gulf equates to the loss of 37,000 jobs. Solar panels are made from petroleum products. So what the prez is doing is swapping 37,000 jobs for ~3,300 permanent jobs. What’s wrong with this picture?
Monday, July 05, 2010
Sunday, July 04, 2010
nunguesser calls out coast guard
Plaquemines Parish president Billy Nungesser venting to WWL radio. Coast Guard/BP conspiracy going on....I believe it.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Reporting on the oilspill
Well written article about the oilspill from someone who doesn't live here.
It'll make you sad, but worth the read.
Excerpt:
It's all being driven by money and fear. That's what had made the out-of-uniform cop in the oil port of Fourchon, on the edge of the marsh, erupt from his police car and scream that if I didn't leave now he would arrest me for trespassing ... for driving on a public road toward the shoreline.
That's what made everyone keep subdividing, compartmentalizing, seeing only his link.
That's what made the oil company try to hide the carnage and send the oil underwater.
That's what made all the marsh dwellers scream about the moratorium on deepwater drilling, even though that was the very thing that had just shattered their way of life.
That's what kept their leaders from doing what they knew must be done, and their countrymen from demanding it: the conversion to energy that didn't poison the water or land or keep us mired in expensive wars when the national bank was broke.
It'll make you sad, but worth the read.
Excerpt:
It's all being driven by money and fear. That's what had made the out-of-uniform cop in the oil port of Fourchon, on the edge of the marsh, erupt from his police car and scream that if I didn't leave now he would arrest me for trespassing ... for driving on a public road toward the shoreline.
That's what made everyone keep subdividing, compartmentalizing, seeing only his link.
That's what made the oil company try to hide the carnage and send the oil underwater.
That's what made all the marsh dwellers scream about the moratorium on deepwater drilling, even though that was the very thing that had just shattered their way of life.
That's what kept their leaders from doing what they knew must be done, and their countrymen from demanding it: the conversion to energy that didn't poison the water or land or keep us mired in expensive wars when the national bank was broke.
BP's Texas City Chemical Release
From Propublica dot org, an article about
a BP-owned Texas City Refinery released thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals into the air because of BP's decision to keep producing gasoline while they repaired faulty equipment that caused the leaks.
"The company now estimates that 538,000 pounds of chemicals escaped from the refinery while it was replacing the equipment. These included 17,000 pounds of benzene, a known carcinogen; 37,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides, which contribute to respiratory problems; and 186,000 pounds of carbon monoxide."
Their blatant disregard for the environment and human beings is painfully stunning to me.
a BP-owned Texas City Refinery released thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals into the air because of BP's decision to keep producing gasoline while they repaired faulty equipment that caused the leaks.
"The company now estimates that 538,000 pounds of chemicals escaped from the refinery while it was replacing the equipment. These included 17,000 pounds of benzene, a known carcinogen; 37,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides, which contribute to respiratory problems; and 186,000 pounds of carbon monoxide."
Their blatant disregard for the environment and human beings is painfully stunning to me.
Friday, July 02, 2010
Findings on White House's response to the Oil Spill
Here's a link to a just published report on the White House Public Relations Campaign on the Oil Spill. The report was done by U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
An excerpt:
Findings
Committee staff has discovered the following based upon witness interviews and
documents provided by federal and state entities:
• Officials on the ground dispute key White House assertions about the number and
timeliness of assets deployed in the Gulf. Local officials describe White House
outreach efforts as more focused on stopping bad press than on addressing the
disaster at hand;
• The White House’s assurances that there are adequate resources are at odds with the
reality on the ground, where those on the frontline of the spill express significant
frustration over the lack of assets. Local complaints are supported by the fact that the White House waited until Day 70 of the oil spill to accept critical offers of
international assistance. Local workers and boats could have been assisting more
with the clean-up if the Federal government had provided them with needed supplies
and equipment;
• While the White House has tried to use the delay in finding a visible leak to explain its early silence on the oil spill, Transocean officials and Coast Guard documents from the scene of the oil spill reveal clear and early indications of a substantial oil leak days earlier than White House accounts;
• The failure of Administration officials to quickly waive laws preventing necessary
foreign assets from reaching the Gulf and other regulations are hampering efforts to
clean-up and limit damage from the oil spill. Local officials feel the federal
government is making the perfect the enemy of the good in cleanup efforts;
• Local officials strongly dispute President Obama’s insistence that the federal
government – and not BP – has been in control since day one. One Coast Guard
Admiral told congressional investigators that decisions on the ground are made
through a “consensus-based” process with BP. In practice, the Federal Government is
not in charge of oil spill response efforts through a command-and-control approach;
• Local officials strongly believe the President’s call for a drilling moratorium will significantly compound the economic damage caused by the oil spill and will actually increase risk associated with future offshore drilling projects.
An excerpt:
Findings
Committee staff has discovered the following based upon witness interviews and
documents provided by federal and state entities:
• Officials on the ground dispute key White House assertions about the number and
timeliness of assets deployed in the Gulf. Local officials describe White House
outreach efforts as more focused on stopping bad press than on addressing the
disaster at hand;
• The White House’s assurances that there are adequate resources are at odds with the
reality on the ground, where those on the frontline of the spill express significant
frustration over the lack of assets. Local complaints are supported by the fact that the White House waited until Day 70 of the oil spill to accept critical offers of
international assistance. Local workers and boats could have been assisting more
with the clean-up if the Federal government had provided them with needed supplies
and equipment;
• While the White House has tried to use the delay in finding a visible leak to explain its early silence on the oil spill, Transocean officials and Coast Guard documents from the scene of the oil spill reveal clear and early indications of a substantial oil leak days earlier than White House accounts;
• The failure of Administration officials to quickly waive laws preventing necessary
foreign assets from reaching the Gulf and other regulations are hampering efforts to
clean-up and limit damage from the oil spill. Local officials feel the federal
government is making the perfect the enemy of the good in cleanup efforts;
• Local officials strongly dispute President Obama’s insistence that the federal
government – and not BP – has been in control since day one. One Coast Guard
Admiral told congressional investigators that decisions on the ground are made
through a “consensus-based” process with BP. In practice, the Federal Government is
not in charge of oil spill response efforts through a command-and-control approach;
• Local officials strongly believe the President’s call for a drilling moratorium will significantly compound the economic damage caused by the oil spill and will actually increase risk associated with future offshore drilling projects.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Independence from Oil - a history
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| ||||
Another Endangered Species Endangered
From Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — Whale sharks, the huge fish that feed by vacuuming the sea surface, have been seen in heavy oil a few miles from BP's spewing well in the Gulf of Mexico, a scientist said.
The University of Southern Mississippi researcher who's studied their migratory habits in the Gulf says the question now is how many of the creatures are dying in the oil.
"Taking mouthfuls of thick oil is not conducive to them surviving," said Eric Hoffmayer of the USM Gulf Coast Research Lab.
Oil could clog the cartilage filter pads that direct food to their throats and could coat their gills.
Hoffmayer said three of the sharks, the world's largest fish, were spotted within four miles of the spill site on Monday. They migrate north in late spring from waters near the Yucatan to feed off the mouth of the Mississippi River. The Deepwater Horizon site is about 40 miles southeast of the river.
"That basically confirms our worst fear: these animals do not know to stay away from the oil," Hoffmayer said.
They're easy to recognize, up to about 40 feet long and black with rows of white spots.
But there won't be any way to tell how many die. Sharks don't float.
"If they do die from the oil, they're going to sink to the bottom," Hoffmayer said.
News of whale sharks in the oil came less than a week after a huge group was spotted elsewhere off the Louisiana coast where oil had not yet been found. One aerial photograph showed dozens of them.
"It blew my mind. There were probably more than a hundred sharks," he said.
The group seen June 22 was about 70 miles southwest of Port Fourchon, and about 60 miles from the western edge of the spill as shown on a federal map, he said.
Hoffmayer said it was hard to say whether the three seen Monday were from that group because the animals can travel more than 60 miles in a day.
"I've got a feeling that until whatever the food source they found disappears, they're not going to want to go," he said.
Nobody knows just how many whale sharks exist. They're on the World Conservation Union's "red list" of threatened species.
Hoffmayer said the animals can dive a mile deep, and could escape any effort to herd them away from the oil.
Last week's spotting came as part of a two-day excursion organized by the director of a documentary being filmed about marine biologist Sylvia Earle, creator of the Mission Blue Foundation.
Hoffmayer said four of the sharks were tagged.
BPs cops are our cops!
Turns out that all the people "guarding" the oil spill cleanup personnel from the press
are actually local cops working for BP on their own time. Click this link to read the whole story and about the ACLU weighing in.
At this link, read about how these "officials" are harrassing people in various ways.
are actually local cops working for BP on their own time. Click this link to read the whole story and about the ACLU weighing in.
At this link, read about how these "officials" are harrassing people in various ways.
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