BP Oil Spill Approaching Gulf Coast

[fran]

OK, go ahead a shoot me down, but I was always for off-coast exploration. But, now I see a whole different side of the equation. OMGoodness! This is a disaster of epic proportion! I'm literally stunned!

I never dreamed there could be such damage. It's not just the people that will be or have already been affected, it's the wildlife, the ecosystem, EVERYTHING! It's unimaginable.

I saw a reporter on FOX yesterday interviewing someone and the reporter himself, had to stop the guest for a moment and explain, in a choked voice, he had a 'special interest' in this story because he had property and home in the area that's going to be effected. You could see the personal toll on this reporter. {heartbreaking} and to everyone, I am sure! along the effected coastline.

Personally, I blame either BP and Halliburten. BP OWNES the rig and Halliburtin had just finished putting on a major piece of equipment (something to do with 'cement').....From what I've read, MOST rigs have some type of a shut off valve, or whatever, and this particular rig did NOT! WHY NOT?????????

They cannot have this take them months to turn off. This is unacceptable. They need to do something, YESTERDAY!

Prayers to all who are effected by this.

Sincerely,
fran
:rose:

 

[legalmania]

OK, go ahead a shoot me down, but I was always for off-coast exploration. But, now I see a whole different side of the equation. OMGoodness! This is a disaster of epic proportion! I'm literally stunned!

I never dreamed there could be such damage. It's not just the people that will be or have already been affected, it's the wildlife, the ecosystem, EVERYTHING! It's unimaginable.

I saw a reporter on FOX yesterday interviewing someone and the reporter himself, had to stop the guest for a moment and explain, in a choked voice, he had a 'special interest' in this story because he had property and home in the area that's going to be effected. You could see the personal toll on this reporter. {heartbreaking} and to everyone, I am sure! along the effected coastline.

Personally, I blame either BP and Halliburten. BP OWNES the rig and Halliburtin had just finished putting on a major piece of equipment (something to do with 'cement').....From what I've read, MOST rigs have some type of a shut off valve, or whatever, and this particular rig did NOT! WHY NOT?????????

They cannot have this take them months to turn off. This is unacceptable. They need to do something, YESTERDAY!

Prayers to all who are effected by this.

Sincerely,
fran
:rose:

They do have safety valves, but the explosion caused unforeseen problems with it. We just don't regulate them the way other countries do. Since it's not mandatory they don't use it.

"The U.S. considered requiring a remote-controlled shut-off mechanism several years ago, but drilling companies questioned its cost and effectiveness, according to the agency overseeing offshore drilling. The agency, the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service, says it decided the remote device wasn't needed because rigs had other back-up plans to cut off a well.

The U.K., where BP is headquartered, doesn't require the use of acoustic triggers."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704423504575212031417936798.html

 

['Ailina]

The Horizon did have "blowout preventers" and "deadman systems" that were supposed to engage when the blowout happened, but none of them activated, maybe because the blowout escalated so fast.

In any case, the Horizon was as prepared as it could've been, and so were all those guys out there. The crew is drilled several, several times every week so they can be prepared for any disaster, including blowouts. Those rigs don't take safety lightly at all. My husband actually gets annoyed at all the safety prep they have to do, because it's so frequent, it becomes distracting. I may be obviously biased, but I don't believe BP or any employees of the Horizon were negligent with the construction or maintenance of the rig. Negligence means loss of life, loss of job expertise, and loss of profits.

And forgive me if I seem awfully preoccupied with matters relative to the rig and not the coastline, but that's because we're still reeling from the loss of human life, which is a very specific experience. I think there are a lot of families who are still trying to process the concept of moving on without their husbands/dads. Thinking about our endangered wetlands and the loss of wildlife is tragic (and it hits right at home for us down here, too), but the oil field families down here, including ours, have to pick our battles at times like these.

And it may be selfish, too, but I've also been worried about whether or not my husband will still have a job in a few months, or if this tragedy will effect us in that way, too.

 

[fran]

Thank you for your reply, Alina. I understand where you're coming from and if I was in your position, I'd most likely feel the same.

Bless those that lost their life and and their families as well.

I do see today BP is claiming this was caused by faulty equipment. Hopefully they can get this under control and find out what exactly it was that failed and why, so this will never happen again.

JMHO
fran
:rose:

 

[pufnstuf]

I had to drive down to Hammond, LA, today to deliver a pup to a family. I waited for them to arrive for about 30 minutes, all the while smelling the stench of the petroleum, which burned my nostrils. Hammond is about 30 minutes north of NOLA. Thank god I don't have asthma or COPD--the burning sensation was just a minor nuisance to me, but imagine what it would be like for children with asthma, adults with respiratory disorders or even chronic migraines.

While in Hammond, I ran by a popular seafood company and picked up a bag of crawfish. I was amazed to see that they had NO shrimp or oysters, and I asked the owner about it. He said that they had limited sales to 20 lbs of shrimp per customer, and had sold out within hours of opening on Saturday. He said that there would be a line when he arrived on Monday morning of people waiting to purchase whatever he was able to get in on Monday...said no oysters would be available, though.

I know that some of you guys who don't live in the gulf region think that this is a petty concern, but please keep in mind the seafood from our gulf is a staple in our diet. And we have a symbiotic relationship with the shrimpers and oysterfishers. We pay them well to supply us, and they keep our cravings sated. I'm not as worried about my access to shrimp and oysters as I am about the decline of this industry, which may never recover. Please keep our coastal shrimpers, crabbers, and oysterfishers in your thoughts and prayers. It's already been a tough five years for them.... many had to invest in new vessels after Katrina, and now they won't be able to meet the payments. Already a huge chunk of the coast has been restricted to fishing, shrimping, etc. If they can't meet their boat payments, they can't survive. So whether it's a year from now or ten years from now when this mess is cleaned up, many will have long been out of business. Very very sad for the people who make their livings in the Gulf.

 

[pufnstuf]

The Horizon did have "blowout preventers" and "deadman systems" that were supposed to engage when the blowout happened, but none of them activated, maybe because the blowout escalated so fast.

In any case, the Horizon was as prepared as it could've been, and so were all those guys out there. ...

Respectfully snipped and BBM.

I must disagree with your assessment that the Horizon was as prepared as it could have been.


NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Sen. Bill Nelson (D, Fla.) said Monday he requested the Interior Department and its Mineral Management Service to determine whether the oil and gas industry exerted influence over regulators from 2000 to 2004 when oil companies were allowed to select back-up systems to prevent a rig blowout. The Deepwater Horizon rig, which blew up on April 20 and sank on April 22, did not have an acoustic back-up switch to trigger a blowout prevention device in the event of an accident. Such backup controls are used in other major oil-producing countries, Nelson noted. "In light of the recent events, I am asking you to review the process by which Minerals Management Service reviewed and finalized 30 CFR §250.515 and all other regulations relevant to blowout preventers and well controls," Nelson wrote in his letter to Acting Inspector General Mary Kendall.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/senator-calls-for-probe-into-oil-rig-regulations-2010-05-03

 

[pufnstuf]

One of my best guy friends is a snubber out of Houma. Oilfield personnel consider snubbing the most dangerous job in the industry. He said that he can't even imagine how they'll stop this mess.

Sadly, when we let the industry regulate itself, we're left with these types of calamities. I hope that the acoustic switches become mandatory on all offshore rigs in the future. Might save life, limb, ecosystems, and livelihoods.

 

[jjenny]

One of my best guy friends is a snubber out of Houma. Oilfield personnel consider snubbing the most dangerous job in the industry. He said that he can't even imagine how they'll stop this mess.

Sadly, when we let the industry regulate itself, we're left with these types of calamities. I hope that the acoustic switches become mandatory on all offshore rigs in the future. Might save life, limb, ecosystems, and livelihoods.

It's rather obvious to me that the government needs to get more involved into the regulation of this industry so such a thing does not happen again.

 

[KeenEyes]

It's rather obvious to me that the government needs to get more involved into the regulation of this industry so such a thing does not happen again.

Hoping also to see some DIVINE intervention that would spare the environment, its inhabitants, and the livelihoods of so many any further damage.

 

[tk71texas]

we design a lot of bop's (blow out prevetors) that go overseas and we have acoustic backups systems on everything that we build

 

[noZme]

interesting stuff I found on the net:

*Joe Hale, Facebook
Would everyone please re-post this message everywhere you can, until anyone will listen? Thanks!


Dear Mr. President,
The U.S. military keeps an arsenal of MK-77 Mod 5 firebombs. In this case, these weapons could be used for a very constructive purpose. If a couple hundred of them were used within the past ELEVEN days, the majority of this oil slick could have been burned off in a matter of HOURS.
We still could! The bad weather may be keeping the recovery boats docked and the booms from working, but it would have nothing to do with the effectiveness of firebombs dropped from an aircraft. Trust me, if you were to use these weapons, the water itself (without any oil!) would burn... even in a hurricane.
If you are truly interested in a swift, efficient, cost effective solution, this is the only alternative you have left.
Come on guys! It's pretty sad when a mere retired sergeant could have solved this oil spill disaster a week ago.
Sincerely,
Joseph Hale
USAF Retired
Hillsboro, Ohio
addtional comments by JHale:
I lived for many years in Fort Walton Beach and Milton, Florida. I am convinced the repercussions of burning the oil would be dramatically less than the total destruction of our precious natural resources and the economy of the Emerald Coast.


"The Mobile Register reports that Ron Gouget, who formerly managed the oil spill cleanup department of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as a similar unit for the state of Louisiana, is criticizing the Obama White House's failure to act according to existing government plans in the event of a spill in the area now being deluged with thousands of barrels of crude oil every day.
Gouget said when he was at NOAA, the agency created a plan that required burning off an oil spill in the region in its earliest stage..."
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/22749



*here is a good read on dispersal chemicals
http://www.protecttheocean.com/


*Help Save the Gulf Coast from the Oil Leak
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=121646667846792


matteroftrust.org
Human hair & pet fur from salons can be stuffed into old tights & stockings for oil cleanup.
Dena Sewell A Local Dance Studio is requesting your old Tights and Nylons to make Booms for the Oil Spill. You can mail them to: Julie's School of Dance, 2733 Joan Avenue, Panama City, FL 32408-4125. Thank you for helping us keep our Beautiful Shores Clean!
Jacki Armstrong
For anyone that wants to get much needed hair and nylons to the coast, I am accepting shipments at my business in Mobile, AL. MatterofTrust is being overwhelmed, so it would get here quicker if you could direct ship! If you need my info, please just email me & I will send it directly! Thanks everyone!
[video=youtube;EwQOD_Ir2vQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwQOD_Ir2vQ[/video]

*Volunteer opportunities
People interested in volunteering in Alabama can call the Alabama Coastal Foundation at 251-990-6002; the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program at 251-431-6409; or Mobile Baykeeper at 251-433-4229.
For Mississippi volunteer opportunities, visit www.OilSpillVolunteers.com and the Pascagoula River Audubon Center Web site at www.pascagoulariver.audubon.org.

 

[legalmania]

The problem is actually stopping the oil leak. Some 43,000 gallons plus oil is spewing out daily. The shut off valve that they have was badly damaged by the explosion, and won't shut off. So even if they burn what is already approaching the shore they have to stop the leak. I know this would at least be something and it may give them the time they need. Time is running out and the oil is already stating to show damage. They are trying something experimental called a stopgag it is new and they don't know if it will work.

"A stopgap plan -- putting a chamber over the well area and sending the oil to a ship -- is unproven at that depth and could take four weeks before it's ready. And the ultimate plan -- drilling a different well to access the first and close it with concrete -- could take three months. Meanwhile, efforts to contain the spill and stop the leak are costing the well's owners about $6 million per day, BP says."
Read entire story below.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/29/stopping.oil.leak/

 

[Gypsy Road]

Dome arriving Thursday to cover oil leak

BP's chief executive said today that a containment dome designed to cover the Gulf oil leak will be on the seabed Thursday, and will be hooked up to a drill ship over the weekend.
"This has never been done in 5,000 feet of water ... So we'll undoubtedly encounter some issues as we go through that process," CEO Tony Hayward told reporters at a news conference. "But if that was a good outcome, then you would have the principal leak contained by the early part of next week. But there's no guarantees."


The plan is to cover the leak in the structure known as a cofferdam, and funnel the oil to the surface."

*More at link*

http://www.pnj.com/article/20100504/NEWS01/100504020

 

[legalmania]

Dome arriving Thursday to cover oil leak

BP's chief executive said today that a containment dome designed to cover the Gulf oil leak will be on the seabed Thursday, and will be hooked up to a drill ship over the weekend.
"This has never been done in 5,000 feet of water ... So we'll undoubtedly encounter some issues as we go through that process," CEO Tony Hayward told reporters at a news conference. "But if that was a good outcome, then you would have the principal leak contained by the early part of next week. But there's no guarantees."


The plan is to cover the leak in the structure known as a cofferdam, and funnel the oil to the surface."

*More at link*

http://www.pnj.com/article/20100504/NEWS01/100504020

Gypsy Road, are you considering suing if your restaurants suffer damages? Do you have another way of getting seafood? I heard that they are now thinking the oil may end up down by the Florida Keys and then around Florida and up the eastern seaboard.

 

[Gypsy Road]

Gypsy Road, are you considering suing if your restaurants suffer damages? Do you have another way of getting seafood? I heard that they are now thinking the oil may end up down by the Florida Keys and then around Florida and up the eastern seaboard.

Hi legalmania,
You know it's not something we've really thought about yet in depth. We get a lot of our oysters and seafood out of Louisiana, and of course off our local seashores (Northwest Florida). Most of our oysters come from Appalachicola. In the last few days our managers have bought up as much local seafood as possible, but now we are having to find other sources. As far as our property goes - 2 of the restuarants are on the bay, one is downtown. We're just not sure what the future holds. The oil has not reached us yet, but there is a fishing ban that has been in effect now for 3 days.

 

[legalmania]

Hi legalmania,
You know it's not something we've really thought about yet in depth. We get a lot of our oysters and seafood out of Louisiana, and of course off our local seashores (Northwest Florida). Most of our oysters come from Appalachicola. In the last few days our managers have bought up as much local seafood as possible, but now we are having to find other sources. As far as our property goes - 2 of the restuarants are on the bay, one is downtown. We're just not sure what the future holds. The oil has not reached us yet, but there is a fishing ban that has been in effect now for 3 days.

Can you smell it yet? I heard on the news it really stinks and I imagine the smell will get worse if the fish and birds begin to die. We are all hoping the best for you, although I think it's gonna be a losing battle, I hope in someway your property and businesses are spared.

 

[legalmania]

Well the inevitable has begun and now thousands of people and different species from fish to oysters , are being affected.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100505/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill_150

 

[essies]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr/sex-lies-and-oil-spills_b_564163.html
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.President, Waterkeeper Alliance; Professor, Pace University
Posted: May 5, 2010 10:19 AM

Sex, Lies and Oil Spills
<snipped>
And wherever there's a national tragedy involving oil, Cheney's offshore company Halliburton is never far afield. In fact, stay tuned; Halliburton may emerge as the primary villain in this caper. The blow out occurred shortly after Halliburton completed an operation to reinforce drilling hole casing with concrete slurry. This is a sensitive process that, according to government experts, can trigger catastrophic blowouts if not performed attentively. According to the Minerals Management Service, 18 of 39 blowouts in the Gulf of Mexico since 1996 were attributed to poor workmanship injecting cement around the metal pipe. Halliburton is currently under investigation by the Australian government for a massive blowout in the Timor Sea in 2005 caused by its faulty application of concrete casing.

 

[KeenEyes]

UL/B/SBM

Feds let BP avoid filing blowout plan for Gulf rig

...The Minerals Management Service, an arm of the Interior Department known for its cozy relationship with major oil companies, says it issued the rule relief because some of the industrywide mandates weren't practical for all of the exploratory and production projects operating in the Gulf region.

..."If the MMS was allowing companies to drill in this ultra-deep situation without a blowout scenario, then it seems clear they weren't doing the job they were tasked with," he said. "The MMS can't change the law just by telling people that they don't have to comply with it. I think it really indicates that somebody at MMS was asleep at the switch on this."

...The Deepwater Horizon disaster is not the first time MMS has been criticized as being too close to the oil industry.

In 2008, the Interior Department took disciplinary action against eight MMS employees who accepted lavish gifts, partied and — in some cases — had sex with employees from the energy companies they regulated. An investigation cited a "culture of substance abuse and promiscuity" involving employees in the agency's Denver office.

MMS workers were given upgraded ethics training.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/9063851

Upgraded from what—Neanderthal level?

 

[mkay882]

It was a REMOTE shut off switch this rig did not have.