BP Oil Spill Approaching Gulf Coast

[reportertype]

Pufnstuf is right -- this is squarely the fault of BP. They are the ones who didn't put enough safety devices in place in the beginning - our regulations do not require them to do so. So they saved a few bucks and upped their profits. I will never give a penny to BP. I think they should be fined every day they fail to stop the leak and clean up this mess.

 

[hockeymom]

This is horrible news!!! There is not one person on this entire planet that can fix this frickin leak. How in Gods name did we get a man on the moon? Kick BP the hell out and find someone who knows what they are doing.

 

[mysticrose]

Obama is not just standing around. There is only so much we can do because we do not have the knowledge or the equipment to stop this leak. Pushing BP off to the side would be a worst disaster, they have the know and equipment to try and stop this. Our goverment is working closley with BP and have Veto power over them if they do not like what is going on.

Our coast gaurd among others have been out trying to make makeshift barriers to keep the oil from coming ashore, there is stuff going on but our govermant is limited in the knowledge of it all, and that is not Obamas fault he is certainly not the 1st president of the united states.

This situation should not become a political rant IMO, this country is divided enough, I am sick and tired of all the finger pointing. It is everyone's problem at this point and we as Americans need to unite together to help out and overcome this not seperate and acuse. BP along with Haliburton and our goverment are all at fault.

They should never be allowed to drill without the utmost concern and saftey put in place for everyone and everything. We the people are just as guilty for not paying attention and demanding the oversight. Sorry for my rant .....

Here is an article discussing things that are going on:
,:.........................................................................................................................

Feds: Government can't push BP aside on oil spill

COVINGTON, La. – The Obama administration's point man on the oil spill rejected the notion of removing BP and taking over the crisis Monday, saying the government has neither the company's expertise nor its deep-sea equipment.

"To push BP out of the way, it would raise the question, to replace them with what?" Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen, who is heading the federal response to the spill, said at a White House briefing.

The White House is facing increasing questions about why the government can't assert more control over the handling of the catastrophe, which unfolded after a BP offshore drilling rig blew up April 20.

All of BP's attempts to stop the leak have failed, despite the oil giant's use of joystick-operated submarine robots that can operate at depths no human could withstand. Millions of gallons of brown crude are now coating birds and other wildlife and fouling the Louisiana marshes.

BP is pinning its hopes of stopping the gusher on yet another technique never tested 5,000 feet underwater: a "top kill," in which heavy mud and cement would be shot into the blown-out well to plug it up. The top kill could begin as early as Wednesday, with BP CEO Tony Hayward giving it a 60 to 70 percent chance of success.

Allen said federal law dictated that BP had to operate the cleanup, with the government overseeing its efforts.

"They're exhausting every technical means possible to deal with that leak," he said. "I am satisfied with the coordination that's going on."

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar suggested over the weekend that the government could intervene aggressively if BP wasn't delivering. "If we find that they're not doing what they're supposed to be doing, we'll push them out of the way appropriately," he said.

But asked about that comment Monday, Allen said: "That's more of a metaphor."

Allen said BP and the government are working closely together, with the government holding veto power and adopting an "inquisitorial" stand toward the company's ideas. The commandant also said the government has the authority to tell BP what to do, and such orders carry the force of law

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100524/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill

 

[hockeymom]

http://www.plaintruth.com/the_plain_truth/2010/05/easy-fix-to-oil-spill-russians-say-yes.html

I have no idea if this is even realistic or not,but I had heard that their have been alternatives suggested to BP,but they won't try them. According to this article its because they are more interested in " catching the oil" as opposed to stopping it. This method would pretty much destroy their supply of oil. Too bad.
Its precisley for this reason,I'd like the government to take over,as I don't know who's best interests BP has in their minds.
Again, I am amazed that nobody can figure out how to plug a leak!!!! Sorry just frustrated as hell.Can't help blaming everyone. Its easier to think someone has sinister motives than to think we are so inept that we have no idea how to fix this. If that is the case,will it just flow for years?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Awful, awful,l awful! They better get this damn thing figured out before hurricane season...essentially turning the entire gulf into a giant blender. Figure something out, NOW!

 

[jjenny]

http://www.plaintruth.com/the_plain_truth/2010/05/easy-fix-to-oil-spill-russians-say-yes.html

I have no idea if this is even realistic or not,but I had heard that their have been alternatives suggested to BP,but they won't try them. According to this article its because they are more interested in " catching the oil" as opposed to stopping it. This method would pretty much destroy their supply of oil. Too bad.
Its precisley for this reason,I'd like the government to take over,as I don't know who's best interests BP has in their minds.
Again, I am amazed that nobody can figure out how to plug a leak!!!! Sorry just frustrated as hell.Can't help blaming everyone. Its easier to think someone has sinister motives than to think we are so inept that we have no idea how to fix this. If that is the case,will it just flow for years?

I also don't understand the trust the government appears to have in BP. Is it possible to actually nuke it? I never heard BP suggesting that method could work.
Obviously nothing BP tried so far has worked, the hurricane season is approaching, and the government seems to be content to just letting them try all these various fixes that had not worked at least so far. BP is drilling two additional wells but these wells will not be ready until August, so we are potentially looking at months more of oil gushing out if their next fix does not work. And judging by lack of success in their various fixes so far, how much hope is there that their next fix will actually work?
I find the whole situation extremely upsetting.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

My DH said it all this afternoon. We called up the live feed and he was watching the robot arms move around. I told him that I've been watching the robot arms for the past few days. He then said, "you mean they have robots and robotic arms down there and they haven't plugged this thing yet?" There's your sign!!!!!

Think about that - go to the live feed and look for yourself (they are especially active in the mornings). Why can't they plug that thing?

 

[hockeymom]

Heard one of the Parish presidents on CNN tonite,calling for BP to start creating those barriers tonite. Apparently the Army Corp of Engineers gave permits out, but they have to wait until the President and some committee meet on Tuesday!!! Are you kidding me! This is a national emergency. Get off vacation and do something today.It would be like waiting a couple days after 9/11 to do something.(IMO). I think this could be the worst thing other than 9/11 thats happened to this country since I've been alive. I guess if not many lives are lost,its not so important. How about livelihoods,not to mention animal lives.

 

[jjenny]

My DH said it all this afternoon. We called up the live feed and he was watching the robot arms move around. I told him that I've been watching the robot arms for the past few days. He then said, "you mean they have robots and robotic arms down there and they haven't plugged this thing yet?" There's your sign!!!!!

Think about that - go to the live feed and look for yourself (they are especially active in the mornings). Why can't they plug that thing?

Obviously they tried to plug it but nothing they tried has worked.
Top kill was supposed to plug it (with mud) and it didn't work. I am guessing there is a lot of pressure from the oil coming up so plugging does not work.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

Obviously they tried to plug it but nothing they tried has worked.
Top kill was supposed to plug it (with mud) and it didn't work. I am guessing there is a lot of pressure from the oil coming up so plugging does not work.

Its not just that they are trying to plug it - they have "hands" and "arms" down there that they can manipulate. Kinda like "the Dutch boy sticking his finger in the dike" kinda thing. Guess maybe it didn't come across like I was thinking. It you are "close enough" to a "problem" with your hands and arms - then you usually have a pretty good shot at getting it fixed - KWIM?

 

[Blue_Dolphin308]

WHY did it take us until 2010 to figure out that we need a BACKUP plan, in case the blowout preventer FAILED/BROKE??? Who the hell is responisble for that malfunction!??!! I would imagine the oil companies, but why is there no regulations for these d@mn oil companies!??!

 

[Blue_Dolphin308]

How long have we been drilling down in the gulf for oil? Why hasn't someone clued it in before that we may need a back up plan in case the blowout protector breaks or fails???? This is absolutly assinine!

Im NOT blaming obama for this, it certainly is not his fault EXCEPT for ahveing NO regulations for the oil companies. And that is NOT even Obamas fault. That is past presidents/congress faults for not insisting that they have regualtions to follow..


It all about ythe money. Thats why we never had any back up plans. Because it was like " oh that will nevvvvvvvvvvvver happen" But now that it has, they all want to blame Obama. And shift the blame elsewhere rather then to BP, Who is at fault!

What happens if EXXON or Hess, or GULF companies drill, and this happens yet again. I do not think that BP is the only company that this could happen to.

But if BP is cutting corners, then maybe just maybe they will go out of business because of there "cost cutting measures"

 

[jjenny]

Its not just that they are trying to plug it - they have "hands" and "arms" down there that they can manipulate. Kinda like "the Dutch boy sticking his finger in the dike" kinda thing. Guess maybe it didn't come across like I was thinking. It you are "close enough" to a "problem" with your hands and arms - then you usually have a pretty good shot at getting it fixed - KWIM?

Obviously these "hands" did them no good.
There is a lot of pressure coming from the oil rising up and so they can't fix it. They have to be losing a lot of money on this so clearly they would want to plug this as much as the next guy, if it were easy to plug it.

 

[mysticrose]

I love NPR, here is a good article with alot of info:

The Federal Government's Role In BP Oil Spill
May 25, 2010

NEAL CONAN, host:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. Im Neal Conan in Washington.

As a thick blanket of ugly crude flows onto beaches and into sensitive marshes in Louisiana, the president and his administration find themselves in deepening water in Washington. While patience with BP wears thin, the White House continues to rely on the oil giant to stop the gusher in the Gulf of Mexico and clean up the mess it's created. Why, critics ask, when BP has already failed repeatedly?

Meanwhile, state and local officials complain bitterly that the federal government's been too slow to send the equipment needed to contain the gigantic spill and too bureaucratic to quickly approve the alternate methods needed to protect the coastline.

Then there are questions about the scandal-ridden federal agency that might have prevented this disaster in the first place. More and more people ask: Is this Obama's Katrina?

Later in the program, Valerie Harper, nominated for a Tony Award as Tallulah Bankhead in "Looped." But first, is the federal government doing everything it can to contain the damage? Is this Obama's Katrina?

800-989-8255 is the phone number. Email us, [email protected]. You can also join the conversation on our website. Go to NPR.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION.

And we begin with questions about whether the administration did everything it might have on prevention. Ian Urbina of the New York Times joins us from his office here in Washington. Nice to have you with us.

Mr. IAN URBINA (New York Times): Thanks for having me.

CONAN: And you reported this morning on a report by the Interior Department's inspector general into MMS, the Minerals Management Service. And let me quote your first sentence: Federal regulators responsible for the oversight of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico allowed industry officials several years ago to fill in their own inspection reports in pencil and then turn them over to regulators who later traced over them in pen.

Mr. URBINA: It's pretty striking. It's a fairly damning report. It is a report that focuses on inappropriate and potentially illegal behavior that occurred between 2005 and 2007 mostly, so before this administration came into office. But it does show real problems in the office and the way that the inspectors were handling themselves.

CONAN: And this focuses on the office of the MMS in Lake Charles, Louisiana. We should point out that similar, maybe even more lurid charges emerged earlier about the MMS office in Denver.

Mr. URBINA: That's right. What's different about this report from the prior three inspector general reports is that it's focused on the area that we all are fixating on, namely the Gulf region. And the previous reports focused on the royalties collection arm of the Minerals Agency, and this focused more on the inspectors who handle safety issues and environment issues in the Gulf

More at the link:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127114635

 

[sandangel]

BP is holding a news confrence right now on CNN. BP: Top Kill is not working and they have been unable to stop the leak.
Coast Gaurd: We ar disappointed this has not worked.. We will Continue to fight this fight aggressively. There is no silver bullet to stop this leak. People are working behind the scenes to fix this. They hope to start another method in 4-7 days. We are sampling seafood and the waters , we are doing our best. If you look at the oil that has been spilled verses how much has reached the cost we are doing a good job.

That is some of it, I have to stop for now

They hope to start another method in 4-7 days? WTH? Where is their sense of urgency? And they say they are doing the best they can. It is obvious where their mentality is at - I better not say what I am thinking right now.

I am sick about this!!!

 

[sandangel]

Heard one of the Parish presidents on CNN tonite,calling for BP to start creating those barriers tonite. Apparently the Army Corp of Engineers gave permits out, but they have to wait until the President and some committee meet on Tuesday!!! Are you kidding me! This is a national emergency. Get off vacation and do something today.It would be like waiting a couple days after 9/11 to do something.(IMO). I think this could be the worst thing other than 9/11 thats happened to this country since I've been alive. I guess if not many lives are lost,its not so important. How about livelihoods,not to mention animal lives.

UNBELIEVABLE!!! Waiting to meet on Tuesday is UNACCEPTABLE!!! OMG!!! Where do we turn? I feel beaten and helpless!!

 

[legalmania]

I missed or haven't heard anyone mention Halliburton who helped build the Deepwater Horizon by installing the cement and the well cap of the well which is now a big hole, I just wonder if Dick Cheney had his hand in this somehow even though he is not CEO anymore, I wonder if he still has a financial interest in it, it wouldn't surprise me if he's taking a role in this to make Obama look bad. At least Obama has taken responsibility for this where Halliburton, BP and Tranocean have not.

The suit claims that the company "prior to the explosion, was engaged in cementing operations of the well and well cap and, upon information and belief, improperly and negligently performed these duties, which was a cause of the explosion.
"
Halliburton performed a variety of services on the rig, including cementing, and had four employees stationed on the rig at the time of the accident. Halliburton's employees returned to shore safely, due, in part, to the brave rescue efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard and other organizations.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/30/halliburton-may-be-culpri_n_558481.html[/url[/COLOR]

 

[legalmania]

Here is an additional link with the opinion of Chris Matthews

"Last year, within the last 12 months there have been two massive blowouts on offshore oil rigs. One off the west coast of Australia and another one in the Gulf of Mexico. This is not unheard of. In fact it's all too common. So enough already. Move away from our dependance on oil and let's get on with that renewable energy, which everybody says is our future and has to be our future."

www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100512052857.aspx

 

[fran]

Here's an investigative piece I located this morning, that is pretty comprehensive. It's a little long but explains a lot of what happened leading up to the explosion and includes information of testimony. If you take a few moments to read it, this may answer some of your questions.

fwiw,
fran




http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...0780190.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_RIGHTInDepthCarousel

BP Decisions Set Stage for Disaster

It was a difficult drill from the start.

API Well No. 60-817-44169 threw up many challenges to its principal owner, BP PLC, swallowing expensive drilling fluid and burping out dangerous gas. Those woes put the Gulf of Mexico project over budget and behind schedule by April 20, the day the well erupted, destroying the Deepwater Horizon rig and killing 11 men.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<full article at link>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[jjenny]

Here's an investigative piece I located this morning, that is pretty comprehensive. It's a little long but explains a lot of what happened leading up to the explosion and includes information of testimony. If you take a few moments to read it, this may answer some of your questions.

fwiw,
fran




http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...0780190.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_RIGHTInDepthCarousel

BP Decisions Set Stage for Disaster

It was a difficult drill from the start.

API Well No. 60-817-44169 threw up many challenges to its principal owner, BP PLC, swallowing expensive drilling fluid and burping out dangerous gas. Those woes put the Gulf of Mexico project over budget and behind schedule by April 20, the day the well erupted, destroying the Deepwater Horizon rig and killing 11 men.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<full article at link>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Boggles the mind, does it not?
What about potential criminal charges? 11 people dead, an untold damage to the environment, I would hope somebody is thinking about opening up an investigation.