No More Threat to FL Keys or East Coast

Keep you fingers crossed friends. Great news! Let's hope for the best but still prepare for the worst because there is still much work to do.

"The Obama administration says the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico no longer poses a threat to the Florida Keys or the East Coast.

A new federal report indicates that only about a quarter of the spilled oil remains in the Gulf and is degrading quickly, with the rest having been contained, cleaned up or having disappeared.

There had been fears that the massive spill could reach South Florida and the East Coast through a powerful loop current, but the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Wednesday that enough oil has been removed or evaporated to eliminate those fears.

Still, NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco cautioned that the remaining oil - much of it below the surface - remains a threat to aquatic life and Gulf Coast marshes. Just because the oil is diluted and largely out of sight "doesn't necessarily mean (it is) benign," Lubchenco said".

Story received from the AP.

Federal Report Claims BP Well Leaked 207 Million Gallons Into the Gulf

The sheer numbers are astounding!! 207,000.000 million gallons!!! BP say's they will make it right. We appreciate that because the full implications and fallout from this disaster will not be known until many years down the road. Let's hope their commitment and dedication to making things right holds strong through the years.

" A federal report on the Gulf oil spill says a total of nearly 207 million gallons leaked from the blown-out BP well.

The report released Wednesday says a little more than 172 million gallons of that made it into the Gulf. It says nearly 35 million gallons was held back by a temporary containment cap.

The report was released by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A government task force released an estimate this week indicating that a total of about 205 million gallons had leaked. It also said about 172 million gallons escaped into the Gulf.

It noted then that its estimate had a margin of error of 10 percentage points."

Story taken form the AP

100+ Days of Oil

100 Days of Oil. These are some of their stories. It's amazing how this one horrific event has so negatively affected so many people and professions.

The Restaurant Owners

A hundred days ago, business was booming at Barrios Seafood Restaurant in Golden Meadow, La., during Lent, when many of the Roman Catholics in south Louisiana forgo red meat. Customers were lined up for meals of crab, shrimp, fish and other seafood delivered hours after being pulled from the Gulf.

I'd say about 50 percent of out business was tourist, and they stopped coming immediately," Alicia said. "Seafood got hard to get, the price went up and people are worried about eating it."

The Seafood Broker

A hundred days ago, Darlene Kimball was getting ready for a busy summer at her family's docks in Pass Christian, Miss., waiting for the buyers who would snap up hundreds of pounds of shrimp from the backs of boats, loading them into ice chests and hauling them back to giant freezers. Now the place is empty, and the only boats she sees are the ones used by BP contractors cleaning up the spill.

Kimball's family has been in the Mississippi seafood industry since 1930, and she's never wanted to do anything else. But recently the 43-year-old had to do the unthinkable — draft a resume so she could look for another line of work.

"Everything's different," she said. "My life has gone from a fast-paced to nothing." "There's nothing around me," she said. "My culture is gone, my livelihood is gone. What my grandfather and father have worked so hard to accomplish is in jeopardy."

The Tourism Mogul

A hundred days ago, Frank Besson was raking in money a day at the tourism empire he's built on Grand Isle, a spit of land along the coast where vacationers have flocked for decades. What started with his father's souvenir shop expanded to a daiquiri bar across the street and a restaurant next door.

On a good day, he used to make $1,600. The shop's take last Saturday, when the island hosted a benefit concert? A measly $28.18.

The Local Official

A hundred days ago, Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser was busy with blueprints of fire stations, schools and community centers damaged during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and still in need of rebuilding.

Now, his life looks like this: Endless meetings with the Coast Guard. Endless arguments with federal officials and BP workers. And countless media appearances. "A hundred days later, I can't look you in the eye and tell you who's in charge," he said. "I would not want to go to war with this team. Looking back, it's very sad that a lot of marshes and wildlife could have been saved if the federal government and BP had just listened to local people."

To read the rest of this powerful article please click here.

Sinking Oil Threatens Historic Gulf Shipwrecks

It seems that the amount of damage that will be caused by the BP oil spill will have a severe effect on our historical sunken artifacts. The oil will make the exploration and documentation of these underwater treasures very hazardous.

"Not just flora and fauna are getting caked in oil. So is the Gulf of Mexico's barnacled history of pirates, sea battles and World War II shipwrecks.

The Gulf is lined with wooden shipwrecks, American-Indian shell midden mounds, World War II casualties, pirate colonies, historic hotels and old fishing villages. Researchers now fear this treasure seeker's dream is threatened by BP PLC's deepwater well blowout.

Within 20 miles of the well, there are several significant shipwrecks — ironically, discovered by oil companies' underwater robots working the depths — and oil is most likely beginning to cascade on them.

"People think of them as being lost, but with the deepsea diving innovations we have today, these shipwrecks are easily accessible," said Steven Anthony, president of the Maritime Archaeological and Historical Society.

"If this oil congeals on the bottom, it will be dangerous for scuba divers to go down there and explore," Anthony said."

Continue reading at msnbc.com.

'Super skimmer' a giant bust in Gulf cleanup

The Super skimmer turns out to be a super sucker.

"While its stature is impressive, 'A Whale' (Pictured) is not ideally suited to the needs of this response," Coast Guard Rear Adm. Paul Zunkunft, a federal on-scene coordinator, said in a statement late on Friday.

The vessel will not be deployed as a part of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response.

The tanker collected virtually no oil in two weeks of tests, Zunkunft said at a news briefing earlier on Friday.

"All we found in the tanks was water, so it was very ineffective," he said at the briefing."

Read more at msnbc.

China Oil Spill Worse Than Thought

I think we are beginning to see a pattern here.

"There are growing fears that strong winds have dispersed the pollution more widely than previously thought.

The environmental group Greenpeace told the BBC the oil was up to 20cm thick along parts of the coast near the city of Dalian.

Shipments of oil from the north to the industrial belt in the south have been disrupted since the accident.

At least one person has died during the clean-up operation, after being thrown from a ship by waves and drowning in the oil.

Continue reading the main story

The oil spilled into the sea in north-east China after two pipelines exploded on Friday night, resulting in a fierce fire.

Officials say an area of ocean covering 430 sq km (165 sq miles) is now polluted - oil-eating bacteria and oil-skimming vessels are being deployed to remove the slick, which Greenpeace says is China's worst in recent memory. "

Read more.

The Photos You're Not Allowed To See Part 3

Journalists who come too close to oil spill clean-up efforts without permission could find themselves facing a $40,000 fine and even one to five years in prison under a new rule instituted by the Coast Guard late last week.

The Photos You're Not Allowed To See Part 2

Journalists who come too close to oil spill clean-up efforts without permission could find themselves facing a $40,000 fine and even one to five years in prison under a new rule instituted by the Coast Guard late last week.

The Photos You're Not Allowed To See

Journalists who come too close to oil spill clean-up efforts without permission could find themselves facing a $40,000 fine and even one to five years in prison under a new rule instituted by the Coast Guard late last week.

Lessons From Exxon Valdez Spill Go Unheeded

As the old adage goes... History truly does repeat itself.

"The story of the last cataclysmic American oil spill has evolved over time into a straightforward tale of cause and effect: In 1989, a hard-drinking skipper ran his tanker aground in Alaska, and Exxon was unable to prevent crude from spreading along hundreds of miles of pristine shoreline.

A commission that investigated the Alaska spill found that oil companies cut corners to maximize profits. Systems intended to prevent disaster failed, and no backups were in place. Regulators were too close to the oil industry and approved woefully inadequate accident response and cleanup plans.

History is repeating, say officials who investigated the Valdez, because the lessons of two decades ago remain unheeded."

Continue reading.

“Dark Wave” Art Print by Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey is releasing a new art print later this week. “Dark Wave” is an 18″ x 24″ screenprint, comes in two colorways (cream edition of 400, white edition of 200), and will cost $50. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the National Resource Defense Council. It goes up Thursday, July 15th at a random time.

To purchase visit ObeyGiant.com.

9 Real Ways to Stand Up to BP

Many of us may no longer be filling our tanks at BP, but are we really making a difference? Check out the article over at Change.org to see what simple steps you can make to prevent another oil spill disaster.

"While BP might have cut corners to compromise safety standards, there’s one undeniable reason the company was drilling miles below the Gulf: To satisfy our insatiable desire for oil. For each time we chose to drive one-quarter mile instead of walk, BP was drilling away to make our lives a little more convenient.

Until we live in a solar energy paradise, those passionate among us should strive to give up a few conveniences for the chance to stop rapid global warming, prevent future oil spills and leave the Earth just slightly more intact for future generations.

Simply put, protesting at a BP gas station won’t change our oil addiction."

Scammers Hit Oil Spill Victims

Friends, be on the lookout for these scumbags. If you encounter one of these frauds be sure to report them.

"Citizens looking to get involved with the relief efforts for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico should be wary of scammers trying to capitalize on the tragedy.

Scammers are posing as BP administrators looking to process claims for reimbursement from the company, which has promised to pay those affected by the spill. These fake agents are asking for fees to expedite the claims process -- real BP officers do not ask for service fees. Similarly, scammers are posing as government agents who require a processing fee for services -- real government representatives will not ask for fees. The FTC encourages those affected by the spill to ask for proof that representatives work for BP or the government, and recommend citizens not fill out any paperwork without consulting the proper authorities.

Scammers are also taking advantage of sympathy for victims of the spill, posing as representatives of charitable organizations and asking for donations. Cynthia Albert, of the New Orleans Better Business Bureau, says scam artists use company names that are similar to real charities. "It could be a letter that's off, it could be a word that's off," she said. "You need to check out these charities and not just have a knee-jerk reaction to give."

Potential donors should verify the legitimacy of both the agent -- by asking for identification -- and the charity, by visiting www.charitynavigator.com or www.bbb.org/charities."

Read more over at NOLA.

New Cap Could Contain Gulf Spill By Monday

Cross your fingers. Possible good news in the Gulf.

"The BP oil leak could be completely contained as early as Monday if a new, tighter cap can be fitted over the blown-out well, the government official in charge of the crisis said Friday in some of the most encouraging news to come out of the Gulf in the 2 1/2 months since the disaster struck.

The well would still be busted and leaking — workers would just funnel what comes out of it to tankers at the surface. The hope for a permanent solution remains with two relief wells intended to plug it completely far beneath the sea floor. Crews using remote-controlled submarines plan to swap out the cap over the weekend, taking advantage of a window of good weather following weeks of delays caused by choppy seas.

The cap now in use was installed June 4 to capture oil gushing from the bottom of sea, but because it had to be fitted over a jagged cut in the well pipe, it allows some crude to escape into the Gulf. Some people in Louisiana's oil-soaked Plaquemines Parish were skeptical that BP can contain the oil so soon."Too many lies from the beginning. I don't believe them anymore," oyster fisherman Goyo Zupanovich said while painting his boat at a marina in Empire, La."

Continue reading at Yahoo News.

Wildlife Agency Downplayed Oil Spill Risks

It seems that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may have dropped the ball on this one and should have demanded a stricter review of the projects' safety risks.

"Documents show federal regulators concluded offshore oil drilling posed a low risk to endangered wildlife. The conclusion is at odds with scenes of pelicans fighting to survive the massive Gulf oil spill.

A September 2007 memo from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said large oil spills from Gulf drilling projects are "low-probability events" that weren't likely to affect brown pelicans, sea turtles and other endangered species at the time."

Read more over at News 4 JAX.

Oil Spill Likely to Reach Key's/Miami

This could be devestating to Florida tourism business and detrimental to their already quavering economic status.

"Hundreds of skimming boats prepared Friday to return to calmer gulf waters in the wake of Hurricane Alex and resume cleanup of the massive BP oil spill, which scientists now predict is likely to reach the Florida Keys and Miami in the months ahead.

Using computer simulations based on 15 years of wind and ocean current data, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report Friday showing a 61% to 80% chance of the oil spill reaching within 20 miles of the coasts of the Florida Keys, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, mostly likely in the form of weathered tar balls."

Continue reading at The LA Times.

Tar Balls Turn Up In Texas

From The Herald Tribune:

"GALVESTON, Texas - A top Texas official said Monday that tar balls from the Gulf oil spill have been found on state beaches, marking the first known evidence that gushing crude from the Deepwater Horizon well has now reached all the Gulf states.

Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said two crews were removing tar balls found on the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island on Sunday.

"We've said since day one that if and when we have an impact from Deepwater Horizon, it would be in the form of tarballs," Patterson said in a news release. "This shows that our modeling is accurate. Any Texas shores impacted by the Deepwater spill will be cleaned up quickly and BP will be picking up the tab."

The state said responders have recovered about 35 gallons of waste material tainted by the oil from the two sites.

Signs of landfall by oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill had previously only been reported in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

The distance between the western-most reach of the spill in Texas and the eastern-most reports of oil in Florida is about 550 miles."

Criminal Penalties for Entering "Safety Zone"

A 65 foot "safety zone" has been established. Is this for our safety or theirs? Seems to me it would be a great way to make it difficult for the media to photograph and document the impacts of oil on land and wildlife.

"According to a news release from the Unified Command, violation of the "safety zone" rules can result in a civil penalty of up to $40,000, and could be classified as a Class D felony. Because booms are often placed more than 40 feet on the outside of islands or marsh grasses, the 65-foot rule could make it difficult to photograph and document the impacts of oil on land and wildlife, media representatives said.

"The safety zone has been put in place to protect members of the response effort, the installation and maintenance of oil containment boom, the operation of response equipment and protection of the environment by limiting access to and through deployed protective boom," the news release said."

Continue reading over at nola.com.

Whale Sharks Seen In Gulf Oil Spill

More and more sea creatures are being effected by the oil spill. Whale sharks have been spotted swimming near the Deepwater Horizon.

The three sharks did not appear distressed and their white-spotted hides were not visibly oiled, said Steve Gittings of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who saw them on a flight Monday to locate oiled sea turtles for rescuers in boats.

"They look like skimmer boats when they're feeding," Carlson said.

Gittings said the three he saw, which he estimated at about 25 feet long, were about 4 miles from the sunken Deepwater Horizon, in an area where skimmer boats were slurping the heaviest oil.

"There's no continuous area of heavy oil. But there's so many streamers they couldn't avoid swimming through those streamers," he said.

The question now is how many of the creatures are dying in the oil, said Eric Hoffmayer of the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Lab, who has studied whale sharks in the northern Gulf since 2002.

"Taking mouthfuls of thick oil is not conducive to them surviving," he said.

Continue reading at Yahoo.

What does BP's shareholders really care about?

Does BP's shareholders even considered the implications of the oil spill. It always comes down to money.

"Cameron is due to meet on Saturday with U.S. President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G8/G20 summits in Canada. He has pledged to discuss BP with Obama, who has been highly critical of the company. British business and shareholder groups have clamored for Cameron to defend the company. "I think it is also in all our long-term interests that there is some clarity, some finality, to all of this, so that we don't at the same time see the destruction of a company that is important for all our interests," Cameron told Canadian broadcaster CBC."

Read the rest of the article.