Researchers are warning that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is a bigger mess than the government claims and that a lot of crude is lurking deep below the surface, some of it settling perhaps in a critical undersea canyon off the Florida Panhandle. … Read ahead
Source: google.com
Gulf of Mexico oil spill. “The farther away you are from the Gulf and the Gulf shore the less likely it is that you will have a valid claim,” Feinberg, administrator of the fund, said Aug. 13 in a telephone interview. “But I will take a look at each claim.” BP has received more than 142,400 claims, representing every state, for damages from the well that gushed for almost three months, and most will be turned over to the Feinberg-run Gulf Coast Claims Facility that goes into operation on Aug. 23, according to … Read ahead
Source: blog.al.com
Latest at blog.al.com
BP says it is no longer using toxic dispersants to break up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Gulf Coast residents claim otherwise, and say they have the sicknesses to prove it. BP has been using two oil dispersants, Corexit 9500 and Corexit 9527, both of which are banned in Britain. More than 1.9 million gallons of dispersant has been used. … Read ahead
Source: commondreams.org
As much as 1 million times the normal level of methane gas has been found in some regions near the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, enough to potentially deplete oxygen and create a dead zone, U.S. scientists said on Tuesday. Texas A&M University oceanography professor John Kessler, just back from a 10-day research expedition near the BP Plc (BP.L) oil spill in the gulf, says methane gas levels in some areas are “astonishingly high.” Kessler’s crew took measurements of both surface and deep water within a 5-mile (8 kilometer) radius of BP’s broken wellhead. “There is an incredible amount of methane in there,” Kessler told reporters in a telephone briefing. In some areas, the crew of 12 scientists found concentrations that were 100,000 times higher than normal. “We saw them approach a million times above background concentrations” in some areas, Kessler said. The scientists were looking for signs that the methane gas had depleted levels of oxygen dissolved in the water needed to sustain marine life. “At some locations, we saw depletions of up to 30 percent of oxygen based on its natural concentration in the waters. At other places, we saw no depletion of oxygen in the waters. We need to determine why that is,” he told the briefing. Methane occurs naturally in sea water, but high concentrations can encourage the growth of microbes that gobble up oxygen needed by marine life. Kessler said oxygen depletions have not reached a critical level yet, but the oil is still spilling into the Gulf, now at a rate of as much as 60,000 barrels a day, according to U.S. government estimates. “What is it going to look like two months down the road, six months down the road, two years down the road?” he asked. Methane, a natural gas, dissolves in seawater and some scientists think measuring methane could give a more accurate picture of the extent of the oil spill. Kessler said his team has taken those measurements, and is hoping to have an estimate soon. “Give us about a week and we should have some preliminary numbers on that,” he said. … Read ahead
Source: wkrg.com
Latest at wkrg.com
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Scientists are reporting early signs that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is altering the marine food web by killing or tainting some creatures and spurring the growth of others more suited to a fouled environment. Near the spill site, researchers have documented a massive die-off of pyrosomes – cucumber-shaped, gelatinous… … Read ahead
Source: huffingtonpost.com
Latest at huffingtonpost.com
Tags, tissue samples and sound are among methods being used on a scientific cruise to study the Gulf of Mexico oil spill’s effects on whales and other endangered animals. … Read ahead
Source: physorg.com
Latest at physorg.com
Friday marked the 60th day since the Deepwater Horizon rig began hemorrhaging oil into the Gulf of Mexico, and the topic took up much of our fact-checking efforts this week. Here’s a summary of our latest fact-checks on statements made about the oil spill. You can read all of our fact-checks on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on our … Read ahead
Source: politifact.com
Latest at politifact.com
Like most people I’m angry and saddened by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but I can’t shake the feeling that BP’s not the only one to blame. … Read ahead
Source: greenexplorer.ovi.com
Latest at greenexplorer.ovi.com
DailyTelegraph%0A%0AJesus arrested for walking into oil slick%0A%0AFrom: DailyTelegraph%0ATue Jun 08 11:38:37 EST 2010%0ATHE Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office says a man has been arrested for swimming in waters shut down because of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.%0AAlternatively, you can copy and paste this link into your browser: %0Ahttp:… Read ahead
Source: dailytelegraph.com.au
Gulf of Mexico is becoming. No one can predict how long it will continue and just how devastating this disaster might prove to be. One thing is clear: The fragile ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico are at great risk. Adding to the tragedy is that this is an incredibly vital area for countless numbers of species that come for refuge to this specific stretch of the country to breed, nest, spawn, feed, and rest during migration. Peak migration and breeding times are late-April through mid-May. It really could not be worse timing. As noted in The New York Times, “even the frantic preparations to protect the most vulnerable coastlines likely will not prevent devastating harm to key species as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill hits shore at the worst possible time for migration and breeding.” The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the oil spill could affect up to 20 national wildlife refuges, and four covering more than 70,000 acres are in immediate concern. Which animals are most threatened by this nightmare of an environmental disaster? Here is a round-up of some of those most in peril. … Read ahead
Source: green.yahoo.com
Latest at green.yahoo.com