World Politics: "Ivory Coast Crisis is About Oil"[12/30/10]
"An unprecedented disinformation campaign is being orchestrated to justify foreign intervention in the Ivory Coast to unseat the Preseident Laurent Gbagbo and replace him with Alassane Dramane
Ouattara, a stooge totally devoted to the interests of multinationals.
Alassane Ouattara is the former Deputy CEO of the IMF, and former Prime Minister of Houphouet-Boigny who in 1990 administered an IMF plan which plunged the Ivorian people into a profound social and economic distress. He is the puppet” nominated” by the major powers to lead the Ivory Coast and to ensure that their interests are not threatened by the presence of uncompromising and patriotic men such as Laurent
Gbagbo, a long time opponent of Houphouet (1970-1990′s.)
French and American imperialist powers have agreed to remove Gbagbo who is guilty of pursuing a national policy prejudicial to their profits.’ [...]"
"New York leads charge at $lick BP in lawsuit"[12/30/10]
"The BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico cost New York's pension fund tens of millions of dollars -- and now the state will take the lead in recouping losses from the spill-savaged British oil company firm, a federal judge ruled yesterday. Texas District Court Judge Keith Ellison appointed New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, who oversee their states' pension funds, as lead plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit. They argue that BP misled investors about its safety procedures and disaster preparations prior to the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. New York and Ohio together lost more than $200 million as BP's stock shed 40 percent of its value in the weeks after the disaster, according to Cordray. [...]"
"NOLA
lawyer prepares challenge to declaration of Gulf seafood’s safety"[12/30/10] "An environmental law firm in New Orleans said it was preparing to challenge the government’s public declaration that following the nation’s worst-ever oil disaster, seafood from the Gulf of Mexico remained safe to eat.
[...]" Related:"BP Gulf Oil Spill Letter to The World Press"[10:46]
"Henning Kemner asked me to mirror this for him. The following 4 videos to be uploaded soon will give the proof of the documentation he speaks of here. [...]"
Note: Interesting video clip, from a Danish investigator in
the US.
"Regulation and Disclosure of Fracking at the Center of Gas Drilling Debate"[12/29/10]
"The risks and benefits of drilling for natural gas have been so widely discussed over the past year that even if you haven't been following gas drilling closely, you might now be familiar with the word
"frack." For those who aren't, the term is short for hydraulic fracturing, a practice where gas drillers shoot pressurized water mixed with sand and chemicals into a well to release natural gas from the earth. The practice has been around for decades, but it's gained new prominence in the past few years with the growth of horizontal drilling, where drillers mine the earth laterally deep underground. The technique has allowed the expansion of drilling into gas-bearing shales across the country, but it also requires large quantities of fracking fluids, sometimes millions of gallons per well. And it's this mix of water and chemicals that has generated the bulk of the controversy and a series of studies, orders and regulations in 2010 from the federal government and a number of states. [...]"
Legal Case: "Class Action Demands $10 Billion from BP For Pollution From Texas City Refinery"[12/28/10]
"Neighbors of BP's Texas City oil refinery demand $10 billion in punitive damages for years of air pollution that contaminated "yards and homes, including ... air-conditioning units and ducts ... with toxic chemicals". The class describes BP as "a known felon and serial polluter who purposely releases on a routine basis, toxic gases into the air," and then lies about it to regulators. [...]"
"Probe finds 'total collapse of BP rig defenses'"[12/28/10]
"The April 20 explosion on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico that caused the largest environmental disaster in US history occurred because every single defense on the rig named Deepwater Horizon failed, The New York Times reported Sunday. The newspaper, which undertook its own investigation of the blast that killed 11 rig workers and injured dozens of others, said some of the defenses were deployed but did not work, some were activated too late, and some were never deployed at all. [...]"
"The Oil BP Tried To Hide Has Been Discovered, In Thick Layers On the Sea Floor Over An Area of Several Thousand Square Miles"[12/23/10]
"A university scientist and the federal government say they have found persuasive evidence that oil from the massive Gulf of Mexico spill is settling on the ocean floor.
The new findings, from scientists at the University of South Florida and from a broad government effort, mark the latest indication that environmental damage from the blowout of a BP PLC well could be significant where it's hardest to find: deep under the Gulf's surface. [...]"
Legal Case: "Stephen Baldwin Says Kevin Costner Soaked Him in $52M Deal with BP"[12/23/10]
"Stephen Baldwin has sued Kevin Costner, claiming Costner and others tricked
him into selling his shares in a company whose technology separates oil from water. Baldwin and a co-plaintiff claim that Costner and associates made a lucrative deal with BP after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, then bought out the plaintiffs' shares while keeping them in the dark about the $52 million sale to BP. [...]"
Note: Costner is a sequential. Baldwin is not. The
emotional depth of which each is capable is seen in their work.
"A
Damaged Gulf Stream?"[12/22/10]
"[10:10] Britain
and Europe are heading into a winter unlike any seen in our life times. This
is because the gulf stream is gone. The gulf of Mexico BP oil spill killed the
gulf loop which is the driving force of the gulf stream. In the past it has
brought warm water and air over to the coast of Ireland and the UK, which is
the main reason we don’t already suffer winters on a par with Canada
and Russia. Well, the gulf stream is gone - and we are heading into a winter
that this country simply cannot cope with. [...]" Related:Documentary:"The Gulf Stream and The Next Ice Age"Video clip[51:00] The Gulf Stream and The Next Ice Age is about the consequences of global warming on “The Great Atlantic Conveyor”, which has to do with regulating climate and the fear that the melting of ice will stop it, perhaps triggering an ice age.
“In the battle against climate change there is no enemy to fight, just our attitudes.” – Nicolas
Koutsikas, Director. Climate Change is hot on the political and social agenda internationally. Our climate is changing, with industrial production, habitat, transport and everyday human activities acknowledged as causes of global warming.
The Gulf Stream and the Next Ice Age is a one-hour documentary which explores the results of a recent American government report that believes the collapse of thermohaline circulation will take place around the year 2010 and impose a minor ice age on Europe.
[...]" Note: Good discussion of the
gulf stream current, although the video maintains that human-caused warming is
the total picture ... something which is not the case ... warming is happening
on all the planets in the solar system. "An Abrupt Climate Change Scenario and Its Implications for United States National Security"
PDF [2003]
Click on the graphic above to see the large version. "Shutdown of thermohaline circulation"Why would BP/Halliburton do this?: "Oil, gas prices rise in extended cold snap"
"Crude oil prices climbed modestly overnight in New York, as prices continue to stage an assault and occasionally breach the $90 per barrel mark."
Money. Destroy everything to make money, stock their little underground
shelters, and watch others freeze to death.
NY: "Executive Order Suspending Fracking Brings Little Change"[12/18/10]
"When New York Gov. David Paterson recently vetoed a bill that would have placed a temporary moratorium on new permits for hydraulic fracturing, he issued an executive order that instead suspended the approval of certain types of these permits until after July 1, 2011. "I am proud to issue this Executive Order," Paterson said in a statement, "which will guarantee that before any high-volume, horizontal hydraulic fracturing is permitted, the Department of Environmental Conservation will complete its studies and certify that such operations are safe."
But Paterson's executive order does little to change the status quo, according to experts who've been following the drilling issue. The DEC has already stopped issuing such permits in the Marcellus Shale formation, the area covered under Paterson's order, until it completes its ongoing review of the practice's safety. The next draft of that review isn't expected to be released until the middle of next year, about the same time the governor's executive order says the moratorium will expire.
Technically, however, the executive order expires when Paterson leaves office next month unless Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo chooses to renew it. Cuomo's transition team didn't return calls for this article; neither did the Attorney General's office, where he currently serves. In a Nov. 11 radio interview on
WOR, Cuomo said he won't approve additional fracking "until the facts are determined by bona fide studies."
Hydraulic fracturing -- also known as fracking -- is a drilling practice in which fluids are shot underground at high pressures to release gas from bedrock. It has become controversial due to concerns about water contamination, particularly in New York, where residents receive drinking water that is so pure that it requires little treatment. [...]"
"U.S. files civil suit against BP for spill"[12/16/10]
"The
United States is suing BP and eight other defendants over the devastating Gulf
of Mexico oil spill, Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday. n the
complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in New Orleans, the United States
alleged violations of federal safety and operational regulations played a role
in the months-long oil spill that began April 20 with an explosion and fire on
the Deepwater Horizon, the Justice Department said in a release. Eleven workers died in the explosion.
The lawsuit will become part of a multi-district legal action before Judge Carl Barbier in federal court in New Orleans, the Justice Department said.
"We intend to prove that these defendants are responsible for government removal costs, economic losses and environmental damages without limitation," Holder said when announcing the lawsuit. "Even though the spill has been contained, the department's focus on investigating this disaster and preventing future devastation has not wavered."
He said the department's civil and criminal investigations remained under way.
The Macondo well operated by BP discharged more than 200 millions of gallons of oil into the gulf before it was capped in mid-July. [...]"
Note: Eight other firms are mentioned. No mention
of Halliburton, responsible for much of the chaos. The companies named in the lawsuit are BP Exploration and Production Inc, Anadarko Exploration & Production LP, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, MOEX Offshore 2007 LLC, Triton Asset Leasing GMBH, Transocean Holdings LLC, Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling Inc, Transocean Deepwater Inc and insurer QBE Underwriting Ltd/Lloyd’s Syndicate 1036.
"Some Appointees to Oil and Gas Commission Are Industry Execs, Lobbyists"[12/11/10]
"Joseph Pettey is the owner of Pettey Oilfield Services Inc., and the 2003 Virginia Oil and Gas Festival Man of the Year. Thomas E. Stewart is a third-generation driller who lobbies the government on behalf of energy companies. Both sit on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, which is increasingly positioning itself as an authority on drilling-related issues like hydraulic fracturing.
The 38-state commission was created in 1935 to promote the efficient harvesting of oil and gas. Its mission was later expanded to acknowledge the need to protect health, safety and the environment while accomplishing that goal. It is funded by government grants and fees from the states. The commission members are appointed by the member governors. Most are state regulators who oversee gas and oil drilling, but at least seven states have representatives who are either lobbyists or energy executives.
Pettey is the official representative for West Virginia; Stewart is an associate representative for Ohio; lobbyist Robert W. Harms is an associate representative for North Dakota; James R. Daniels, the general manager of Murfin Drilling Company, is an associate representative for Kansas; William S. Daugherty, CEO of natural gas company
NGAS, is Kentucky’s official representative and D. Michael Wallen, also of
NGAS, is its associate representative; Rick Calhoon of Pruet Oil and Charlie Williams Jr. of oil and gas production company Vaughey & Vaughey are associate representatives for Mississippi; and Steven C. Agee of Agee Energy LLC is an associate representative for Oklahoma.
Both official and associate representatives participate in committees, said commission executive director Mike Smith, although associate representatives vote on policy recommendations only if the official representative isn't available.
The governors can also appoint as many committee members as they choose. The agency denied ProPublica's request for a list of committee members; a spokeswoman said the list has been confidential since 2008.
[...]"
"Navy Secretary Mabus pushes Pentagon to feed soldiers more Gulf seafood"[12/08/10]
"Navy Secretary Ray Mabus wants the Pentagon to buy as much Gulf seafood as possible to help the region's seafood industry recover from the damage of BP's oil spill.
Secretary Mabus reportedly told the Defense Commissary Agency, which operates a worldwide chain of 284 commissaries to provide groceries to military personnel, "that we should be buying Gulf Coast seafood," according to The New Orleans Times-Picayune. [...]Although the federal government has claimed that seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is safe to eat, experts told Raw Story they had serious concerns about the long-term effects of consuming Gulf seafood.
Multiple independent lab tests have found high volumes of crude oil and other harmful hydrocarbons in Gulf shrimp. [...]"
Note: Since anyone astute could discern that Gulf seafood is
potentially toxic, and they're deliberately suggesting that Gulf seafood be
fed to military families, it sounds like a case of sadistic homicidal
negligence on the part of Mabus, conspiring with other elements of the
military industrial complex who are dosing military and ex-military with
anti-psychotics in order to cover up devastating damage to military members
from depleted uranium and other environmental toxins, as well as nearly
impossible psychological conditions on a continuous basis. Those in control
are very, very dark. Interestingly enough, the word Mabus is associated
with an " allegedly ' antichrist'-type character, according to Nostradamus in popular culture",
noting also that if something in religion is associated with this word, that
the religious belief of 'jesus as the fisher of men' seems to be an ironic
metaphor as applied to Mabus as an 'anti-christ' kind of figure, now bent on
destruction of people by feeding them poisonous seafood. How strange is that? Related:"Top Military Brass Working With BP to Promote Gulf Seafood"
"This is as sinister as it gets! BP has destroyed the gulf and is now working with the U.S. military to get it in the homes of American
troops (already poisoned by continued exposure to depleted uranium) throughout the country! Multiple scientists have declared gulf seafood toxic and for good reason. Over 2 million gallons of toxic dispersant has been sprayed in and around the gulf. The facts are so heavily documented that there is no logical way that any literate human being not pushing an agenda could believe otherwise.
This is common sense. To top it off, Ewell Smith, executive director of the
Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, is pushing for this toxic cocktail to be served in in school lunch programs
nationwide! The children of this nation are already heavily medicated/poisoned and the last thing they need is Corexit seafood. “He expressed what we wanted to hear; he is in favor of the federal government buying seafood from the Gulf,” said Smith, who said he would like to see Gulf seafood as the choice throughout the public domain, “whether it’s the military or prison systems or school systems.”
This is the America that we currently find our self in. An international company has been allowed to control their own massive oil spill, obliterate the gulf with
Corexit, ban the first amendment on the beaches they littered with Wackenhut thugs, and use 30 billion dollars to promote their
' seafood' to the American people. [...]"
"Submarine Dive Finds Oil, Dead Sea Life at Bottom of Gulf of Mexico Near BP Spill Site"[12/05/10]
Video clip
"In an exclusive trip aboard the U.S. Navy's deep-ocean research submersible Alvin, ABC News was given the chance to observe the impact of this summer's massive oil spill that most will never see. The ocean floor appears to be littered with twigs, but Joye points out that they are actually dead worms and that Alvin is sitting on top of what is considered an 80-square mile kill zone. [...]"
"Pittsburgh Bans Natural Gas Drilling (and Corporate Personhood)"[11/25/10]
"Pittsburgh sits atop the Marcellus Shale and corporations have already purchased leases to drill there, including under area parks and cemeteries. The ordinance sponsor, Pittsburgh Councilman Doug Shields, led the charge to ban drilling, and was later joined by five co-sponsors. During the months leading up to today’s vote, Shields passionately advocated for the ordinance, saying that the city is “not a colony of the state and will not sit quietly by as our city gets drilled.” He sees this fight as about far more than drilling, saying “It’s about our authority as a community to decide, not corporations deciding for us.” Provisions in the ordinance eliminate corporate “personhood” rights within the city for corporations seeking to drill, and remove the ability of corporations to wield the Commerce and Contracts Clauses of the U.S. Constitution to override community decision-making. In addition, with adoption of the ordinance, Pittsburgh became the first city in the U.S. to recognize legally binding rights of nature. By recognizing the rights of nature, Pittsburgh is effectively protecting ecosystems and natural communities within the city from efforts by corporations to drill there—and by other levels of government to authorize that drilling. Residents of Pittsburgh are empowered by the ordinance to enforce those rights on behalf of threatened ecosystems. The ordinance now goes to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl for signature. Representatives of drilling companies have indicated they may challenge the ban in court. [...]"
Investigations: "Professor who downplayed oil spill has federal government contracts"[11/19/10]
"Investigation also finds BP telling university what to research. Quoted in scores of news outlets, appearing on dozens of network news programs and even landing a guest spot on The Late Show with David Letterman, oil spill expert Ed Overton has been a ubiquitous presence in the media throughout the Gulf oil spill disaster.
Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science at Louisiana State University, Overton, who has been criticized for downplaying the effects of the worst offshore oil spill in history, has also headed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s chemical hazard assessment team for over 25 years.
Yet in nearly every media appearance, and even during congressional testimony, Overton, an environmental chemist, has omitted this long-term, high-level contracting position for the federal government through
LSU, a Raw Story investigation has found. [...]"
ProPublica: "BP Probation Officer Asks Judge to Revoke Probation, Citing ‘Criminal Negligence’"[11/19/10]
"A federal probation officer for BP filed a petition on Wednesday asking a judge in Alaska to revoke the company’s probation because of criminally negligent conduct, the Anchorage Daily News reported. If the judge agrees, BP could face more fines, extended probation, or increased requirements for its pipelines. (Read the petition.)
The court filing comes less than two weeks before probation for BP’s 2006 oil spill on Alaska’s North Slope was set to end. It alleges that the company acted negligently in the run-up to yet another spill from BP’s Alaska pipelines in 2009. Here’s what we have reported about that spill: [...]"
"Halliburton’s Stonewalling Works in Pa., but Sparks Subpoena at EPA"[11/17/10]
"On Nov. 9, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that Halliburton had refused to give the agency a complete list of the chemicals it uses for gas drilling, resulting in a subpoena for the energy giant. But the battle to keep much of this information confidential is one that Halliburton is winning in Pennsylvania.
Halliburton did not respond to requests for comment on this article, but a company spokeswoman told MSNBC.com that the EPA had approached Halliburton with "unreasonable demands" and that the company was working to supply the agency with the information it needs to complete its study of the relationship between water contamination and the controversial drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or
fracking. Of the nine companies the EPA asked to supply the information, only Halliburton -- the largest North American provider of hydraulic fracturing services -- refused.
Halliburton has worked hard to keep the contents of its fracking fluids secret, but the campaign has become more difficult as environmental advocates and researchers push for full disclosure. But in Pennsylvania, a state that is undergoing a natural gas drilling boom in the Marcellus Shale rock formation, regulators appear willing to accept Halliburton's argument that it should be allowed to keep details about its chemicals secret in order to maintain its competitive advantage.
Fracking shoots millions of gallons of water mixed with chemicals underground at high pressures to break rock and release natural gas. The process is currently exempt from federal regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act as a result of assurances by the Bush-era EPA that fracking posed no harm to water supplies. In October 2009, after receiving reports of contamination near fracking sites and complaints that the agency's position was based on outdated and incomplete information, Congress ordered the EPA to conduct a comprehensive study of the technique.
The EPA said earlier this year that the study would examine a broad scope of activities associated with
fracking, and that drilling companies would have to provide information about their chemicals so the effects of those activities could be tracked over time.
"There's just so much we don't know about the effects of fracking," said Gwen
Lachelt, oil and gas accountability project director for the Colorado-based advocacy group Earthworks. "We deserve to have that question answered, and that can't be done without full public disclosure." [...]"
BP report finds Alaska pipelines in decay[11/08/10]
"Severe corrosion is rotting BP's pipelines in Alaska, an internal company report says.
The document, obtained by ProPublica, shows that as of Oct. 1, at least 148 BP pipelines on the Arctic North Slope got an "F-rank" from the company. BP workers said that means inspections have found more than 80 percent of the pipe wall is corroded and could rupture.
Most of those lines carry toxic or flammable substances, and many of the metal walls of the worst pipes are worn to within a few thousandths of an inch of bursting, risking explosions or spills.
Oil workers also say the fire- and gas-warning systems are weak, turbines that pump oil and gas through the system are aging, and some oil and waste holding tanks are near failure.
BP Alaska spokesman Steve Rinehart told ProPublica the company has "an aggressive and comprehensive pipeline inspection and maintenance program."
Photographs taken by employees in the Prudhoe Bay drilling field this summer show sagging and rusted pipelines. [...]"
Investigations:
The Questions BP Didn’t Answer[10/29/10]
"BP declined to comment on almost all aspects of the recent reports that ProPublica and PBS FRONTLINE did on the company’s safety and culture. Yet on Monday, in his first public address since becoming BP’s CEO, Robert Dudley said that he did not believe BP had a safety problem and warned that the ProPublica and Frontline reports would be unflattering.
Since we published our story on Tuesday, many readers have contacted us to find out exactly what we asked BP and whether our questions were fair. ProPublica and Frontline began communicating with BP’s press representatives about this story beginning in May. In numerous email exchanges and several phone conversations we requested interviews and described our work, our findings and our intentions. In the end, BP declined our requests for interviews but said the company would respond to questions submitted in writing.
“You can expect full and factual answers,” Andrew Gowers, BP’s chief spokesperson, wrote in an email on September 22.
Below is a list of the questions submitted in writing to both BP’s corporate press office in London and to BP Exploration’s press office in Alaska. The questions have been left exactly as they were sent to BP (spelling errors and all) except for deletions that were made because they concerned confidential information or matters that we have since learned to be untrue. They are followed by BP’s three paragraph response. [...]"
Investigations: Federal Inspectors Clueless About Cementing, Oil Spill Panel Finds[10/29/10]
"Yesterday the government's oil spill panel released a letter alleging that Halliburton knew of potential flaws in its cement prior to the Deepwater Horizon blowout. That same spill commission, in a little-noticed report by the New Orleans Times-Picayune, had earlier this week criticized government inspectors for their lack of knowledge about how to safely cement an offshore well.
"When we asked about cementing and centralizers, they said very freely, 'We don't know about that stuff; we have to trust the companies,'" the commission’s co-chairman, William Reilly, told the Times-Picayune. "All they get is on-the-job training. It really is fairly startling, considering how sophisticated the industry has become.” [...]"
Related: Halliburton failed critical test not done on cement before blowout
"Halliburton Co. acknowledged that it skipped a critical test on the final formulation of cement used to seal BP's oil well before it blew out catastrophically in the Gulf of Mexico.
The company, which was BP's cementing contractor, came under increased scrutiny when investigators from the president's oil spill commission revealed Thursday that tests performed by the company before the deadly blowout showed the cement to be unstable.
Halliburton in a statement issued late Thursday night said it did not conduct a stability test on the final mix of cement after a last-minute change by BP added more of a certain ingredient. Earlier statements by the company had said tests showed the cement to be stable.
The cement mix's failure to prevent oil and gas from entering the well has been identified by BP and others as one of the causes of the accident, the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
BP and Halliburton decided to use a foam slurry created by injecting nitrogen into cement to secure the bottom of the well, a decision outside experts have criticized. [...]"
Leaked Memo Depicts Bare-Bones Regulatory Environment for NY Gas Drilling[10/28/10]
"The
leaked memo
(PDF) that led to the dismissal of New York's top environmental official last week depicts a severely understaffed agency that has struggled to adequately perform its duties over the past two years and is ill-equipped to supervise natural gas drilling.
"All of the meat has been snipped free of the bones, and some of the bones have disappeared," wrote Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis in the memo. "Many of our programs are hanging by a thread."
The Albany Times Union reported on the internal memo last Tuesday. Grannis was dismissed by Gov. David Paterson two days later. In the aftermath, environmental groups are rallying behind Grannis, and gas drilling companies are calling for a better-financed DEC that can more effectively regulate drilling in the Marcellus Shale.
The memo, which responded to a request from the governor's budget division that the DEC cut 209 people from its staff by the end of the year, described an agency that is "in the weakest position it has been since it was created 40 years ago."
"The public would be shocked to learn how thin we are in many areas," Grannis wrote. "The risks to human health ... have already increased with respect to enforcement activities related to pollution sources. ... We are now responding to and cleaning up fewer petroleum spills." [...]" Related: Tapping natural gas could unleash uranium
" Plans to tap one of the largest sources of natural gas in the United States could release naturally trapped uranium into the environment, researchers say. [...]"
Commentary: Six Months Later, an Oil Disaster Spreads Across the Gulf[10/23/10]
"For six months, I have lived and worked near ground zero of the worst oil disaster in US history. I've traveled on boats hunting thick, reddish peanut butter-colored crude that slowly washed towards the coastal marshes of southern Louisiana. I watched tough, resourceful people of the bayou weep at the sight of the oily tide invading precious fishing grounds. [...]"
White House To Lift Offshore Drilling Ban[10/13/10]
"The U.S. is back in the deep water oil-drilling business. The question now is when work will resume.
The Obama administration, under heavy pressure from the oil industry and Gulf states and with elections nearing, lifted the moratorium that it imposed last April in the wake of the disastrous BP oil spill.
The ban had been scheduled to expire Nov. 30, but Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Tuesday he was moving up the date because new rules imposed after the spill had reduced the risk of another catastrophic blowout. Industry leaders warily waited for details of those rules, saying the moratorium wouldn't be truly lifted until then. [...]
Government withholding key data on Gulf seafood testing, scientists say[10/07/10]
"Gulf states not following consistent protocol, despite government claims National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) and FDA officials maintain they've provided results of ongoing Gulf seafood safety tests with the utmost transparency. But outside scientists, eager to perform independent evaluations of the government's findings, complain the information released contains far too many unknown variables that [...]"
Scientists: 40 Times More Cancer-Causing Toxics in Gulf than Before Spill … Dispersants to Blame[10/02/10]
"Scientists from Oregon State University have found a 40-fold increase in the amount of cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs) near Louisiana’s Grande Isle between May and June.
The Oregon team is looking at “the fraction of PAHs that are bioavailable – that have the potential to move into the food chain.” [...]Scientists have found that when Corexit is applied to the actual crude oil from BP’s well, it releases 35 times more toxic chemicals into the water column than would be released with crude alone."
More Questions About BP’s Limited Investigation Into Gulf
Disaster[09/27/10]
"BP investigators, faced with questions about their report on the causes of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, acknowledged on Sunday before a panel of engineering experts that its report
had limitations. "It is clear that you could go further into the analysis," the report's chief investigator, Mark
Bly, who was head of BP's safety and operations. "This does not represent a complete penetration into potentially deeper issues.” Bly called his team’s report “a good foundation for further work.”
Here’s what The Washington Post noted about how the report was produced: [...]"
Note: What everyone is NOT looking at is that oil rigs
are MEANT to survive fire and not sink. Why demolition teams went out to the
rig before the explosion is unknown. The rig was purposely flooded and sunk,
when the 5 foot hatches were opened on the pontoons, and fire boats directed
tens of thousands of gallons of water into the hatches on all 4 pontoon areas
... which sunk the rig when they filled up with water. This was to hide the
fact that underwater demolition charges were used, as well. As with 9/11 this
event has a lot more to it than people are indicating.
Exclusive: Gulf oil dispersant contained extremely toxic carcinogen[09/26/10]
"A major potential long-term health concern left in the wake of BP’s catastrophic oil spill is the nearly two million gallons of dispersant sprayed over and pumped into the Gulf, scientists say. Much of it was injected into the sea beneath its surface, which made both the amount used, and its use, unprecedented.
In interviews, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and FDA officials repeatedly told Raw Story that dispersant “does not bioaccumulate” in seafood and therefore is not toxic to humans. The two dispersants used during the oil spill, Corexit 9527 and Corexit 9500, contain many ingredients “found in common household products.” And even though there is still no chemical test to detect dispersant in Gulf seafood – though officials said one is coming very soon – sensory tests are effective down to one part per million. [...]"
PG&E releases list of 100 highest-risk natural gas pipeline segments and their locations[09/21/10]
"Bowing to public pressure, PG&E released a long-awaited list Monday of its "Top 100" riskiest natural gas pipeline segments and their locations along its 6,700 miles of gas transmission lines.
Eleven of the segments are in Silicon Valley, with one -- located near Highway 237 and Ranch Drive by the San Jose-Milpitas border -- ranked seventh among the 100. [...]"
BP Has Ties to Michigan Oil Spill, Enbridge[09/19/10]
"On July 26, 2010, near Marshall Michigan, a part of the Olympic pipeline controlled and maintained by Enbridge Inc, dumped approximately 800,000 gallons of oil into Talmdge Creek, a creek that flows into the Kalamazoo River. What most of us didnt know was that in Dec. 2005 the Enbridge corporation partnered with BP for ownership of the Olympic pipeline. BP spent 101.9 million dollars to gain 65% of the shares in Enbridge Inc, the leader in energy transportation and distribution in North America. Enbridge also internationally operates the worlds longest crude oil and liquids transportation system in the US and Canada. [...]"
Dead whale and thousands of dead fish found near Venice,
La. shipping canal[09/14/10]
"Thousands of fish and a dead whale on Monday were found dead at the mouth of a shipping channel in Venice.
Species include crabs, sting rays, eels, drum, speckled trout and red fish. Plaquemines Parish President Billy
Nungesser, who sent in the pictures above, said there is no testing going on to determine if it's from the oil spill, although the northern Gulf of Mexico has suffered from a persistent dead zone of low oxygen, blamed on nutrient rich runoff from the Mississippi River.
Nungesser said this is different because usually the kills happen to only one or two species of fish.
One University of Georgia scientist who found oil at the bottom of the Gulf said she hasn't seen convincing data that connects the oil and the fish kills, but that studies need to be done to determine what's going on. [...]"
Note: Amazing pictures. Video clip[1:29]
"National Security Used As Pretext to Confiscate Samples and Notes On Dispersant, Homeland Security Works For BP"[09/14/10]
"I’m an adjunct professor here at A&M, and we were also in the Gulf, but got thrown out. We were testing a theory that the chemical composition of the dispersant they were using was causing the oil to sink. And we’d been there for approximately three days, and federal agents flat told us to get out. And it wasn’t Fish and Wildlife officers. These were Homeland Security officers, and we were told that it was in the interest of national security. [...]"
See "Oil and Gas" link above for more related stories.
Gulf Clean Up Contracts Expose Corruption as Usual[09/13/10]
"The federal government hired a New Orleans man for $18,000 to appraise whether news stories about its actions in the Gulf oil spill were positive or negative for the Obama administration, which was keenly sensitive to comparisons between its response and George W. Bush's much-maligned reaction to Hurricane Katrina.
The government also spent $10,000 for just over three minutes of video showing a routine offshore rig inspection for news organizations but couldn't say whether any ran the footage. And it awarded a $216,625 no-bid contract for a survey of seabirds to an environmental group that has criticized what it calls the "extreme anti-conservation record" of Sarah
Palin, a possible 2012 rival to Obama. The contracts were among hundreds reviewed by The Associated Press as the government begins to provide an early glimpse at federal spending since the Gulf disaster in April. While most of the contracts don't raise alarms, some could provide ammunition for critics of government waste. [...]"
Scientists Find Thick Layer Of Oil On Seafloor[09/12/10]
"Scientists on a research vessel in the Gulf of Mexico are finding a substantial layer of oily sediment stretching for dozens of miles in all directions. Their discovery suggests that a lot of oil from the Deepwater Horizon didn't simply evaporate or dissipate into the water — it has settled to the seafloor. [...]"
EPA’s Letters to Fracking Companies Request Information, With a Legal Threat[09/11/10]
"he Environmental Protection Agency has issued letters to nine natural gas drilling companies requesting “cooperation in a scientific study” of hydraulic fracturing and how it affects drinking water and public health, the agency announced on Thursday. Buried further down in the document, however, is a veiled threat to take legal action if the information isn’t provided [...]"
Gulf Residents Test Positive For Oil In Blood[09/05/10]
"Grand Isle – Several gulf residents have tested positive for oil in their blood as documented by Matt Smith and Heather of Project Gulf Impact on the Intel Hub Radio Show last Thursday. Further testing will show if the chemical dispersant Corexit made by Nalco has entered the bloodstreams of gulf coast residents.
Smith who is on scene in Grand Isle Louisiana points out “it’s deadly because it’s accumulative…. the issue here is that these are residents these aren’t even the workers… everyone is getting sick….. it has turned into an aerosol in the air, and no one is talking about this, no one.”
The testing did come back with unusually high amounts of toxins in the subjects bloodstreams indicating that the government and the EPA have been lying to the general public about the health effects, and the air quality in the region as we pointed out months ago. As of now we are still unsure of the mid, and long term effects this will pose on gulf coast residents, however it is not looking good.
Another thing to consider is gulf residents who have not had testing done to document their illness, symptoms, and or accumulative toxicity levels in their bloodstream will be short changed when it comes to future claims against BP.
There have been rumors that the massive oil plumes have been gobbled up by bacteria in the recent weeks, however this just is not the case. Project Gulf Impact have documented massive plumes of oil out at sea stating ” We are seeing massive plumes, and more oil than ever”. If anything these massive plumes have been pushed under the surface from the over use of the dispersant agent. [...]"
U.S. Gets Cold Feet in Arctic Drilling[09/04/10]
"Following all the hullabaloo of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the government’s lackluster performance in responding to that crisis, U.S. regulatory agencies have gotten some proverbial cold feet in allowing offshore drilling in the Arctic.
While not an outright ban or a principled stand against dangerous drilling practices, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar did say that new exploratory offshore oil and gas drilling could continue after reports around the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have concluded. [...]"
BP Using Gulf Oil Spill Victims As Pawns To Pressure Alabama To Drop Charges[08/31/10]
" .... BP is implying they will not pay claims to Alabama residents unless Alabama drops the charges against BP.
I find that odd since Mr. Fairness Kenneth Fienberg has been appointed by the Federal Government to be “a neutral fund administrator responsible for all decisions relating to the administration and processing of claims” that is supposed to handle claims against BP from the $20 billion escrow account without any BP involvement. [...]"
Compelling Evidence Points To A Different Well Being Capped[08/31/10]
"What would the world say, if the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico that gushed for 87 days, is not the same well location which BP identified to the world as the Gusher Of All Time?
BK Lim is a geohazards specialist who has dissected the entire “Macondo prospect gushing wells scenario” with the penetrating forensic analysis and well-honed investigative techniques. He has broken down so many facets of this apparent deception that one is left with only one conclusion.
When a foreign, multinational corporation perpetrates a deception in the marketplace, it is usually considered business as usual and life goes on without so much as a bleep on the radar screen.
If the US Federal Government, and especially the current Administration which has enabled so much of what has gone wrong in the Gulf, was an accomplice in such a deception, then we have a problem. And, therefore, our friends in DC, and particularly BP will then have a HUGE problem! [...]"
Commentary: No BP investigation, the Senate blocked it.[08/30/10]
"BP is accused of withholding ‘critical’ spill data. And they will continue to withhold it, because the Democrat-controlled Senate has voted to block the White House’s investigative committee from having subpoena power.
[...] Predictably, it’s going to spun that the GOP is somehow at fault. This is going to be said, even though the Democrats Party is entirely in power. If they really wanted it to happen, they could work to make that happen.
I mean, the Democrat Party is somehow immune to oil money? Sure. Here’s explanation #1: they are the same party, and they get their money from the same people, they get their orders from the same people — and that includes big oil.
Forget “Democrat” and “Republican.” Let’s just call them “The Party.” It would be a little more accurate to the truth.
Here is explanation #2: the death of Alaska’s Sen. Stevens sent a message. My #3 explanation is … #1 followed by #2.
Anyhow, the far more vulnerable politicians in the House voted 420 to 1 to give the presidential commission investigating the BP oil spill full subpoena power. And the Federal Government is ok, because the less vulnerable members of the Senate blocked it.
Bravo! No investigation. [...]"
Gulf Loop Current Stalls from BP Oil Disaster: Global Consequences if Current Fails to Reorganize[08/30/10]
"Oceanographic satellite data now shows that as of July 28, the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico has stalled as a consequence of the BP oil spill disaster. This according to Dr. Gianluigi Zangari, an Italian theoretical physicist, and major complex and
chaotic systems analyst at the Frascati National Laboratories in Italy. This could be the most significant man-caused Earth Changes news thus far in my lifetime. This morning, Lesie Pastor informed the New Energy Congress of a report by Your Own World USA that as of July 28, Oceanographic satellite data now shows that the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico has stalled as a consequence of the BP oil spill [volcano] disaster. This according to Dr. Gianluigi Zangari, an Italian theoretical physicist, and major complex and chaotic systems analyst at the Frascati National Laboratories in Italy. He further notes that the effects of this stall have also begun to spread to the Gulf Stream. This is because the Loop Current is a crucial element of the Gulf Stream itself and why it is commonly referred to as the "main engine" of the Stream. The concern now, is whether or not natural processes can re-establish the stalled Loop Current. If not, we could begin to see global crop failures as early as 2011. Images of The Day After Tomorrow flashed in my head. The disruption of major ocean currents is no small thing. The climate ramifications are massive, worldwide. [...]"
Deepwater Horizon fears resurface as rigs probe for oil under Arctic ice[08/30/10]
"In a few days' time, officials at the Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum in Greenland will reveal the winners of a new round of licences to drill for oil and gas in its waters. The announcement promises to be explosive.
Among those waiting are most of the world's leading oil companies, including
ExxonMobil, Shell and Norway's StatOil. Watching with equal attention will be the planet's leading green groups, who they have pledged to block every effort to drill in the Arctic.
"The Arctic is the last pristine refuge in the northern hemisphere and it is simply not acceptable for oil companies to come here to drill and risk triggering a disaster that would dwarf the Deepwater Horizon spill," said Ben
Ayliffe, senior energy campaigner at Greenpeace. Its ship, the Esperanza, is currently trying to disrupt drilling in the Davis Strait off the Greenland mainland. "We are going to make a real fight of this,"he said.
Last week the future of drilling in the Arctic hit the headlines when it emerged that BP, in the wake of the disastrous oil spill off America's Gulf Coast, would not be bidding for contracts in the region. But the other oil giants will. And it is not hard to understand why.
Last year, the US Geological Survey estimated that there were more than 90bn barrels of oil beneath the Arctic seabed – an estimated 13% of the world's undiscovered reserves – with the waters around Greenland, as well as the Beaufort and Chukchi seas, pinpointed as the most promising zones.
Only a handful of test wells have been sunk so far, and no oil has yet been discovered. Oil companies are confident of success, however, while environmentalists are grimly resigned to the idea of wells being sunk. Greenland, Beaufort and Chukchi are all likely to become sites of future drilling – and of major battles with ecologists. [...]"
See "Oil & Gas" link at the top of this panel for related stories.
Alabama Charges BP, Transocean For BP Gulf Oil Spill
Cover-up and Using Dangerous Toxic Dispersants[08/28/10]
" Alabama’s attorney general is suing BP and others over the Gulf oil spill saying the oil giant has broken too many promises. Attorney General Troy King filed two lawsuits in federal court in Montgomery late Thursday afternoon. One suit is against BP, the other against Transocean. In a statement released Friday, King said “their history of saying one thing and doing another, and now, new information that they have been secretly working to gain a legal advantage, can only further damage our people.” The lawsuit claims “defendants were slow and incompetent, if not dishonest, in their announcements and warnings to the state of Alabama and its citizens and businesses,” referring to the drastic difference in the initial oil flow estimate of 1,000 barrels per day and the latest estimate of as much as 60,000 barrels per day. The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified money damages plus punitive damages, also references BP’s choice of a “highly toxic chemical used to disperse oil in the ocean.” The Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, causing nearly 200 million gallons of oil to gush into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days before the well was capped last month. A spokesman for BP declined to comment to the Associated Press. King filed the lawsuit against the wishes of Gov. Bob Riley, who says the state should pursue an out-of-court settlement first.
Here are some highlights of the charges filed against BP and Transocean by the State of Alabama [...]"
See "Oil & Gas" link at the top of this panel for related stories.
"Report: Safe to resume ocean oil drilling"[08/27/10]
"A finding by the Bipartisan Policy Center says procedures enacted since BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill make it safe to resume deep-water drilling. [...]"
BP Whistleblowers Paying High Price for Confessions[08/23/10]
"Oil industry critic Charles Hamel realizes the dangers facing those who expose the Gulf of Mexico cover-up. “These oil interests are very powerful. They’ll stop at nothing to stop you,” he has said.
A host of casualties prove his point. First is whistleblower Mike Mason, who worked for BP subcontractor Nabors Drilling. In 2005 he told investigators that BP regularly falsified blowout preventer (BOP) tests at Alaskan facilities.
His employer immediately fired him following these disclosures, but not before Mason reported to Hamel’s Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission that BP’s safety procedure is to “look the other way when it’s convenient for them.”
Hamel had been chronicling BP abuses since the 1980s, costing them millions in repairs to the Alaskan pipeline. As retaliation, journalist Marcus Baram reported on May 12 that a BP subsidiary in Alaska “hired a private security firm,
Wackenhut, to conduct surveillance on Hamel.” Their tactics included wiretaps and forced entries into his home. They watched his house and his family and even hired attractive women to try to persuade him to divulge his secret sources.
Hamel sued BP, Exxon and Wackenhut in the 1990s for harassment and invasion of privacy and reportedly settled for an undisclosed amount believed to be in the millions of dollars.
The Alaska connection continues with former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), who died in an airplane crash on Aug. 9, 2010. [...]"
Related:Whistleblower Claims That BP Was Aware Of Cheating On Blowout Preventer Tests
Gulf claims chief takes credit for rule that protects BP from spill lawsuits[08/23/10]
"The new administrator for damage claims from Gulf oil spill victims said Sunday it was his idea, not BP’s, to require that anyone who receives a final settlement from the $20 billion compensation fund give up the right to sue the oil giant.
But Ken Feinberg told reporters that he has not yet decided whether the no-sue requirement will extend to other companies that may be responsible for the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
He insisted that payouts from the claims facility he will run will be more generous than those from any court. Feinberg also ran the government compensation fund created after the 9/11 attacks, and there was a similar no-sue provision.
“It is not in your interest to tie up you and the courts in years of uncertain protracted litigation when there is an alternative that has been created,” Feinberg said.
He added, “I take the position, if I don’t find you eligible, no court will find you eligible.”
Any individual or business that receives a short-term emergency payment — one to six months — from the oil spill claims facility that launches Monday will still be able to sue BP.
Hundreds of lawsuits have already been filed by spill victims. Feinberg said BP, which had been handling claims up until this point, has paid out roughly $375 million in claims since the April 20 rig explosion on the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 workers and spewed 206 million gallons of oil from BP’s runaway undersea well. [...]"
NOAA's Supposed Peer Reviewers:
"We Never Reviewed the Report"[08/21/10]
"The federal government is facing mounting criticism over the oil budget report released on August 4 that has been characterized as painting an overly rosy picture of the situation in the Gulf. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has defended its release and claimed that the document was in fact reviewed by outside experts. But was it?
"The report and the calculations that went into it were reviewed by independent scientists," NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco told reporters Thursday, indicating that those independent experts were listed at the end of the report. Yet the scientists listed as consultants (at least the ones that I have been able to contact; will update as I am able reach more of them) have said that they did not review the final five-page document before it was released earlier this month.
"I didn't review the final product," said Alan Allen, who runs the Washington state-based oil spill consulting firm Spiltec. Allen says he gave input on controlled burns and how they would affect the amount of oil, but did not see the final report before it was released. [...]"
Mississippi Shrimpers Refuse to Trawl, Fearing Oil, Dispersants[08/21/10]
"The U.S. state of Mississippi recently reopened all of its fishing areas. The problem is that commercial shrimpers refuse to trawl because they fear the toxicity of the waters and marine life due to the BP oil disaster. "We come out and catch all our Mississippi oysters right here," James "Catfish" Miller, a commercial shrimper in Mississippi, told
IPS. Pointing to the area in the Mississippi Sound from his shrimp boat, he added, "It's the only place in Mississippi to catch oysters, and there is oil and dispersants all over the top of it." On Aug. 6, Mississippi's Department of Marine Resources
(DMR) and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, ordered the reopening of all Mississippi territorial waters to all commercial and recreational finfish and shrimp fishing activities that were part of the precautionary closures following the BP oil rig disaster in April. At least five million barrels flowed into the Gulf before the well was shut earlier this month. But Miller, along with many other commercial
shrimpers, refuses to trawl. [Note: That is what it is going to take, good ole common sense.] [...]"
"New guidelines could rule out many oil claims"[08/21/10]
"A flower shop in Florida that saw a drop-off in weddings this summer is probably out of luck. So is a restaurant in Idaho that had to switch seafood suppliers. A hardware store on the Mississippi coast may be left out, too.
The latest guidelines for BP's $20 billion victims compensation fund say the nearer you are geographically to the oil spill and the more closely you depend on the Gulf of Mexico's natural resources, the better chance you have of getting a share of the money.
Also, a second set of rules expected this fall will require that businesses and individuals seeking compensation for long-term losses give up their right to sueBP and other
spill- related companies—something that could save the oil giant billions. [...]"
Interview: Top Expert: Geology is "Fractured", Relief Wells May Fail ... BP is Using a "Cloak of Silence", Refusing to Share Even Basic Data with the Government [08/20/10]
"Few people in the world know more about oil drilling disasters than Dr. Robert Bea.
Bea teaches engineering at the University of California Berkeley, and has 55 years of experience in engineering and management of design, construction, maintenance, operation, and decommissioning of engineered systems including offshore platforms, pipelines and floating facilities. Bea has worked for many years in governmental and quasi-governmental roles, and has been a high-level governmental adviser concerning disasters. He worked for 16 years as a top mechanical engineer and manager for Shell Oil, and has worked with Bechtel and the Army Corps of Engineers. One of the world's top experts in offshore drilling problems, Bea is a member of the Deepwater Horizon Study Group, and has been interviewed by news media around the world concerning the BP oil disaster.
Washington's Blog spoke with Dr. Bea yesterday. [...]"
USF
scientists find oil spill damage to critical marine life[08/19/10]
"Far from being gone, the oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster appears
to still be causing ecological damage in the Gulf of Mexico, according to new
findings from University of South Florida scientists. And scientists from the
University of Georgia said the amount of oil that remains in the water could
be 70 to 79 percent of the more than 4 million barrels of oil that escaped
into the gulf. [...]"
Fisherman Demand Real Representation, Instead are Mocked at Town Hall[08/19/10]
"Mississippi Department of Marine Resources meeting at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research Extension Center at 1815 Popps Ferry Road, Biloxi, MS. Fishermen speak out on injustices of the government’s position on oil disappearing. [...]"
Gulf Shrimpers Find Oil In Reopened Fishing Areas.
Government Says "Shut Up". Sierra Club Alleges Areas Were Solely Reopened to Limit BP's Liability[08/17/10]
"We've got shrimpers out there saying there is oil out there," Miller said. "We had a meeting Wednesday night where we had over 150 shrimpers... who are saying there is oil out there and these underwater plumes are varying in size and shape. This stuff is obviously moving around out there."
[William Walker, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources] "If you are not going to validate what you are saying through accepted scientific protocol and approaches, then quit talking about it without any evidence what you are saying is true," Walker said.
In other words, shut up. [...]"
Note: Observation is an accepted scientific approach. If you
see oil, then it's there.
MSM:Scientists say up to 79% of oil remains in Gulf[08/17/10]
"Permanent seal of well delayed amid new reports that 79% of the oil remains the Gulf A group of scientists have found that up to 79% of the oil in the Gulf of Mexico may still remain, contradicting earlier findings by a U.S. government study that found nearly 75% of the oil had dissipated. [...]"
Related:Much Oil Remains in Gulf, Researchers Estimate
Ecuador to World:
"Pay Us $3.5 Billion to Not Drill Oil"[08/14/10]
"his brilliant move by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa reflects his education, humanistic philosophy and his view that nature is sacred. He speaks 4 languages, Spanish, French, Quechua, and English. He holds degrees in Economics from universities in Ecuador, Belgium and a PhD from the University of Illinois in the US.... [...]"
Note: Brazil did something like this a month or so ago,
relative to the Amazon ...
“NOAA won’t begin checking for submerged methane gases”; Top scientist says “It seems crazy”[08/14/10]
"Samantha Joye, professor of marine sciences at the University of Georgia… is puzzled why NOAA won’t begin checking for submerged methane gases in the deep waters of the Gulf… “It seems crazy,” she said. “There is no reasonable explanation as to why it’s not being done. It just doesn’t make sense.” [...]"
Commentary:BP Scum, “Dont Believe” tests that show oil, Major
Cover-up Continues[08/14/10]
"The Federal government is actually moving forward with a plan that would guarantee British Petroleum the right to continue drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Apparently the fact that BP has OPENLY poisoned the wildlife and population matters little to our supposed commander and chief. How can the American people expect BP, a company whose leaders are chronic liars, to abide by safety measures put in place to avoid oil disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon explosion?
BP has even gone as far as DENY tests that show that oil IS surfacing near Orange Beach. This company is actively involved in one of the greatest cover ups of our time. The situation defies logic, people are clearing filming oil, yet BP, playing the part of god, has publicly stated that the disaster is reaching its end. “BP keeps telling us there is no oil, to skim or otherwise, and we keep telling them there is,” said Orange Beach Coastal Resource Manager Phillip West. “We’re skimming it.” Press – Register
The extent of the cover up is hard to imagine. The culprits include the White House, BP management and of course the infamous Admiral, Thad Allen. [...]" Related:USF says government tried to squelch their oil plume findings
Officials deny dispersant use, residents beg to differ[08/12/10]
"This is absolutely disgusting, BP and the Coast Guard have continued to spray dispersant in what can only be described as chemical rape. Where are the people in the gulf? Where are the protests?
How many lies does BP and the Coast have to tell before people realize that they have been lying from the beginning? From all indications, BP and the Coast Guard are dropping a known neurotoxin at low levels with complete disregard for ALL human life.
Complaining to your local mayor isn’t going to do jack, these multinational corporations have no respect for our laws, and with the help of the federal government, have worked as hard as possible to cover up the thousands of sick people and dead wildlife. [...]"
Feds Confiscate Independent LSU Scientists’ Samples Because Project Not Approved By BP, Others[08/12/10]
"Linda Hooper-Bui, Louisiana State University Department of Entomology Associate Professor, writes in The Scientist, “My PhD student’s
ant samples were taken away by a US Fish and Wildlife officer at a publicly accessible state Wildlife Management Area because our project hadn’t been approved by Incident Command.”
What is the Incident Command? Hooper-Bui continues, “[It's] also called the Deepwater Horizon Response Unified Command — which is a joint program of BP and federal agencies, such as the Coast Guard…”
She shares another similar experience, “Where our research trip was halted after driving more than 150 miles to a study site. On the way to our sampling sites in Grand Isle, LA, [we] were turned away by a sheriff’s deputy blocking the road who said that he was told to allow no one who wasn’t associated with BP or
NRDA.” The NRDA (National Resource Damage Assessment) process “is overseen by state, tribal and federal science agencies and is partially funded by BP.” [...]"
Oceanography: Dead in the water[08/12/10]
"Every summer for the past nine years, water with lethally low concentrations of oxygen has appeared off the Oregon coast. The hypoxia may be a sign of things to come elsewhere, finds Virginia
Gewin. [...]"
Update:
BP, CIA conspiracy theory suggested behind
his unexpected death
[08/12/10]
"Oil industry icon Matt Simmons became a household name during the BP oil spill crisis, partly because of his criticism of BP and their handling the worst oil spill in US history.
Simmons, 67, was found dead in his home in Maine on August 8, 2010. The medical examiner’s office is unclear about whether he had drowned in his tub after suffering a heart attack, or died from a heart attack while drowning.
Before his unexpected death, Simmons had become a whistle blower against BP and the US government. He used his oil industry and government connections to reveal information about the BP oil spill disaster that he claimed were deliberately hidden from the public.
The confusion surrounding the exact cause of his recent death has sparked reports that he was assassinated by either the CIA or BP...]"
Related:
Matt
Simmons Has Died – Heart Attack or Murder?[08/10/10]
"Prominent oil investor Matt Simmons died of a heart attack last
night at his home in North Haven, Maine, according to police reports.
The famed energy banker was a prominent proponent of peak oil theory, and most
recently got
attention for his dire calls about the fate of the Gulf of Mexico. The debate
about the effect of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill — he thought it would be
cataclysmic — lead him to split with his old firm, Simmons & Co., of
which he was the chairman emeritus. [...]"
Note: Its starting to look as if Simmons gave up his
position at Simmons & Co. to expose the situation in the Gulf and paid for
it with his life. We are checking into this and we will keep you posted with
the latest updates as the situation unfolds. Most news stations are reporting
that he died of a heart attack, but at least two are reporting that he
drowned. This does not look good. I am predicting that after today no one will
ever talk about the reports that he drowned.
Why would different news stations be reporting a different cause of death? Bangor Daily News Reports he Drowned
"NORTH HAVEN, Maine (NEWS CENTER) – The Knox County Sheriff’s
Department says Matthew Simmons, the founder of the Ocean Energy Institute,
drowned at his house on North Haven late Sunday night.
[...]"
Related:Is this the reason why Simmons was killed?
"Matthew Simmons: Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Ocean Energy
Institute & Former Chairman Emeritus of Simmons & Company
International - Matt was past Chairman of the National Ocean Industries
Association, and served as energy adviser to President George W. Bush, among
others. Simmons is author of the book Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi
Oil Shock and the World Economy, which examines oil reserve decline rates to
help raise awareness of the unreliability of Middle East oil reserves. Simmons
is one of the top minds in the world when it comes to energy. His work has
been followed internationally for over 35 years and Matt's company Simmons
& Company International has served as co-manager on over $38 billion in
public debt and equity offerings. Simmons & Company has also acted as
financial advisor in $140 billion of transactions, including 550 merger and
acquisitions worth over $97 billion.[...]" Note: See "Oil and Gas" link above for related
stories. Simmons is the one who felt that a small nuclear
device would be the only thing to stop the leak at well "B".
Video clip[3:58]
Oil Employee Accused of Bribery in Venezuela[08/10/10]
"A former manager of one of the world's largest offshore drilling companies paid more than $400,000 in bribes to extend or secure contracts with Venezuela's state-owned oil company, the SEC claims in Federal Court. [...]"
State
of Texas sues BP over 40-days of toxic emissions[08/10/10]
"The state of Texas accused BP of putting profits before environmental
safety and sued the British energy giant Monday for the mass release of
pollutants after a fire at its troubled Texas City refinery. The lawsuit comes
as BP works to finally kill a runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico responsible
for one of the world's worst ever oil spills. It is the second time in as many
years that Texas has sued BP for air pollution violations at the refinery
where 15 workers were killed in a 2005 explosion. BP has already faced record
federal fines related to that incident, but the case filed Monday by Texas
Attorney General Greg Abbott argues that BP has not learned its lesson. BP is
accused of illegally emitting approximately 500,000 pounds of harmful air
pollutants over the course of 40 days earlier this year.
[...]"
Open Admission, Corexit Sprayed at Toxic Levels, Metals in Rainwater[08/09/10]
Video clip[14:28]included. Speaking of behalf of the Coastal Heritage Society of Louisiana, Kindra Arnesen laid out even more startling information regarding how ineffective and toxic the use of Corexit has been. She started out strong and made it very clear that the buck does not stop with the employee’s that BP has sent throughout the region. The chain of command goes much higher and to blame individual workers is absolutely ridiculous. We must understand that this chemical rape has come from people much higher up than a BP worker who is merely trying to fead its family.
Since May 24, 2010 over 1,730,000 gallons of Corexit 9500, a toxic dispersant made by Nalco, have been sprayed into the Gulf of Mexico. The total amount is unknown, most estimates show that over two million gallons of Corexit has been sprayed. After the EPA order to limit the spraying of dispersant, BP sprayed close to one million more gallons!
Apparently, fisherman are pulling up oil in gatorade bottles near areas that are open to fishing!!!
This is open admission by BP and the media that millions of gallons of a deadly neurotoxin have laced the Gulf of Mexico, tainting it’s water, our wildlife, plant life, weather systems, water systems and human life for years to come. We have yet to see the end of this Gulf oil disaster; sometimes it feels as if we have not yet reached the halfway point. One thing is for sure, this is almost as bad as it gets. Yet your president elect and the whole Obama administration fails to respond with vigilance for the
" [...]"
Ecuador shakes up oil contracts?[08/09/10]
"The Ecuadorian government announced it was moving toward nationalizing the oil sector by redesigning contracts with major foreign oil companies. [...]"
Report: Sharks and Turtles Dealing with Chemical Nightmare[08/09/10]
"Corexit 9500 is made by Nalco Holding Company, which is associated with the two companies that have created the two worst oil spills in U.S. History, namely
B.P. and Exxon. The chemical replaced Corexit 9527, which was deemed “to toxic” to use on marine environments.
That makes Corexit 9500 sound safer to use. However, we’ve been doing our homework and what we have found is extremely disturbing.
On August 6th, 2010, the Gulf Specimen Lab received a call about a young Kemp Ridley Sea Turtle that was at a nearby beach. The caller stated the animal was in “bad shape,” but what the responders found was shocking — the turtle was in such bad shape that it died within hours of their arrival. This is the most endangered turtle in the world, and the combination of oil and Corexit 9500 has more or less “dissolved” much of this animal. [...]"
Propaganda:
"US agency (magically) rules out health threat from oil
dispersants"[08/08/10]
"Dispersants used to break up crude leaking from a ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well are not likely to accumulate in seafood and affect humans, the US Food and Drug Administration said.
In a letter released Friday addressing concerns raised by a US lawmaker, the regulatory body said it was highly unlikely that the chemicals used to break up spilled crude into small particles would enter the food chain.
The "FDA has determined that the chemical dispersant currently used to combat the Deepwater Horizon... have a low potential for
bio-concentration in seafood species," the agency said. [...]"
Note: At this point, MOST EVERYTHING "AUTHORITIES"
WILL EVER SAY WILL BE A LIE TO COVER UP NEFARIOUS ACTIVITIES.
Feds
"Can’t Find Oil" But Satellite Photos Show BP Gulf Oil Spill Covering 12,000 Square Miles[08/06/10]
"Yesterday’s MODIS and RADARSAT images show something we didn’t expect: slicks and sheen spanning nearly 12,000 square miles. Based on other reports, and the recent trend on satellite images indicating steady dissipation of the surface oil slick, we are optimistically assuming that nearly all of this is very thin sheen.
Speculation: winds from Bonnie obliterated most of the thin sheen throughout the area; but since then, sheen has had time to “reassemble” into observable layers that noticeably affect the sunglint on MODIS images, and the backscatter on radar, but may not look like much to folks out in the Gulf on vessels or in low-flying aircraft. That’s our theory at this point. Chime in if you have other thoughts about what we’re seeing on these images: [...]
BP Drilled TWO Oil Wells, One Capped One Leaking[08/05/10]
[9:41]
"BP Drilled TWO Oil Wells, Media Shows Well ‘A’ Capped While Well ‘B’ is Leaking BP Planned to Abandon Both Wells From The Start! Well MC252_A has been spewing oil into the Gulf since February 13 and has recently been capped, Well MC252_B is the well that blew up the Deepwater Horizon on [...]"
What the Oil-Rig Cook Saw: Corruption, Mostly[08/05/10]
"For 15 years, Dan Peterson worked as a cook on oil rigs off the coast of Louisiana. During much of that time Peterson lived on Grand Isle, the barrier island community that has experienced some of the worst damage from the BP spill. Although Peterson retired three years ago, he maintains close ties with his offshore compadres, and has keenly monitored the events of the past 100-plus days.
Peterson did not participate in drilling per se. On a rig, food service personnel are considered a lower caste by those who actually work in oil production. But 18 hours of daily duty in the galley, where all crew members would gather at one time or another, created a dual reality in which Peterson was virtually omnipresent yet also figuratively invisible.
"I saw and heard a lot," he said. "As a cook I was regarded as a retarded derelict and accorded a degree of anonymity, which left me privy to many acts of bribery and extortion not open to public scrutiny. I was on more than one job where I was enlisted to go ashore and pick up a few bottles of Johnnie Walker Black and a fat envelope for someone with MMS." [...]"
Senate Pulls the Plug on Drilling Reforms[08/04/10]
"Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid announced this afternoon he was calling off a set of offshore drilling reforms that had been under consideration since the Gulf oil spill in April. Republicans were surprised. Environmentalists were shocked. That said, there are still parts that are controversial, such as raising the liability cap for oil and gas companies, or a formerly-unknown process called
hydro-fracking that involves a questionable method of extracting natural gas. [...]"
Gulf Loop Current Stalls Due to BP
Incident[08/04/10]
"Oceanographic satellite data now shows that as of July 28, the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico has stalled as a consequence of the BP oil spill disaster. This according to Dr. Gianluigi
Zangari, an Italian theoretical physicist, and major complex and chaotic systems analyst [...]"
After Further Testing, EPA Says Use of Dispersants Was ‘Wise Decision’[08/02/10]
"As you may recall, the first round of the EPA’s dispersant testing didn’t tell us too much. At issue were the two million gallons of a dispersant called
Corexit, which the agency had earlier been concerned was too toxic a choice. The agency tested the eight dispersants and found that most were roughly equal in toxicity taken alone, but did not test them in combination with oil, as is the case in the Gulf.
So today the agency announced the results of another round of testing—this time, the dispersant and oil together. Data released by the EPA showed that Corexit dispersant was “moderately toxic” to two species of shrimp and small fish, though the initial round of testing had been found to be “slightly toxic” to the shrimp and “practically nontoxic” to the fish. The new results show that the
Corexit-oil mixture is on par with the “moderately toxic” Louisiana Sweet Crude oil.
Compared with the other dispersants, Corexit was in the middle of the pack. A dispersant called ZI-400 scored the best in testing on both species. The EPA did not address specifically whether Corexit remains the best choice for future spills. (Another dispersant,
Dispersit, however, which some early news reports touted as a far less toxic alternative to
Corexit, was rated more toxic than Corexit for both species, and "highly toxic" to the fish.)
EPA scientist Paul Anastas said the results do not show any “enhancement of toxicity,” meaning that the mixture was not more toxic together than the oil alone, as some had anticipated. He said the decision to use dispersant “seems to be a wise decision” based on the data.
“The oil itself is the hazard that we’re concerned about, and as we said before, Enemy No. 1,” Anastas said.
That enemy, however, isn’t removed by the dispersant. It’s now dispersed throughout the water column—the effects of which we still don’t know, though Anastas said that dispersed oil biodegrades more easily.
He added that the new testing results are for short-term effects on these two sensitive species only, and do not indicate the long-term effects dispersed oil might have on the Gulf or the Gulf food chain. [...]"
Thousands in Gulf Suffer from Misdiagnosed
Skin Lesions[08/01/10]
"Exposure to chemicals, such as those being used to break down oil in the
region, like the dispersant, Corexit, may be the cause of such infections.
Corexit is an agent that has been proven to break down lipid membranes, which
cover and protect human skin. Human skin is composed of a thin layer of lipids
and Corexit, by nature, breaks down these organized barriers into smaller
individual molecules allowing the barrier to become permeable to pathogens.
The skin irritation could be caused by prolonged exposure to these chemicals
and could break down the ability of the body to fight off infection. Economic
conditions in the Gulf have left many people without health insurance, leaving
them with little recourse in terms of medical care.
[...]"
Worst Oil Spill in Midwest Raises Pipeline Concerns[07/29/10]
"The rupture of a 30-inch oil pipeline on Monday in southwestern Michigan released 20,000 barrels of thick dark sludge
that flowed into the Kalamazoo River, making it the worst oil spill in the
midwest, according to various news reports. It doesn't compare to the millions of gallons of oil currently drifting through the Gulf of Mexico. Not by a long shot: for three months, somewhere between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels were thought to be gushing into the sea every day.
But for those of us who thought we were safe from spills because we don't live along the gulf coast, it's a good time to reflect: chances are, there's a pipeline in your back yard, and you didn't know it.
Tens of thousands of miles of crude oil, natural gas, and other hydrocarbon pipelines snake across the country (the above map from the Energy Information shows pipelines and compressor stations). Over the last three years, accidents have averaged a dozen fatalities, 58 injuries, and a quarter billion dollars in damage per year, according to Department of Transportation statistics. Of course any loss of life is too much, but given how much product the pipes move, their safety record isn't all that terrible. At least, not compared to BP's of late.
The spill in Michigan has tainted the Kalamazoo River and coated fish and birds in oil (at top, Canada geese are covered in muck from the spill). It's a bad scene, no question. But containment efforts appear to be preventing oil from making the 60-mile journey to Lake Michigan, and the pipeline, owned by Houston-based Enbridge Energy Partners, has been shut off. With luck, the damage will remain mostly local.
News coverage of the spill is almost certainly amplified by the Deepwater Horizon tragedy in the gulf. But it does raise an interesting question: should we be paying attention not just to the threat of oil spills from deep water drilling, but also to the less sexy hazards posed by the vast forest of pipelines carpeting the country? [...]"
Note: Click on Map to See Large version
Plausible Oil Spill Scenario: Underground Blowout And Mudflow[07/29/10]
"In the case of the Macondo well, a UGBO could cause a seismic shift of the seafloor, and a potential astronomical increase of oil shooting to the sea surface of the Gulf, and flowing towards coastline. The seabed breach could also bring about a mud volcano and mudflow, similar to what happened in Indonesia, in the Gulf of Mexico deepwater, possibly for decades. In fact, this is the very same doomsday scenario many scientists and geologists have feared, as there are some early signs of a typical UGBO such as the reported seepage and leak. That is why BP and the U.S. government have been feverishly analyzing underwater data and monitoring the pressure. [...]"
Sen.
Merkley: BP the most reckless company in the industry[07/29/10]
"BP has moved to oust CEO Tony Hayward but the company must do more to signal they are cleaning up their act, according to one Democratic senator.
Sen. Jeff Merkley says BP has the worst record in the industry and they must replace Steve Flynn, the vice president in charge of safety, to show they are serious.
Flynn last week deflected an opportunity to take responsibility for the eleven workers that died when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded.
"So, you`re in charge of all this, right?" Sen. Al Franken asked Flynn at a Senate hearing. "You are responsible?"
"My role is to set standards, to advise executive management and those that are implementing those standards, and then to monitor trends and give advice to the executives if it's needed," replied Flynn. "But in BP, we're clear that the business line is accountable for delivering safety along with business, and safety is the first priority." [...]"
BP to take $10 billion tax write-off for cleanup[07/29/10]
"BP’s billions of dollars in tax write-offs in the US and UK will essentially shift the burden of paying for much of the cleanup and compensation onto the public. [...]"
Explosion on energy pipeline in southeast Texas[07/29/10]
"Officials are warning residents to stay inside after an explosion on an energy pipeline in southeast Texas.
The Austin County Sheriff's Office says the explosion near Sealy occurred Wednesday morning. No injuries were reported.
Officials say flow to the pipeline has been stopped and nothing appears to be leaking from it. They were monitoring air quality in the area and are still trying to determine the cause of the explosion.
Sheriff's officials also say residents should avoid creating sparks in the area. They are asking residents to avoid turning on their air conditioners or opening windows.
The Houston Chronicle reports that most roads closed after the explosion have reopened, but the streets nearest the site remain closed.
Sealy is about 50 miles west of Houston. [...]"
Oil spewing from well near Louisiana marsh[07/29/10]
"Adding insult to the Gulf's injury, an oil platform hit by a tugboat early Tuesday is now spewing oil and natural gas near a Louisiana marsh area. Boom placed around 100-foot-high plume; tugboat hit well, officials say. While there was no estimate of how much oil was gushing, officials said the mile-long slick it created was small compared with the Gulf spill. The oil and gas is shooting up 100 feet into the air, officials said, as a private contractor was called in to try to cap the well. While small in size, the spill weighed heavy on locals. "We cannot catch a break," Deano Bonano, Jefferson Parish emergency management director, said in a note to parish officials.
Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer John Edwards said a strip of oil 50 yards wide and a mile long was spotted on the water near the well, which was no longer in operation when it was hit.
Some 6,000 feet of boom were placed around the site, Thad Allen, the national incident commander for the nearby BP spill, told reporters. [...]"
Oil pipeline leak pollutes major Michigan river[07/28/10]
"Southern Michigan residents are learning that devastating oil spills aren't limited to the Gulf Coast.
Crews were working Wednesday to contain and clean up an estimated 877,000 gallons of oil that coated birds and fish as it poured into a creek and flowed into the Kalamazoo River, one of the state's major waterways.
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm toured the area by helicopter Tuesday night and said she wasn't satisfied with the response to the spill. The leak in the 30-inch pipeline, which was built in 1969 and carries about 8 million gallons of oil daily from Griffith, Ind., to
Sarnia, Ontario, was detected early Monday. [...]"
Bonnie Drops Toxic BP Rain – More Plants Dying[07/26/10]
"Early this morning here in the Florida Keys we got some rain from tropical storm Bonnie that passed just a little North of Key Largo Florida, it was not a real heavy rain just short and light.
The pictures below are of my Jasmine plant and the way it became about 2 hours or so after the rain from the tropical storm.
This plant was a healthy young plant that I have been taking good care of now for the last year and a half from when it was a small baby about 18 inches feet tall. With good care, this beautiful plant has grown to the height now of about 5 ft 8 inches tall. I have been waiting patiently for this plant to bloom with its beautiful fragrant flowers and about 2 weeks ago here was the bloom I had been waiting for. Beautiful red Jasmine…
After the rain today, these are the results from the rain on its leaves. Some leaves just crumbled and fell off on the ground. [...]"
Gulf tourism marred by BP oil spill[07/26/10]
"The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is feared to face five US states with some USD 22.7 billion of losses in their tourist revenues over the next three years. [...]"
BP Oil - Enough is Enough[07/26/10]
[9:42]
"Well done video regarding the BP oil spill's current events. [...]"
BP Hires Prison Labor to Clean Up Spill While Coastal Residents Struggle[07/25/10]
"Work crews in Grand Isle, Louisiana, still stand out. In a region where nine out of ten residents are white, the cleanup workers are almost exclusively African-American men. The racialized nature of the cleanup is so conspicuous that Ben Jealous, the president of the NAACP, sent a public letter to BP CEO Tony Hayward on July 9, demanding to know why black people were over-represented in “the most physically difficult, lowest paying jobs, with the most significant exposure to toxins.”
Hiring prison labor is more than a way for BP to save money while cleaning up the biggest oil spill in history. By tapping into the inmate workforce, the company and its subcontractors get workers who are not only cheap but easily silenced—and they get lucrative tax write-offs in the process.
Known to some as “the inmate state,” Louisiana has the highest rate of incarceration of any other state in the country. Seventy percent of its 39,000 inmates are African-American men. The Louisiana Department of Corrections (DOC) only has beds for half that many prisoners, so 20,000 inmates live in parish jails, privately run contract facilities and for-profit work release centers. Prisons and parish jails provide free daily labor to the state and private companies like BP, while also operating their own factories and farms, where inmates earn between zero and forty cents an hour. Obedient inmates, or “trustees,” become eligible for work release in the last three years of their sentences. This means they can be a part of a market-rate, daily labor force that works for private companies outside the prison gates. The advantage for trustees is that they get to keep a portion of their earnings, redeemable upon release. The advantage for private companies is that trustees are covered under Work Opportunity Tax Credit, a holdover from Bush’s Welfare to Work legislation that rewards private-sector employers for hiring risky “target groups.” Businesses earn a tax credit of $2,400 for every work release inmate they hire. On top of that, they can earn back up to 40 percent of the wages they pay annually to “target group workers.” [...]"
BP set to being drilling off Libya[07/25/10]
"British oil company BP confirmed Saturday it would begin a deepwater drilling program off the coast of Libya in a matter of weeks. [...]"
Ships return to spill site as storm abates[07/24/10]
"Ships that evacuated BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill site ahead of Tropical Storm Bonnie should be back in 24 hours as the storm breaks apart, officials said. [...]"
Censored Gulf news: People bleeding internally, millions poisoned says 'EPA whistleblower'[07/24/10]
"In its report, EPA Whistleblower Accuses Agency of Covering Up Effects of Dispersant in BP Oil Spill Cleanup, Democracy Now! states that "many lawmakers and advocacy groups say the Obama administration is not being candid about the lethal effects of dispersants," so Amy Goodman interviewed Hugh Kaufman, a senior policy analyst at the EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response and a leading critic of the decision to use
Corexit" who disclosed how the officials are lying about many things related to the catastrophe poisoning "millions of people."
The rushed transcript includes Kaufman saying, "And I think the media now has to follow the money, just as they did in Watergate, and tell the American people who’s getting money for poisoning the millions of people in the Gulf. (Emphasis added)
"While concerns over the impact of chemical dispersants continue to grow, Gulf Coast residents are outraged by a recent announcement that the $20 billion
government- administered claim fund will subtract money cleanup workers earn by working for the cleanup effort from any future claims. [...]"
Note: Remember this, from June 2010: Goldman Sachs: The Pirates of Poison in the Gulf
"Illinois-based Nalco Corporation is responsible for the Corexit 9500 chemical dispersant highlighted by experts as being 4 times more toxic than the oil that is flowing into the Gulf. Scientists in congressional hearings added that the dispersant is more toxic than other similar dispersant on the market. Naturally, whenever a major disaster takes place -- especially when major, society-altering solutions are being offered -- one needs to follow the trail of money and power to see who benefits. Sure enough, a casual search of Nalco's Web site reveals their company history; it leads right to the doorstep of Goldman Sachs.
Nalco seems to have started in 1928 Chicago and became immediately involved in both the oil industry and water treatment
facilities. 1982 seems to have been a massive turning point for the company as their Web site states, "ORS-419 is used in the tires of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The Nalco product is the only non-silicone product of its type on the market approved by the space shuttle tire's manufacturer." Thereafter, things really seem to have taken off as shown here:
...[...] Finally, in 2003, we learn who has taken the reins to lead us into the present. As their site states: "The Blackstone Group, Apollo Management L. P. and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners buy Ondeo Nalco." [...]"
Oil Spill Illnesses, Injuries Double in Past Month[07/24/10]
"Oil spill workers toiling along the Gulf Coast have suffered 1,753 illnesses and injuries, according to most recent figures from BP. That’s more than double the tally of a month ago. Records collected from April 22 through July 15 include 718 illnesses ranging from dehydration and heat exhaustion to seasickness, and 1035 injuries, mostly cuts, bruises and strains caused by accidents. On July 11, for instance, a worker slipped and caught his arm on a fish hook, which was embedded so deeply it reached the bone. Meanwhile, as of Wednesday, poison control centers had received 863 calls from people in 18 states reporting exposures to oil and dispersants, with symptoms that include headaches, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. People who called from states outside the Gulf Coast region may have been in the area to work or visit or may have family there, said a staffer with the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Another 536 people have called seeking information about the health effects of the spill, according to the poison centers. [...]"
UK:
BP accused of trying to silence science on spill[07/24/10]
"The head of the American Association of Professors accused BP Friday of trying to buy the silence of scientists and academics to protect itself after the Gulf oil spill, in a BBC interview.
"This is really one huge corporation trying to buy faculty silence in a comprehensive way," said Cary Nelson.
BP is facing lawsuits after the oil spill, which has destroyed the livelihoods of many people along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
A copy of a contract offered to scientists by BP, which the BBC said it had obtained, said scientists are not allowed to publish the research they do for the oil giant.
They are also not allowed to speak about the data for at least three years or until the government gives final approval for the company's restoration plan for the whole of the Gulf, said the British broadcaster. [...]
BP said it had hired more than a dozen scientists "with expertise in the resources of the Gulf of Mexico," according to a statement given to the BBC.
Bob Shipp, the head of marine sciences at the University of South Alabama, said BP's lawyers had approached him and wanted his whole department.
"They contacted me and said we would like to have your department interact to develop the best restoration plan possible after this oil spill," he said.
"We laid the ground rules -- that any research we did, we would have to take total control of the data, transparency and the freedom to make those data available to other scientists and subject to peer review.
"They left and we never heard back from them." Nelson warned BP's actions could be "hugely destructive".
"Our ability to evaluate the disaster and write public policy and make decisions about it as a country can be impacted by the silence of the research scientists who are looking at conditions," he said.
"It's hugely destructive. I mean at some level, this is really BP versus the people of the United
States. [...]"
Technician: Deepwater Horizon Warning System Disabled[07/24/10]
"Long before an eruption of gas turned the Deepwater Horizon oil rig into a fireball, an alarm system designed to alert the crew and prevent combustible gases from reaching potential sources of ignition had been deliberately disabled, the former chief electronics technician on the rig testified Friday. [...]"
Fishermen on strike against BP[07/24/10]
"Gulf fishermen employed as cleanup workers walked off the job on Tuesday in protest against BP’s decision to force them to sleep on quarter ships known as “flotels” without pay. [...]"
Deepwater Horizon workers knew of problems before explosion[07/24/10]
"Two internal Transocean reports reveal that Deepwater Horizon workers were well aware of mechanical and safety problems aboard the rig, but they feared reprisal should they speak out. [...]"
Documentary: Gasland[07/23/10]
"The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of
"fracking" or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a "Saudia Arabia of natural gas" just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown." [...]"
Note: Thanks to Dick Cheney, oil and gas companies are
EXEMPT from environmental pollution.
Riki
Ott: ‘We need to start talking about who’s going to pay for evacuation”[07/23/10]
"When Louisiana residents ask marine toxicologist and community activist Riki Ott what she would do if she lived in the Gulf with children, she tells them she would leave immediately. “It’s that bad. We need to start talking about who’s going to pay for evacuations.”
In 1989, Ott, who lives in Cordova, Alaska, experienced firsthand the devastating effects of the Exxon Valdex oil disaster. For the past two months, she’s been traveling back and forth between Louisiana and Florida to gather information about what’s really happening and share the lessons she learned about long-term illnesses and deaths of cleanup workers and residents. In late May, she began meeting people in the Gulf with symptoms like headaches, dizziness, sore throats, burning eyes, rashes and blisters that are do deep, they’re leaving scars. People are asking, “What’s happening to me?”
She says the culprit is almost two million gallons of Corexit, the dispersant BP is using to break up and hide the oil below the ocean’s surface. “It’s an industrial solvent. It’s a degreaser. It’s chewing up boat engines off-shore. It’s chewing up dive gear on-shore. Of course it’s chewing up people’s skin. The doctors are saying the solvents are making the oil worse.” [...]"
Note:Video clip[4:31]
Three
of every four oil and gas lobbyists worked for federal government[07/23/10]
"Three out of every four lobbyists who represent oil and gas companies
previously worked in the federal government, a proportion that far exceeds the
usual revolving-door standards on Capitol Hill, a Washington Post analysis
shows. [...]"
Commentary:Plans
for Gulf Equipment Evacuation Because of Storm[07/22/10]
"An evacuation is expected to delay by up to two weeks the final operation to plug BP's runaway well, which has unleashed millions of barrels of crude on Gulf Coast shorelines in one of America's worst ever environmental disasters. [...]"
Note: No word on evacuation of coastal residents ... a
storm whipping up the oil lake on the bottom of the gulf could sicken millions
... Nero fiddles while Rome burns.
Ocean Energy Institute Founder Says New Hurricane Will Require Gulf Evacuation
"The U.S. National Hurricane Center has warned that a weather system near Cuba, centered between islands of Acklins and Great
Inagua, may move into the Gulf of Mexico this weekend, reports Bloomberg this morning. “I am still worried about how it will move the oil slick into the coastal areas of Louisiana and Mississippi,” meteorologist Jim Rouiller said.
In response to the approach of the tropical cyclone, BP workers in the Gulf of Mexico have stopped drilling a relief well and are preparing to evacuate, reports the BBC. On Wednesday, National Incident Commander Thad Allen said a tropical storm in the area could push back the timetable 10 to 14 days.
Matthew Simmons, founder of the Ocean Energy Institute, told Bloomberg on Wednesday that a leak near the Deepwater Horizon site may require an evacuation of the Gulf coast if a hurricane strikes the area. “Some five to ten miles away is what the NOAA research vessels have proved is a deep oil leak that is growing by the day and it is very toxic oil and its gases are very lethal and basically if we have a hurricane now we need to evacuate the Gulf coast,” Simmons said.
Simmons also said BP has covered up the severity of the oil gusher and if they had told the truth “they would all go to jail.” [...]"
Commentary:Matt Simmons: "Unfortunately, we now have killed the Gulf of Mexico"[07/22/10]
[7:02]
"Matthew Simmons, founder of the Ocean Energy Institute, talks with Bloomberg's Mark Crumpton, Lizzie O'Leary and Julie Hyman about BP Plc's oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. [...]"
Judge halts drilling in the Arctic[07/22/10]
" A federal judge in Alaska says the government failed to consider the environmental effects that oil and gas drilling would have on the Arctic. [...]"
Securing Uganda’s Oil Industry Urged But Repeat Terrorist Attacks Seen As Slim[07/22/10]
"... The oil industry has not been singled out as a target, but “one would naturally assume that it would be one of the areas that terrorists would look at,” warned Peter Pham, senior vice president of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, a New York-based think tank. The bombings underscore that the Ugandan government and its regional and international partners, both public and private, need to “perhaps devote more thought and resources to protecting the infrastructure that has been or is in the process of being built,” he said. He was referring to a reverse-flow pipeline between Uganda and Kenya and other construction underway. [...]"
BP Had Blow Out Preventer Modified in China to Save Money[07/21/10]
"BP ordered the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig, whose explosion led to the worst environmental disaster in US history, to overhaul a crucial piece of the rig’s safety equipment in China, the Observer has learnt. The blow-out preventer – the last line of defence against an out-of-control well – subsequently failed to [...]"
Judge Who Nixed
Moratorium On Drilling Won't Recuse Himself[07/21/10]
The federal judge who barred the Obama administration's 6-month moratorium on offshore drilling refused to recuse himself. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and several environmental groups claimed that even though U.S. District
Judge Martin Feldman had sold some of his energy stock before presiding over the hearing on the moratorium, Feldman "owns and/or recently has owned an interest in several companies that comprise part of the network that supports the Gulf's oil and gas industry," and should step down. [...]"
BP Attorney: Rig Had 390 Overdue Maintenance Items[07/21/10]
"In the past 24 hours, much of the attention paid to the BP oil saga has been focused on the well’s leaks and seeps, but some pretty enlightening hearings are happening this week just outside of New Orleans.
In Monday's hearing before a joint panel from the Coast Guard and the Bureau of Ocean Energy (formerly the Minerals Management Service), Richard Godfrey, a lawyer for BP, testified that a September 2009 audit showed there was “overdue planned maintenance considered excessive—390 jobs amounting to 3,545 man hours.” [...]"
Official: 'Severe Threat' as China Oil Spill Grows[07/21/10]
"China's largest reported oil spill more than doubled in size to 165 sq. miles (430 sq. kilometers) by Wednesday, forcing nearby beaches to close and prompting one official to warn of a "severe threat" to sea life and water quality.
The oil slick started spreading five days ago when a pipeline at a busy northeastern port exploded, sparking a massive fire that took more than 15 hours to contain. Hundreds of boats have been deployed to help with the cleanup. [...]"
Oil expert Simmons insists ‘20 million people are entrapped in harm’s way’[07/20/10]
Note: "Oil industry insider Matt Simmons blew the whistle on the made-for-TV capping of the so-called oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico Thursday, July 15, during an interview on KPFK radio, the NPR station in Los Angeles.
Simmons, former energy adviser to the second President Bush, explained that according to his reading of the data from
NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, capping of the so-called riser and the subsequent announcement by U.S. President Obama was “the biggest con job we’ve ever seen.”
Simmons, creator of an investment bank catering to oil companies, told radio host Ian Masters that the real problem continuing to gush oil into the Gulf was not the 6-inch “riser” that apparently has been capped amid much TV hoopla, but that an open hole or cauldron perhaps up to 10 miles distant from where British Petroleum’s cameras are focused which continues to spew 120,000 BARRELS per day, and that BP’s much publicized effort to drill relief wells in what the company says is an effort to stop the flow of oil is nothing but a cynical publicity stunt.
“The dimensions of this lie are beyond belief,” said Simmons, explaining that the idea of a relief well is “tricky at best,” since trying to hit a pipe of less than a foot in diameter 35,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf may be entirely futile because the casing of the original pipe is not even there, having blown away at some point.
But Simmons noted that both BP and Obama continue to deny that this open hole, or cauldron, even exists, even though Simmons and others insist the NOAA data from satellites prove by speed of flow and depth of light that the amount of oil that has been flowing through the on-camera riser could not possibly account for the amount of oil that has spilled into the Gulf.
“The riser is totally irrelevant,” Simmons stressed, adding “and there’s no way to cap the open hole.” He explained that BP continues to deny the open hole exists and theorizes the continuing flow of oil into the Gulf is really just the residue from what has already been spilled during the first 90 days of the disaster.
“There is denial that there’s even a problem,” Simmons said. “In about a month or two people will realize that this actually was the biggest con job we’ve ever seen.”
Simmons also noted an additional danger. “What the researchers now believe is that basically is that between 4000 and 4500 below the ocean floor lies an oil lake that’s somewhere between 100 and 120 miles wide and it’s about 4500 feet deep. It’s this toxic waste and crude and it’s releasing methane gases that are absolutely lethal which is why all the fish and dolphins and sharks and whales are dying. And workers too, which is why so many have gotten sick, or maybe really sick.
We do know that Matt Simmons is a member of The Council on Foreign Relations and so far it has been very hard to tell if he is a shill or an angry former member."
Radio host Masters asked, “When do we get the truth?” Simmons responded, “Basically the walls are starting to cave in on BP. there are only so many things you can make up.”
“But here’s the really scary thing,” Simmons told the Pacifica radio audience. “If we have a storm, let alone a hurricane, what hurricanes basically do is they churn up cold water
from the base of the Gulf. This time it’s not going to be cold water, it’s going to be black poisonous crude. It will also shut down the 18 power plants along the Gulf Coast.
“So we’re going to entrap 20 million people in harm’s way.”
Videos confirm additional leaks reported in seabed near capped well[07/19/10]
"When BP announced they had successfully capped the well and stopped the flow of oil that has been gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico since April 20, several scientists and industry experts were skeptical. It appears their skepticism has been confirmed by recent reports and videos that show oil and methane gas leaking from the seabed. [...]"
Commentary:The
Gulf Well Is Still Leaking[07/18/10]
"Common sense (and engineering) will tell you that if you have a pipe with leaks, putting a cap on one leak simply drives the oil out the other leaks. From an environmental perspective this makes no sense, because the oil is still leaking out of the well, just in a different place. Of greater concern is that the oil can flow out into the surrounding rocks the way the mud did during the failed Top Kill procedure, forming what is called a
subsurface blowout. This is a huge bubble of oil inside the rock. The danger is if the bubble ruptures and the oil collected over 80 days of leakage rushed to the surface of the gulf all at once. Such a surge of oil could easily engulf and founder the surface ships.
Capping a well with known leaks below the surface really serves only one purpose, and that is to present to the media video images showing
" the well is capped", so that they can reassure the public the problem is over and please vote Democratic-or-you-are-just-being-a-racist.
But the hard reality being withheld from the public is that the problem is not fixed. The leak has not been stopped, it has just been moved out of sight. The camera feed of the capped well head will be shown constantly to assure Americans that all is well and lull us back to a useful torpor. No other views from around the well will be allowed.
Except that the cat is already out of the bag! [...]" Related: Admiral Allen Orders Well Opened, BP Says It Will Keep Well Closed
"BP will keep the cap closed until it fears the well is at risk, Operations Chief Doug Suttles said in a conference call this morning.
This contradicts orders from Admiral Allen to open the well and begin siphoning oil -- to avoid a possible pressure-buildup.
So who's behind the wheel? And is BP about to take a huge risk?
" [...]"
Note: Time will tell.
BP accused of 'buying academic silence'[07/17/10]
"BP has sought to 'buy' the best scientists and academics to aid its defence against litigation in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the head of an academic group says. [...]"
Note: There is no credible defense possible. Related:
BP buys up Gulf scientists for legal
defense[07/17/10]
"For the last few weeks, BP has been offering signing bonuses and lucrative pay to prominent scientists from public universities around the Gulf Coast to aid its defense against spill litigation.
BP PLC attempted to hire the entire marine sciences department at one Alabama university, according to scientists involved in discussions with the company's lawyers. The university declined because of confidentiality restrictions that the company sought on any research.
The Press-Register obtained a copy of a contract offered to scientists by BP. It prohibits the scientists from publishing their research, sharing it with other scientists or speaking about the data that they collect for at least the next three years.
"We told them there was no way we would agree to any kind of restrictions on the data we collect. It was pretty clear we wouldn't be hearing from them again after that," said Bob Shipp, head of marine sciences at the University of South Alabama. "We didn't like the perception of the university representing BP in any fashion." [...]" BP Paying Off Universities And Gulf Scientists In Mass To Hide Oil Spill Research Data From The Public[07/19/10]
"If the people of the Gulf have had one advocate throughout the BP Gulf Oil Spill it has been the scientific community. They have not been afraid to step and challenge BP and The Federal Government over the existence of underwater plumes, the dangers of the dispersants BP is using, or the safety of Gulf waters. The scientific community has sounded the alarm on skyrocketing arsenic levels in the Gulf while the Government has kept quiet and has exposed the improper BP cleanup practices that are contaminating Gulf beaches. Scientist have come forward to reveal the real location of the oil spill, exposed the lies about oil and methane plumes, and have alerted the public to severely low-balled flow rates. The list goes on and on. However those days may soon becoming to an end. A startling new report from the Alabama Register reveals BP is trying to buy up Gulf scientists and Universities in mass to prevent them from releasing research data to the public. [...]
Drilling Company Says It Will List Hazardous Chemicals Used in Fracking[07/17/10]
"One of the largest gas drillers in the Marcellus Shale has announced that it will disclose the chemicals it uses in its Pennsylvania wells. The company, Range Resources, said it will display the list on its website, giving regulators and landowners an account of the hazardous chemicals injected into each well.
Last month, Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection made public a list of more than 80 chemicals used by the drilling industry. But the Range list, first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday night, goes a step further because it includes the volume, concentration and purpose of the chemicals.
Range's disclosure will help health specialists and regulators determine whether the drilling is polluting drinking-water supplies, said Deborah Goldberg, an attorney at
Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law firm. But she said the list is just a first step, because it will include only chemicals that are deemed hazardous to workplace safety by federal authorities. She said it won't necessarily include chemicals that may harm aquatic ecosystems or drinking water.
"It does not by any stretch of the imagination cover what most people would consider to be hazardous," Goldberg said.
The drilling industry combines chemicals with water and sand and injects the mixture into wells to break apart shale and release natural gas, a process called hydraulic fracturing, or
fracking. Drilling companies have been slow to disclose the chemicals they use, which sometimes include toxic chemicals such as toluene and naphthalene, which is listed by the EPA as a possible carcinogen.
In September, Range CEO John Pinkerton joined another drilling executive in calling on his industry to release this information. The executives blamed the companies that produce the chemical mixes for preventing such disclosure out of proprietary concerns. [...]"
Disperant Hearings – Nalco Refuses Invitation – 1.8 million Gallons so Far[07/17/10]
"On July 15th, Senator Barbara Mikulski chaired a hearing on the use of the dispersant known as Corexit9500. She stated that there has been close to 2 million gallons of Corexit sprayed throughout the Gulf. Nalco, the company making millions from the use of a known neurotoxin, refused to attend the hearing. Not only is Nalco unconcerned by the obvious health effects related to Corexit9500, they apparently do not find it necessary to attend a hearing regarding the dangers of their product.
EPA administrator, Lisa Jackson was quoted as saying, “the EPA is dedicated to keeping the people of the Gulf safe.” The EPA has no actual control over use of
Corexit, this falls under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard. The Admirals who control the operation, report directly to DHS. That being said, The Environmental Protection Agency has the ability to publicly DEMAND that the parties involved immediately stop their use of dispersant. “The long term effects of the dispersant on wildlife are unknown.
Lisa Jackson went on to explain the Good News.“We have yet to see an adverse effect on the environment or wildlife from the use of dispersant.” This claim is absolutely ridiculous and shows just how criminal the EPA really is. Apparently, the EPA is unaware of the video proof that has flooded the internet during the last two months. Multiple videos have documented dead plants and hundreds, if not thousands of people are currently sick.
During the Exxon Valdez spill, 250,000 gallons of dispersant was used. So far, over 1.8 million gallons of toxic dispersant, has been applied to the Gulf oil spill. [...]"
Impacts of Oil Dispersants Unknown; Senators Demand Research[07/17/10]
"In the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the Environmental Protection Agency admits it was unprepared and unaware of potential threats from the use of dispersants to break up oil and prevent it from reaching shore. "We need more research," Lisa Jackson, head of the EPA, told a Senate panel Thursday. "We need more information on all dispersants, and that is not only a BP problem. That is something that I believe needs to come out of this issue." Robinson said he was interested in learning about other countries' regulations regarding the use of dispersants, but just had yet to find out. "Dr. Robinson, I want you more than interested," said Sen. Barbara Mikulski,
D-Md. "Sir, I need NOAA on the edge of their chair. I need a sense of urgency here. We're going to fund the research. We have a sense of urgency. We need you to have that urgency" Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, echoed the dangers of dispersants. "We have been engaged in a scientific experiment," Cook said. "This is an unnatural catastrophe. We didn't plan for it. And as a consequence, we don't have basic answers. We walked into this almost completely blind, almost completely unprepared to understand the impact of the use of these dispersants on human beings, the marine environment and the long-term health of the Gulf and beyond." [...]"
BP burned 11.3mn gallons of leaked oil[07/17/10]
"BP has burned off more than 270,000 barrels (11.3 million gallons) of oil during its recovery operation in the Gulf of Mexico over the past three months. [...]"
Note: What's the "carbon footprint" for that?
Well, Al Gore, what is it?
Both Relief Well Blowout Preventers FAIL; Shear ram would not close, other testing problems[07/17/10]
"U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a memorandum that problems were identified “in recent weeks” with blowout preventers on BP Plc’s relief wells…
In a 29-page memo to Michael Bromwich, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement
(BOEMRE) dated Monday, Salazar said “performance problems” with the blowout preventers were found…
Salazar said in the memo that the discovery provided “more evidence that prior testing requirements were inadequate.” …
Transocean spokesman Guy Cantwell said in an email that the issues with the blowout preventers for the relief wells were now resolved. … [...]"
Rep. Markey says Congress unable to “PUBLICLY disclose” integrity of wellbore[07/17/10]
""And, again, I wrote back there on June 23, so that we could publicly disclose what the integrity of the wellbore is, we could publicly disclose what the integrity of the geology around the
wellbore, so that we could better understand. …" Markey all but confirms that the government has knowledge of the condition of the
wellbore, but is not permitted to release the information publicly. Markey’s wrote the June 23 letter to pressure BP to publicly disclose the problems with the
wellbore. This would have allowed the information to be released without Markey doing it directly.
However, the questions raised in his letter serves to inform the public about what Congress does know about the condition of the well, without directly stating the information as fact. [...]"
Government Asked BP To Stop Work Out Of Caution[07/14/10]
"The plan to start choking off oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico was suddenly halted as government officials and BP said further analysis must be done Wednesday before critical tests could proceed.
No explanation was given for the decision, and no date was set for when testing would begin on the new, tighter-fitting cap BP installed on the blown-out well Monday.
In the meantime, oil continued spewing into the Gulf. [...]"
Video: Presidential committee probing BP spill meets[07/13/10]
The bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling
held its second meeting in Louisiana. (NBC News[...]"
They only gave three hours notice to the whole Gulf coast that this meeting,
held on a weekday, was happening.
Psychopaths in the Gulf[07/13/10]
"We have never faced anything like what we are facing today. Most of us have planned our lives in terms of a world that is quickly disappearing and we have not set new sails based on the prevailing winds that will blow across our future bows. What will surprise most people is the fact that our true enemies are not terrorists in far away countries but psychopaths that walk among us and populate corporate boardrooms, banks and government chambers.
We have not learned what to do about the world’s psychopaths so we will see our civilization ripped asunder. Psychopaths and sociopaths have little choice but to hurt others as well as the environment because it is in their very nature to do so. These vicious individuals and the institutions they manage are at war with the peoples of the world and there is little defense against them. The very nature of our civilization encourages these people to seek the pinnacles of power and they certainly found just that inside the oil companies.
They aren’t that rare. In fact millions of people are ‘psychopathic enough’ to destroy other people’s lives. [...]
The concept of “corporate psychopaths” is an emerging realization and has been described by Dr. Robert Hare who is a world-renowned psychiatrist and professor at the University of British Columbia. The 2008 Australian documentary, I, Psychopath, points out that the vast majority of psychopaths are not crazed axe murderers: “Most of them function incognito in high-powered professions, all the way to the very top.” These are people who have no conscience. They are described as being manipulative, charming, glib, deceptive, parasitic, irresponsible, selfish, callous, promiscuous, impulsive, antisocial, and aggressive. Their main defect—what psychologists call “severe emotional detachment” or a total lack of empathy and remorse—is concealed and harder to describe than the symptoms of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.”"
Oil companies complicit in Sudan civil war, report alleges[07/13/10]
"The European Coalition on Oil in Sudan (ECOS)—a group of 50 European Non Governmental
Organisations —recently released a report, “Unpaid debt: The legacy of
Lundin, Petronas and OMV in Sudan, 1997-2003”. It alleges that an oil consortium led by Swedish firm Lundin Petroleum (and including Petronas of Malaysia, OMV of Austria and the Sudanese state oil company
Sudapet) may have been complicit in “war crimes and crimes against humanity” in Sudan. [...]"
China Boosts Oil Imports to New Record[07/13/10]
"China, the world’s second-biggest oil consumer, increased net crude-oil imports to a record in June... [...]"
Pro-Publica
Focus: Buried Secrets: Gas Drilling's Environmental Threat[07/13/10]
"Vast deposits of natural gas have brought a drilling boom across much of the country, but the technique being used, called hydraulic fracturing, is suspected of causing hundreds of cases of water contamination. Now environmentalists and lawmakers are pushing for closer oversight of the gas industry, which is pushing back.
57 Stories in the Series, so far.
Pro-Publica Focus: Gulf Oil
Disaster[07/13/10]
"ProPublica is tracking the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the largest in U.S. history. We have focused on BP’s safety and cost-cutting record, environmental and health effects of the spill, the efforts at cleanup, and how it all is affecting workers and the communities in the region.
121 Stories in the Series, so far.
Gas Drilling: The Story So Far[07/13/10]
"The country's push to find clean domestic energy has zeroed in on natural gas, but cases of water contamination have raised serious questions about the primary drilling method being used.
Vast deposits of natural gas, large enough to supply the country for decades, have brought a drilling boom stretching across 31 states. The drilling technique being used, called
hydraulic fracturing (or "fracking"), shoots water, sand and toxic chemicals into the ground to break up rock and release the gas. The Environmental Protection Agency has declared the process to be safe, but water contamination has been reported in more than a thousand places where drilling is happening. Gas companies, exempt from federal laws protecting water supplies, may conceal the identities of their chemicals as trade secrets, making it difficult to determine the cause of contamination.
The EPA is now conducting a deeper study of the drilling, New York state has blocked drilling in New York City’s watershed, and lawmakers are pushing for closer oversight of the industry. The industry -- in the form of millions of dollars spent on lobbying, a slew of court cases, and a robust public relations campaign -- is pushing back
. [...]" Broad Scope of EPA’s Fracturing Study Raises Ire of Gas Industry
BP Whistleblower: 'What This Company Is Doing To This Country Right Now Is Just Wrong'[07/13/10]
[0:33] "Former BP contractor Adam Dillon tells WDSU that "cutthroat individuals" are running the spill response for BP, and "the bottom line is just about money."
"I will never have loyalty to this company." the former Special Operations soldier said. "I will always have loyalty to my country. And my country comes first. What this company is doing to this country right now is just wrong." [...]"
BP ‘cuts payments to 40,000′ over incomplete claims forms[07/12/10]
"BP plans to reduce payments to some 40,000 oil-spill claimants, potentially making life more difficult for individuals and businesses affected by the Gulf oil spill, a Louisiana official has said.
The Associated Press reports that Louisiana's secretary for children and family services, Kristy Nichols, found "a significant cut in daily payments" during a recent review of claims against BP, which appears to be related to incomplete forms.
In a letter to Ken Feinberg, the federal administrator of the oil spill claims process, Nichols wrote that it was "rash" of BP to cut payments to 40,000 of the 99,000 claims filed so far. [...]"
MSM:Obama, EPA Unfriendly to Scientists, Ignore Corexit Warnings[07/12/10]
"A culture of politics trumping science, many say, persists despite the president’s promises. The use of potentially toxic dispersants to fight the gulf oil spill is cited as just one example.
When he ran for president, Barack Obama attacked the George W. Bush administration for putting political concerns ahead of science on such issues as climate change and public health. And during his first weeks in the White House, President Obama ordered his advisors to develop rules to “guarantee scientific integrity throughout the executive branch.”
Many government scientists hailed the president’s pronouncement. But a year and a half later, no such rules have been issued. Now scientists charge that the Obama administration is not doing enough to reverse a culture that they contend allowed officials to interfere with their work and limit their ability to speak out.
“We are getting complaints from government scientists now at the same rate we were during the Bush administration,” said Jeffrey
Ruch, an activist lawyer who heads an organization representing scientific whistle-blowers.
White House officials, however, said they remained committed to protecting science from interference and that proposed guidelines would be forwarded to Obama in the near future.
But interviews with several scientists — most of whom requested anonymity because they feared retaliation in their jobs — as well as reviews of e-mails provided by Ruch and others show a wide range of complaints during the Obama presidency…..
The most immediate case of politics allegedly trumping science, some government and outside environmental experts said, was the decision to fight the gulf oil spill with huge quantities of potentially toxic chemical dispersants despite advice to examine the dangers more thoroughly. [...]"
Related:Amount Of Neurotoxin Pesticide Corexit Sprayed By BP Tops 1 Million Gallons
|Leaked Corexit Information
Commentary:
Evidence Indicates Gulf of Mexico Oil Disaster Was Engineered And Prolonged By Design[07/11/10]
"The BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is obviously a situation of unprecedented proportions. Even worse is that there is a great deal of evidence to indicate that this event was an engineered conspiracy. Even if one is not convinced of a conspiracy it is at the very least obvious that the U.S. government and the corporate media are not giving the general public a full picture of what’s going on.
First, a number of powerful players conveniently had the foresight to dump large numbers of BP shares prior to the event which began on April 20th 2010. This saved them from the substantial loss in value of BP shares that occurred after the event.
Goldman Sachs sold 44% of its shares in BP just prior to when this disaster began.
BP’s CEO Tony Hayward sold a large chunk of his BP shares a few weeks before the spill.
Both Wachovia and UBS also sold a large block of their BP shares before the spill.
Second, Halliburton which had been responsible for servicing the oil rig involved in this disaster purchased Boots and Coots a company specializing in extinguishing oil well and oil rig fires just days prior to the incident. Halliburton was also involved in conducting a cementing operation on the oil rig just 20 hours before it went up in flames. BP would eventually hire Boots and Coots to work with them on containing the oil spill.
Third, Peter Sutherland a member of powerful globalist organizations such as the Trilateral Commission and the Bilderberg Group has held high level positions at both Goldman Sachs and BP. It is highly probable that he played a role in Goldman Sachs decision to dump a large chunk of their BP shares prior to the disaster considering he has maintained an affiliation with both institutions. Conveniently the Trilateral Commission’s web-site removed his bio page from their web site but it is still available via the Way Back Machine here. There it details his role at both BP and Goldman Sachs.
Fourth, this disaster is now conveniently ..... [...] "
Note: There is another observation that is interesting: "Many important historical events involving a significant amount of deaths have occurred on either April 19th or April 20th and more generally from April 19th till May 1st. This has led many to believe that the priest class elite see this as an important period of time to stage events which are in actuality blood sacrifice rituals. Officially, the oil rig explosion of April 20th 2010 resulted in the deaths of 11 people. Other recent events that have occurred on either April 19th or April 20th include the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, the slaughter of the Branch Davidians in Waco in 1993 and the Columbine school shooting incident in 1999. On April 19th 1775 the first battles of the Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord took place. In recognition of these battles, this day is now observed in Massachusetts as Patriots Day and is officially observed on the third Monday of the month of April. Even more interesting, is that the Virginia Tech Massacre which resulted in the death of 33 people including the shooter by way of suicide took place on April 16th 2007 which also happened to coincide with the date Massachusetts observed Patriots Day that year. April 20th is even Adolf Hilter’s birthday. April 20th is also the 110th day of the year and the 111th day on leap years which is a very interesting numerological connotation."
2400 Canadian Soldiers on 72 Hour Notice For Gulf Deployment[07/11/10]
"2400 Canadian Soldiers and the 1 Combat Engineer Regiment based in Edmonton Alberta are on a 72 Hour notice for deployment to the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG) frequently train with U.S. Army units including up to a 3 year secondment in the U.S. Military for Career Officers. The Canadian Engineer Regiment is often associated with the British SAS and their role in recent conflicts such as Bosnia and Afghanistan has seen them doing less reconstruction work and more urban pacification and counter insurgency operations.
Canada and the U.S. have signed an agreement that paves the way for the militaries from either nation to send troops across each other’s borders during an emergency, but some are questioning why the Harper government has kept silent on the deal.
Neither the Canadian government nor the Canadian Forces announced the new agreement, which was signed Feb. 14 in Texas [...]"
Note: The BP disaster at the well was already underway in
February .... the rig blew up April 20 ....
Obama To Open Up 1.8 Million Alaskan Acres To Oil Drilling[07/11/10]
"The Interior Department is offering oil and gas leases on 1.8 million acres of Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve while promising to protect critical migratory bird and caribou habitat. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says the Bureau of Land Management will offer 190 tracts with bids to be opened Aug. 11 in Anchorage. The sale is one of dozens, mostly in Western states, that Salazar announced in November. [...]"
Note: Nuts.
The Government's Catastrophic Response to the Oil Disaster[07/10/10]
"... In conclusion: • We have learned that the oil could have been skimmed early on so that very little—if any—would have reached shore.
• BP failed to follow established industry procedures and made several consecutive major errors which caused the blowout. This was not a reason to stop all drilling.
• Revamping Minerals Management in the middle of a crisis has created a catastrophe in the Gulf that permitted the government to shut down continuing operations, even in the shallow waters where Obama previously said drilling would still be allowed.
Wanting—or creating—scarcity has always been a part of the leftist agenda, on the theory that scarcities create the need for government allocation and control. One of the greatest threats of the current situation is that environmental extremists will use it as a justification to further their misguided agenda. [...]"
Pipeline Geopolitics: The Russia German Nord Stream Strategic Gas Pipeline[07/09/10]
"South Stream gas pipeline will transport Russian gas to western Europe, bypassing Ukraine, where Washington in recent years has expended considerable effort to push the country into an anti-Russian pro-NATO position.
Completion of South Stream would weld a major geopolitical bond between the countries of the EU, Central Europe and Russia, something that would represent for Washington a geopolitical nightmare. US policy since World War II has been to dominate western Europe first by fanning the Cold War with the Soviet Union, and after 1990, by extending NATO eastwards to the borders of Russia. An increasingly independent western Europe turning east rather than across the Atlantic, could spell a major defeat for continued US “sole Superpower” domination. [...]"
Opposition to Canada pipeline grows[07/09/10]
"TransCanada Corp.'s proposed pipeline from Alberta to American oil refineries on the Gulf of Mexico is facing more opposition.
[...]"
The view from the center of catastrophe[07/08/10]
Video clip [2:38]
"NBC's Kerry Sanders gets an exclusive look on board the Discovery Enterprise, one of the ships charged with containing oil at the scene of the Gulf spill disaster (Nightly News) [...]"
Mexico is now claiming to need help with oil damage ...
Death & Doom in the Gulf[07/08/10]
"The very survival of our energy-centric civilization increasingly relies on supplies obtained from risky locations – deep underground, far at sea, north of the Arctic Circle, etc. Our civilization gave rise to the Gulf oil disaster. Happily leading the effort for over a hundred years were the big oil companies who have created dead zones – with the help of their pharmaceutical and chemical friends – all over the planet. The richest and most elitist of the elite have had their fingers deep in oil for a long time. But it looks like they have outdone themselves in the Gulf with something they cannot fix, or, as we will see to our horror, don’t want to fix. [...]"
Analysis:
Whispers Become Louder; Potential For Gulf Evacuations?[07/08/10]
"According to Matt Smith of Project Gulf Impact, the situation in the Gulf is quickly deteriorating. Matt Smith and his crew have been working on a feature length film documenting the Gulf oil crisis. In their travels during the past three weeks they have witnessed many different events such as two different types of sand on the beaches, where BP has attempted to cover up the oil stained and Corexit covered beaches.
“There are whispers that are becoming louder, people in the area are talking about evacuations” Matt was quoted as saying in a radio interview on Intel Hub Radio. Others such as Greg
Evensen, a former state trooper with many insider contacts, have been quoted as saying, “evacuations are imminent.” As the situation compounds and there is no end in sight, evacuations seem like the only viable option. [...]"
Exposé:
BP
Dumping Oil Waste in Mississippi Landfills, Over County Objections[07/08/10]
[2:13]
"Pecan Grove, Harrison County, Mississippi: Harrison County Supervisor Connie
Rocko: Despite literally MILLIONS of ideas being floated by private citizens, non-profit groups, and foreign countries on how to clean up and contain the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, BP decided they would rather fill American landfills with their mess. BP refuses to even consider ideas on how to handle the situation, many of which have been proven to be effective and successful. Harrison County leaders do not approve but BP is still dumping in local landfills and local residents and officials are preparing subpoenas... demanding BP appear before their Harrison County Board of Supervisors. [...]"
Note: Plenty of links to related clips on the page.
Some BP Gas Stations Switch Brands: 'It's Either Change Or Go Out Of Business'[07/08/10]
"Some independent owners of BP gas stations in Michigan say they have switched or are trying to switch brands amid customer boycotts sparked by the continuing Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Abdel Berry, who owns three BP stations in the Detroit area, is converting two of them to the Sunoco brand. Berry said business is down at one location from 800 gallons to 500 gallons a day.
"It's either change or go out of business," he told the Detroit Free Press for a story Wednesday. [...]"
Enviro groups stunned that govt ignoring 27K wells[07/08/10]
"Leading environmental groups and a U.S. senator on Wednesday called on the government to pay closer attention to more than 27,000 abandoned oil and gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico and take action to keep them from leaking even more crude into water already tainted by the massive BP spill.
The calls for action follow an Associated Press investigation that found federal regulators do not typically inspect plugging of these offshore wells or monitor for leaks afterward. Yet tens of thousands of oil and gas wells are improperly plugged on land, and abandoned wells have sometimes leaked offshore too, state and federal regulators acknowledge.
Melanie Duchin, a spokeswoman with Greenpeace, said she was “shell-shocked” by the AP report and upset that government wasn’t “doing a thing to make sure they weren’t leaking.”
Of 50,000 wells drilled over the past six decades in the Gulf, 23,500 have been permanently abandoned. Another 3,500 are classified by federal regulators as “temporarily abandoned,” but some have been left that way since the 1950s, without the full safeguards of permanent abandonment.
Petroleum engineers say that even in properly sealed wells, the cement plugs can fail over the decades and the metal casing that lines the wells can rust. Even depleted production wells can repressurize over time and spill oil if their sealings fail. [...]" Related: Gulf of Mexico awash with 27,000 abandoned wells
"More than 27,000 abandoned oil and gas wells lurk in the hard rock beneath the Gulf of Mexico, an environmental minefield that has been ignored for decades. No one - not industry, not government - is checking to see if they are leaking, an Associated Press investigation shows. [...]"
Censorship and cover-up in the Gulf oil disaster[07/07/10]
"The Obama administration has intensified its cover-up of the BP oil disaster. On July 1 it issued an order barring the public and the news media from coming within 65 feet of clean-up operations without permission from the Coast Guard. The transparent aim of the order, which purports to protect the safety of clean-up workers, is to prevent the population from viewing the devastation wrought by the BP oil blowout.
The gag order states that that anyone not authorized by the Coast Guard “must not come within 20 meters [65 feet] of booming operations, boom, or oil spill response operations under penalty of law.” The wording—“oil spill response
operations” —could be construed as covering the entire affected region, which stretches from the Mississippi Delta to the Florida Panhandle. [...]"
US demands notice of BP dealings[07/07/10]
"The US government asks troubled oil giant BP to tell it of any major asset sales or merger deals in advance. [...]"
Related:Foreign firms vying for BP takeover
"A sharp drop in BP's market value has triggered a fierce competition among foreign energy firms to take over the energy giant, a senior analyst has told Press TV. [...]" TNK-BP eyes BP assets[07/01/10]
"Russian oil venture TNK-BP may be interested in acquiring assets from its
British counterparts at BP if a sale is offered, TNK-BP executives said.
[...]" UK: Vultures circle BP over fears its days are numbered in US
"In the past an almost double-digit percentage increase in the BP share price would have signalled a spectacular oil strike. It is a measure of the decline in the company's fortunes that such a surge was triggered by hopes of a takeover or break-up.
The company's stock soared 9% to 331p at one point as a growing list of companies from China to Russia were linked with potential mega-mergers that could see the end of independence for what was once Britain's biggest firm. [...]"
Perhaps 60% of today’s oil price is pure speculation’by F. William Engdahl[07/06/10]
"The price of crude oil today is not made according to any traditional relation of supply to demand. It’s controlled by an elaborate financial market system as well as by the four major Anglo-American oil companies. [...]"
British Empire Calls on Arab Gulf States to Bail Out BP[07/06/10]
"The Empire is calling on its Arab oil state friends to bail out BP, the modern-day East India Company, by buying up stock. "What a bargain!" the proposal goes. Officials in the Gulf told the Financial Times that "BP had already been reaching out to investment entities in the region, particularly those with which it already had relations. [...]"
1979's Ixtoc oil well blowout in Gulf of Mexico has startling parallels to current disaster[07/06/10]
"The 1979 Ixtoc I exploratory oil well blowout in the Bay of Campeche caused what was then history's largest accidental marine oil spill, spewing at least 3 million barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico -- an amount that may have already been surpassed by the Macondo well blowout on April 20. As the BP disaster will doubtlessly change New Orleans and coastal Louisiana, Ixtoc profoundly remade Mexico's Ciudad del Carmen, the nearest community. [...]"
BP Asks Europe Ops Not To Refuel Iranian
Airlines[07/06/10]
"BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) has instructed its European operations not to refuel Iranian airlines after U.S. President Barack Obama signed sanctions targeting Iran's gasoline supplies, people familiar with the matter said Monday.
The document ordered a ban on refueling for several Iranian airlines, including Iran Air, the people said. "It's due to a decision from the U.S. Congress," one person said.
But not all non-U.S. companies have decided to enforce the sanctions when it comes to refueling. A spokesman for Dubai's airport told AFP on Monday that Iranian passenger planes are still able to refuel at the airport. [...]"
MSM:Video: Ship probes danger that gas poses to Gulf[07/05/10]
"So much of the focus in the Gulf has been on the oil spilling for 76 days, but as NBC’s Robert Bazell reports, something else has been spewing from the ocean floor, and it poses dangers of its own. (Nightly News) [...]"
Commentary: Homeland Security seizes control over BP oil spill website[07/05/10]
"The Department of Homeland Security has seized control over a joint BP oil spill website, previously managed by several US Government agencies and BP and intended to inform the public about the progress made in the cleanup effort.
The joint website was managed by US agencies, including the US Coast Guard, and BP to provide daily information about the oil spill and efforts made by both in conjunction with independent contractors to proceed with the cleanup effort.
Effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security will now control all content and distribution of information to the American and international public.
Secretary Janet Napolitano, head of the DHS, was not available for comment and her office did not immediately return phone calls.
The announcement, first reported by the Associated Press, was frowned upon by many news agencies and reporters. According to a DHS spokesman, the website will change its address from a dot-com to a
dot-gov address but the content will remain the same. Who can actually post to the new website remains unknown but it is believed that the content is under the sole control of the DHS and no articles will be posted or published without the approval of Secretary Napolitano or one of her directors.
While it does not make sense to invent a conspiracy theory at this juncture, it is questionable why the DHS would get involved in an environmental disaster that has no immediate impact on national security and therefore would not be considered to be placed under their control and jurisdiction.
The next few days may shed more light on this puzzling decision, but one can state as a fact that such seizure can only be executed upon direct instructions from the White House. [...]" BP To Handover Control Of Oil Spill Web Site To U.S.
"The US government is expected to take over control of the central information website on the Gulf oil spill response that has been run jointly by various agencies and BP for the 2 1/2 months since the rig explosion.
The Department of Homeland Security wants a one-stop shop for information that is completely overseen by the government as it settles into the long-haul of dealing with the response to the disaster. The U.S. Coast Guard falls under Homeland Security's authority.
BP and the federal government are part of a unified command that is working together to try to contain the oil gusher, but the government has been directing BP at every turn. [...]"
Exposé:
BP Texas Refinery Had Huge Toxic Release Just Before Gulf Blowout[07/06/10]
"In an event eerily paralleling the spewing well in the Gulf, it is now reported that, beginning April 6 and lasting for 40 days and 40 nights, the BP refinery in Texas City (the same one which exploded in 2005) "spewed thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals" into the air.
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.
It is unclear whether the pollutants harmed the health of Texas City residents, but the amount of chemicals far exceeds the limits set by Texas and other states.
BP Texas City Refinery was already releasing more benzene into the atmosphere than any other place in the U.S. from 1997 to 2007
For years, the BP refinery in this town of 44,000 has been among the company's most dangerous and pollution-prone operations. A 2005 explosion killed 15 workers; four more workers have died in accidents since then. Last year, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the company $87 million for failing to address safety problems that caused the 2005 blast.BP spokesman Marr says the refinery's 2009 emissions dropped 20 percent from 2008, including a 50 percent drop in benzene emissions. BP had also invested in onsite chemical treatment to reduce emissions, Marr said.
"I would already argue that there's too much benzene in the air in Texas City," Carman said, "and then you add this release over 40 days, and it's just unconscionable that BP would do this." [...]"
Commentary:
"Obama shuts down 33% of the country’s oil refining
capacity"[07/04/10]
" ...it has just been learned from one of our contacts in Texas that Obama by way of the EPA has just shut down today 33% of the country’s refining capacity.[...]" Note: I can't find any other reference supporting this,
so it remains unverified.
IA:Planned oil refinery raises safety fears [07/04/10]
"Iowa's top environmental official fears that a planned refinery in South Dakota will harm the health of Iowans and the state's plants and waterways.
Richard Leopold, director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, plans to send a letter this week to South Dakota environmental officials and possibly federal authorities urging a fuller investigation of potential environmental damage from the $10 billion refinery near Elk Point, S.D. [...]
Leopold wants South Dakota staffers to look into whether the nation's first new oil refinery since 1976 - less than 30 miles northwest of Sioux City,
Ia. - could damage Iowans' lungs, the fragile prairies of the Loess Hills, state parks and the mighty Missouri River.
Refinery developer Hyperion Resources of Dallas, Texas, says the refinery will be the greenest ever built, will meet all federal air-pollution limits, and will pump out thousands of jobs.
This is Leopold's first major salvo in a controversy over a refinery first announced in 2007.
Jim Redmond of Sioux City, a member of the Iowa Sierra Club, said constructing the refinery is misguided in an era when many experts want to phase out fossil fuels to spare the globe more warming.
"Are you going to bury your head in the sand and try to get every gallon of oil you can?" he asked.
"This project is in the wrong place at the wrong time," Redmond said. "It's in a natural area. It's the wrong time because the age of fossil fuel overconsumption is over. They should not be betting $10 billion on the continued gulping of oil."
The debate comes as Iowa works to expand its wind energy and other alternative fuels, and the Gulf of Mexico is awash with oil from a massive BP spill."
Report: Should BP nuke its leaking well?[07/04/10]
"Milo Nordyke, one of the masterminds behind U.S. research into peaceful nuclear energy in the 1960s and '70s says a nuclear explosion is a logical last-resort solution for BP and the government. Matthew Simmons, a former energy adviser to U.S. President George W. Bush and the founder of energy investment-banking firm Simmons & Company International, is another calling for the nuclear option. [...]"
Update: Obama admin bans press from filming BP oil spill areas in the Gulf [07/04/10]
Video clip [10:02] CNN's Anderson Cooper discusses how the Obama administration is limiting access by the media to areas affected by the BP Macondo well spill.
"We're not the enemy here," Cooper responded in a report broadcast Thursday night. "Those of us down here trying to accurately show what is happening -- we are not the enemy. I've not heard about any journalist who's disrupted relief efforts; no journalist wants to be seen as having slowed down the cleanup or made things worse. If a Coast Guard official asked me to move, I'd move. But to create a blanket rule that everyone has to stay 65 feet away from boom and boats, that doesn't sound like transparency."
Note: More complete and better video clip. Related:Coast Guard bans reporters from oil cleanup sites
Republicans Block Investigative Power for Oil Spill Commission [07/04/10]
[3:28]
"Senate Democrats today asked unanimous consent to pass legislation that would give the BP Oil Spill Commission the subpoena power it needs to do its job. "Frankly, it's time we have a vote after so many Republican objections to this commonsense legislation," said Sen. Robert Menendez. "[This bill] asserts that we want to protect those families, taxpayers, not oil company profits." [...]"
BP Oil Spill
: Exempt from Using Acoustic Switches in the USA [07/04/10]
[2:04]
"Deregulation is the real reason / cause behind the US oil spill by British Petroleum in 2010 off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. For example, George W Bush and Dick Cheney helped block a 2002/03 Bill that would have required the use of
acoustic switches to activate the blow out protectors. When the rig blew up, they had to MANUALLY activate the switch by sending submersibles, but, the entire rig collapsed. Because the rig was STILL ATTACHED to the well head / BOP, it bent or damaged the BOP making it unusable. An acoustic switch would have allowed them to IMMEDIATELY stop the well head (activate the BOP) as soon as the explosion happened. [...]"
BP, cops detain reporter for taking pictures of oil refinery[07/04/10]
"A photographer taking pictures for ProPublica was detained Friday while shooting pictures in Texas City, Texas.
The photographer, Lance Rosenfield, said that shortly after arriving in town, he was confronted by a BP security officer, local police and a man who identified himself as an agent of the Department of Homeland Security. He was released after the police reviewed the pictures he had taken on Friday and recorded his date of birth, Social Security number and other personal information.
The police officer then turned that information over to the BP security guard under what he said was standard procedure, according to
Rosenfield. No charges were filed. [...]" Note: This story is part of an ongoing collaboration between ProPublica and FRONTLINE (PBS).
Government Insiders: Get Ready for the Gulf "Dead Zone"[07/04/10]
"federal officials dealing with the short- and long-term impact of the oil disaster report that the "dead zone" created by a combination of methane gas and Corexit toxic rain will force the evacuation and long-term abandonment of cities and towns within the 200-mile radius of the oil volcano.
Plans are being put in place for the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Mandeville, Hammond, Houma, Belle Chase, Chalmette, Slidell, Biloxi, Gulfport, Pensacola, Hattiesburg, Mobile, Bay
Minette, Fort Walton Beach, Panama City, Crestview, and Pascagoula. [...]"
Note: See Oil & Environment link on
Special Articles panel for related stories.
Turkish pipeline ablaze after blast[07/03/10]
"An explosion has blown up a section of a pipeline carrying oil from Iraq to southern Turkey and set it on fire. [...]"
Snowplows Ready To Remove Abandoned Vehicles from Highways When Evacuations Occur in Gulf Region[07/03/10]
"It has been approximately three weeks since former State Trooper and Secret Service appointee Greg Evenson appeared on The Waterman Files to discuss what his inside sources are telling him about the situation in and around the Gulf of Mexico. Today, Evenson discussed and updated the situation with John Moore.
"There is an increasing sense of negativity and desperation among those who I've spoken to, in the military, that have a real sense of - it's a pending doom - and it's just beyond anything I have ever seen up to this point. I talked to the men and they're just planning their own
well- being at this point trying to get their families out and plan for that because when this goes, it will be a literal and figurative tidal wave of disaster down there. There is no way it can be avoided once it begins." I think the first announcements that are made regarding any kind of evacuation involving the aged, those that have to go first if it is possible will then precipitate a secondary wave to follow very shortly after that of the people who have been sitting on the fence not doing anything and all of the sudden they're saying 'it's time to go'. It will cascade downhill rapidly and the people who are going to deal with it are simply saying, "We do not have the resources, we do not have what we need to carry this off".
Greg Evenson stated that it was suggested to him by University of Texas researchers that four to five weeks ago (which he described in a broadcast on May 27th) that there were reports from the U.S. Geological Service that an earthquake was precipitated at eleven miles below the ocean floor when drilling at the Deepwater Horizon site went as deep as thirty thousand feet - not the deepest well on earth, but the deepest ever penetrated into such a major source deposit of [this type of] oil, which is why it is coming up
red and radioactive. The reports from the U.S.G.S. indicated that this earthquake may have fractured the ocean floor which would explain the oil seeps at seven to twenty-eight miles away that may not be coming from the drill site at all, but by cracks in the ocean floor caused by this and the giant deposit. [...]"
Note: Lots of info in this article.
Blast at BP Texas Refinery in ‘05 Foreshadowed Gulf Disaster[07/03/10]
"The Texas City disaster has taken on new relevance today, because the investigations that were done in its aftermath reveal so much about the company that is responsible for what's happening now in the Gulf. Government probes, court filings and BP's own confidential investigations paint a picture of a company that ignored repeated warnings about the plant's deteriorating condition and instead remained focused on minimizing costs and maximizing profits. [...]"
60 Minutes Interview:The Blowout: How BP Overruled Safety Concerns in Pursuit of Profit[07/03/10] [10:15]
"The story of how the BP oil drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, "Deepwater Horizon", was destroyed on April 20, 2010, causing the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. [...]"
BP using dispersants so oil hits "beaches for 10 or 15 years"; To benefit from long-term amortization of costs[07/02/10]
"Fred McCallister, an investment banker with Allegiance Capital Corporation, will testify tomorrow before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee in a hearing titled "The Deepwater Horizon Tragedy: Holding Industry Accountable". For weeks, McCallister has labored to pierce the red tape involved in bringing oil skimmers and other equipment from Europe to the Gulf of Mexico to assist in cleanup efforts. "We submitted proposals for oil skimming vessels to BP on Monday June 14th - 25 million gallons of oil ago - and were promised they would be reviewed on an expedited basis. To date we have received no meaningful response," said
McCallister. On June 22, McCallister gained assistance from Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) in requesting a waiver from the Jones Act, which prevents foreign-flagged vessels from cleaning the BP oil spill and protecting the U.S. coastline from the onslaught of oil. To date, neither Senator Cornyn's office nor Allegiance Capital has received a response regarding the waiver. McCallister's first request for a waiver was sent to Admiral Thad Allen on June 16. McCallister believes there may be an underlying issue affecting BP's resistance to bringing all available oil skimming equipment to the Gulf. "We believe BP has chosen to 'disperse and sink' the oil rather than to 'surface and collect' the oil," said
McCallister. "Sinking and emulsifying the oil keeps the problem out of site and better serves BP's financial interest than does removing the oil from the water. This way BP can amortize the cost of the clean up over the next 15 years. Unfortunately this strategy exacerbates the significant cost to the Gulf of Mexico and the people and animals who live there." [...]"
BP's Well May Leak For 55 Years Or More Into The Gulf Of Mexico?[07/02/10]
"BP's own internal analysis believed that a worst-case scenario, based on damage to the well bore, could result in a leak rate from the well of 55,000 to 100,000 barrels of oil per day. Oil industry analysts have estimated that there may be as much as a billion barrels or more of oil in the reservoir below BP's Macondo Well. If the well is leaking at this so far maximum estimated rate of 100,000 barrels per day, and there are 1 billion barrels of oil in the reservoir, then determing how long the well could leak if it is not plugged is a simple high school mathematics level calculation. One billion barrels divided by 100,000 barrels per day equals 10,000 days to empty the reservoir into the Gulf of Mexico. That would mean a continuous leak of 100,000 barrels per day for 27.39 years. If BP"s well is "only" leaking at half that rate - at 50,000 barrels per day - then it will leak for about 55 years, if there is a billion barrels in the reservoir, if it is not plugged. It is therefore no surprise that today Kenneth Feinberg, the US lawyer chosen to manage the $20 Billion compensation fund BP agreed to in a June 16 deal with President Barack Obama, said Wednesday in testimony to The House Committee on Small Business that "There's not enough money in the world to pay every single small business that claims injury no matter where or when," [...]"
Oil Spill Penalties Are a Tax Writeoff[07/02/10]
"When juries award huge punitive damages against oil companies in the wake of a spill, they're often unaware of a simple fact: the companies can ease their own pain by deducting the damages on their federal income taxes, write two law professors in the New York Times. The Senate has passed a measure to make such deductions illegal, "but because most cases are settled before they reach a jury, it won't work."
There's a simpler, and better, approach: "Why not have plaintiffs’ lawyers make jurors aware of the tax deductibility of punitive damages, and teach them how to adjust their awards to offset the deduction’s effect?" Jurors would probably dole out higher punitive damages in trials. "But more important, the prospect of tax-aware jurors would also raise the amounts of settlements before trial—when, again, most cases are actually resolved." [...]"
Exposé:
British Petroleum is trucking in sand to cover up the
oil[07/02/10]
"Let me repeat that – instead of cleaning up the oil they are just bringing in sand from other beaches and covering it up. In the photos and the video you can see the layering of Grand Isle, LA sand, oil and then a sand of a different type. Photo-journalists have four independent confirmations by local Sheriff’s in Grand Isle, Louisiana. [...]"
Note: Video clip[1:52]
Exposé: Vatican Official Tied To
BP, Goldman-Sachs, And Media Censorship In The Oil Fiasco Sherri Kane and Leonard G. Horowitz
[07/01/10]
"News unfolding from the oil crisis in the Gulf of Mexico has linked media censorship to investment bankers at Goldman Sachs (GS) stewarding the Vatican's wealth, and increasing evidence that the explosion was intended.
A near total news blackout from independent sources, and arrests of anyone caught photographing and filming the devastation, show the Halliburton-British Petrolium (BP) oil crisis is being criminally controlled, implicating some of Wall Street's heaviest hitters.
According to a report issued by frightened, yet faithful, documentary filmmaker, James Fox, interviewed from the Gulf's Grand Isles by Mel Fabregas on the Internet's Veritas Radio Show, "There is a complete media blackout" on news coverage broadcast from the region.
"They are arresting people with cameras and anyone off camera that is caught talking to a reporter," Fox testified.
Another reporter told Fox, "You call this a free country? Right here, in the United States of America, there's no freedom of press. There's no freedom of speech. They're closing down the airspace above the oil spill, so reporter's can't fly over to determine how bad these oil plumes really are."
Suspicious pieces of this deadly puzzle feature Halliburton, the world's second largest oil field services company, headquartered in Houston and Dubai, whose negligence is blamed for the timely and profitable explosion.
Three weeks before the "natural gas leak," the George Bush/Dick Cheney 9-11-linked Halliburton company negotiated the purchase of the world's largest oil-spill cleanup firm (Boots & Coots) at the exact time keen observers on Wall Street--financial intelligence agents at Goldman Sachs (GS; often called "Government Sachs")--unloaded 44% of their stock in BP.
[...] These facts parallel the shorting of airline stocks by those in the know prior to the World Trade Center (WTC) 9-11 attacks that new scientific evidence proves were followed by building demolitions, given the red thermite incendiary powder found everywhere around ground zero.
The WTC lessor, Larry Silverstein, partnered with Lloyd Blankfein of GS in the little known Partnership for New York City (PFNYC), took out a General Electric insurance policy just six weeks before the attacks. PFNYC "partners," in charge of assessing financial damages to NYC, and reconstruction plans for the WTC, obviously "veered" insurance payoffs and additional private equity investments to Las Vegas for the construction of the 9-11 memorial--speciously called the "Veer Towers" in the "New World Center." [...]
"
Commentary: Goldman Sachs: The Pirates of Poison in the Gulf[07/02/10]
"The Hydra-like creature, Goldman Sachs, has surfaced from the Gulf oil volcano.
Illinois-based Nalco Corporation is responsible for the Corexit 9500 chemical dispersant highlighted by experts as being 4 times more toxic than the oil that is flowing into the Gulf. Scientists in congressional hearings added that the dispersant is more toxic than other similar dispersant on the market. Naturally, whenever a major disaster takes place — especially when major, society-altering solutions are being offered — one needs to follow the trail of money and power to see who benefits. Sure enough, a casual search of Nalco’s Web site reveals their company history; it leads right to the doorstep of Goldman Sachs.
Nalco seems to have started in 1928 Chicago and became immediately involved in both the oil industry and water treatment facilities. 1982 seems to have been a massive turning point for the company as their Web site states, “ORS-419 is used in the tires of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The Nalco product is the only non-silicone product of its type on the market approved by the space shuttle tire’s manufacturer.” Thereafter, things really seem to have taken off as shown here: [...]"
Note: Excellent resource with respect to Corexit and
the company that makes it. "
Exposé:
Whistle blower to testify on oil spill worst
fear: BP deliberately sinks oil with Corexit as cover up[07/02/10]
"In a shocking interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on June 29th, Allegiance Capitol Corporation V.P. Fred McCallister said that BP is deliberately sinking oil with the toxic chemical disbursant Corexit, to hide the size of the oil spill. By sinking the oil before it can be collected, BP won’t have to pay fines on it.
McCallister said, “Everybody in Europe, where the standard practice is to raise the oil and collect it, is scratching their heads, and quite honestly laughing at what’s happening in the Gulf.” He added, “Everyone is looking at us and wondering why we’re allowing this to happen.” [...]"
Warning of Looming Crisis, Louisiana Calls on BP to Fund Mental Health Programs[07/02/10]
"As Louisiana officials warn of a possible mental health crisis in communities affected by the oil spill, BP has yet to respond to a month-old request from the Louisiana health department to fund emergency mental health programs. The impasse has prompted Louisiana to make an argument with significant implications for disputes over BP’s liability: that BP is responsible for mental health problems believed to be caused by the spill.
On Monday, in a letter to BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles, Louisiana Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine pressed his case for $10 million in funding for mental health services. “Our teams of counselors imbedded (sic) in the impacted communities are now warning us of an emerging behavioral health crisis,” Levine wrote. He stated that the teams were finding “palpable increases in anxiety, depression, stress, grief, excessive drinking, earlier drinking and suicide ideation.”
Levine wrote that these behaviors are “early warning signs of developing substance abuse and dependence, mental illness, suicide and familial breakdown including divorce, spouse abuse, and child abuse and neglect,” and advised that the coming months will prove critical in addressing the growing mental health issues in affected populations.
The primary initiative that Louisiana is calling on BP to fund is the Louisiana Spirit program, which began after Hurricane Katrina and has been restarted to provide crisis counseling and mental health outreach in communities affected by the spill. Although the program has already received $1 million from a $25 million block grant initially allocated by BP to Louisiana for spill response, health department spokeswoman Lisa Faust said this money is enough to last only into August.
Faust said that the department’s funding request would sustain the program for the next seven months, double the number of crisis counselors, and pay for medication for 2,000 people.
We at ProPublica have reached out to BP to ask for its reaction to Louisiana’s request, but have not yet received a response.
[...]"
Senators Push BP Accountability, As EPW Committee Lifts Liability Cap[07/02/10]
"Democrats renewed their push Wednesday to hold BP accountable for the monster oil spill continuing to foul the Gulf of Mexico. A key committee voted to eliminate the cap on the damages the oil giant would have to pay, and several senators pressured Republicans to stop blocking a vote on several bills designed to hold BP responsible. [...]"
Related:Senate Panel Moves to Lift Cap on Oil Spill Damages[07/02/10]
"BP Plc would have unlimited financial liability for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill under a measure approved today by a Senate panel to scrap a $75 million limit under a 20-year-old law.
The amendment to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 would force offshore oil drillers responsible for spills to pay “the full cost” of damages. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved the measure by voice vote and sent it to the full Senate. [...]"
Independent Video Of Gulf Devastation[07/02/10]
[9:55]
"A flight over the BP Slick Source where I saw at least 100 Dolphins in the oil, some dying. I also photographed a Sperm Whale covered in oil all around it's blow hole. [...]"
Note: Many additional links to video on this subject are also
on the page.
Owners of Ruptured Well Feud Over Blame, Liability[07/02/10]
"U.S.-based Anadarko Petroleum, which owns a 25 percent stake in BP’s ruptured well in the Gulf, has been publicly criticizing its British partner for “reckless decisions and actions,” even though Anadarko itself approved well designs that many have called risky, according to the Financial Times.
In a statement last month, Anadarko said “this tragedy was preventable and the direct result of BP's reckless decisions and actions,” arguing that “BP operated unsafely and failed to monitor and react to several critical warning signs.”
The company’s criticisms of its partner, however, focus on operating decisions, and not on the well design choices that saved BP time and money — decisions that U.S. lawmakers have criticized as shortcuts. Those decisions included the use of a cheaper, “long string” well design and fewer centering devices than recommended -- both of which would have increased the risk of gas flow problems, which triggered the initial rig explosion. Anadarko had approved those designs.
Here’s what BP told the Financial Times: [...]"
Can the EPA Be Trusted?
- No[07/02/10]
"The local Louisiana news media seems to have skewed the numbers when it comes to the deadly gas known as H2S or Hydrogen Sulfide. On May 3, WWL News reported that H2S was at 1192 parts per billion, ignoring the fact that EPA data is actually recorded in parts per
million. In doing this, the media was attempting to downplay the possibility of toxic levels in the area.
Keep in mind that in the aftermath of 9/11, the EPA openly lied to first responders, declaring the air, safe to breath. This turned out to be a disaster as most first responders are either dead or dealing with terminal health problems, due to the inhalation of deadly carcinogens and chemicals from ground zero. [...]"
Note: Good information on this.
Nigerians Angry at Oil Pollution Double Standards[07/01/10]
"Nigeria's Niger Delta is one of the most oil-polluted places on the planet with more than 6,800 recorded oil spills, accounting for anywhere from 9 million to 13 million barrels of oil spilled, according to activist groups. But occurring over the 50 years since oil production began in the Delta, this environmental disaster has never received the attention that is now being paid to the oil-spill catastrophe hitting the U.S. Gulf coast. "The whole world is trembling and even the president of America had to do a personal visit to the site. The U.S. will have put serious measures in place to stop such situations happening in the future," said Ken Tebe -- a local environmental activist who is visibly shaken by what he regards as a double standard. "It's funny because we've been dealing with this problem for 50 years. I even heard BP will pay $20 billion in damages (for the U.S. spill). When will such hope come to the Niger Delta?" Tebe asked. According to Amnesty International, people living in the Niger Delta have experienced oil spills on par with the Exxon Valdez disaster every year for the last half century. [...]"
Environmentalists Say BP
Is Burning Turtles Alive in Gulf[07/01/10]
"BP is "corralling and burning alive endangered and threatened sea turtles" in its incompetent response to the Gulf oil spill, four environmental groups claim in New Orleans Federal Court. The groups say BP is killing Kemp's Ridley, Leatherback, Hawksbill and Green sea turtles, all of which are endangered, and threatened Loggerhead turtles. They seek emergency and permanent injunctions to stop the "flagrant violations of its lease with the United States." [...]
Maritime law expert: 'Totally not true' that Jones Act has blocked Gulf help[07/01/10]
"In excerpts released early, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) argues that many of the assets that are supposed to be in place really are not; that the chain of command is confused, at best; that efforts to quiet criticism hinder the response; that foreign assets remain unused, and the planning has been inadequate for the hurricane season.
Issa, who has become one of the administration’s thorniest critics, had this to say: “This report reveals a stark contrast between the narrative being told by the Administration in Washington and the sobering realities and challenges that the people closest to this catastrophe are struggling to overcome. These testimonials from the people who are on the frontlines of this crisis have brought to light a bureaucratic quagmire that is exacerbating the response and clean-up effort - in a post-Katrina world, this is unimaginable and unacceptable. The evidence on the ground suggests that the White House has been more focused on the public relations of this crisis than with providing local officials the resources they need to deal with it.” [...]"
BP Fined $5.2 Million for False Reporting[07/01/10]
"In a non-Gulf-related but still BP-related story, the Interior Department’s revamped and
re-badged drilling regulatory agency has fined BP America $5.2 million for “false, inaccurate, or misleading” reports about energy production on tribal lands Colorado.
"It is simply unacceptable for companies to repeatedly misreport production," Michael Bromwich, director of what's now the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement , said in a statement on the agency's website. The civil penalty is the first enforcement action taken by the newly named agency, formerly known as the Minerals Management Service.
BP’s errors were caught by Southern Ute Tribal auditors who first informed BP America about them in 2007. The company promised to correct the problems, but when the auditors and government regulators checked later, they found some of the same reporting errors, leading them to conclude that the mistakes were “knowing or willful,” according Bromwich.
When we called BP, a spokeswoman told me the company did not yet have a statement ready. [...]"
Class Action Suit Claims BP Has Corrupted Claims Process with Bogus Lawyers[07/01/10]
"A RICO class action claims BP has corrupted the claims process during the Gulf oil spill by using "unqualified and inept" third parties to process legal claims, to practice law without a license, and to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and violate state insurance laws. The class challenges "what defendants refer to as the 'BP claims process,'" calling it a conspiracy "involving the unauthorized practice of law and other criminal acts that are ultimately designed to delay and reduce the payment of legitimate legal damages by lulling class members into a false understanding of the availability of recoverable damages at law." [...]"
‘Not enough money in world’ to pay every spill claim: oil fund czar[07/01/10]
"The prominent US lawyer managing BP's 20-billion-dollar oil disaster fund said Wednesday not all claimants will be paid, especially some of those seeking compensation for falling houses prices.
"There's not enough money in the world to pay every single small business that claims injury no matter where or when,"
Kenneth Feinberg told the House of Representatives Committee on Small Business.
Feinberg, who also headed a compensation fund for victims of the September 11, 2001
attacks, was tapped by President Barack Obama to administer the 20-billion-dollar fund established by BP earlier this month.
He assured lawmakers it would be "totally independent" and said BP "has agreed to supplement this escrow fund as needed to assure full and fair compensation to all individuals and businesses that are found to be eligible for payment."
"I'm inclined to begin with the same analysis I did in 9/11," added the leading attorney, who plans to set up procedures for paying claims in the coming weeks. [...]"
Note: Everyone will recall that Feinberg made 9/11 claimants
sign a waiver that they wouldn't sue the government. We'll see something like
that here, but for BP instead.
Health Effects After Exxon Valdez Went Unstudied[07/01/10]
"In a report on Tuesday, McClatchy Newspapers pointed out that neither industry nor the government seems to have studied the health of Exxon Valdez cleanup workers after the 1989 spill.
Since oil started pouring from BP's well into the Gulf of Mexico, there have been promises all around: promises from oil executives “to learn new lessons,” promises from the EPA to remedy the dearth of science about dispersants -- promises addressing the same concerns that could have been studied decades ago after spills like Exxon's.
Here's what Exxon told McClatchy: Exxon has consistently maintained that there's no evidence spill workers experienced any adverse health effects as a result of the cleanup. Spokeswoman Cynthia Bergman said she isn't aware of any long-term study the company conducted on its own.
And here’s what government said: Fred Blosser, a spokesman for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said NIOSH hasn't done any research on long-term health effects on Exxon Valdez workers.
But many cleanup workers from Exxon Valdez — then, and even now — report health problems that they trace back to their work on that spill. [...]"
Keystone oil pipeline starts operations[07/01/10]
"Commercial deliveries of crude oil to the U.S. Midwest from the Keystone pipeline from Canada started Wednesday, operator TransCanada Corp. announced. [...]"
US Accepts Foreign Help on
'Oil Spill'[06/30/10]
"The United States has taken the rare step of accepting help from 12 countries and international organizations in cleaning up the oil spill in the Gulf. Most of the countries and groups have offered skimmers, boom, or dispersant chemicals. A chart on the State Department website indicates that help has been accepted from Canada, Mexico, Croatia, Holland, Norway, and Japan.
In addition, two organizations—the International Maritime Organization and the Monitoring and Information Center—will provide technical assistance. The other four nations or agencies haven't been listed. Only one offer has been rejected: Dispersant chemicals offered by France are not approved for use in the US. [...]"
Related:BP to pay for all assistance, U.S. says
"British oil company BP will reimburse the government for the international efforts to clean up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the U.S. State Department said. [...]"
Panic brews on Gulf coast under suspicions of oil spill media blackout of threats to public safety[06/30/10]
"A quiet panic is brewing among residents of Florida’s Gulf coast. People are starved for updates and official information, and the lack of them is accelerating conspiracy theories and rumors of a media blackout. Founded or not, to residents they are quite real.
Unconfirmed reports of evacuations have been circling the internet, along with suggestions that they will never be implemented because the scale is too enormous. Why announce a plan that can’t be carried out? That has led to theories that human life is more expendable than political careers and BP’s public image.
Official government websites like the Deepwater Horizon Response and FEMA are not providing the news people are looking for. Additionally, the mainstream media seems to be airing less information about the crisis rather than more. [...]"
BP Worker Found Dead of “Natural Causes”[06/30/10]
"A BP cleanup worker was found dead in his Village Inn room Sunday afternoon.
The 48-year-old man’s identity has not been released. “There are no signs of foul play,” said Michele Nicholson, spokeswoman for the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. “I don’t think there was anything suspicious about it.”
A spokeswoman at Mobile’s Unified Command said the death was not related to the oil cleanup. The Port St. Lucie man had a heart attack. He was discovered at 4:05 p.m. by a coworker after he did not show up to work. He was contracted through the Parsons Corporation.
The death marks the third reported death of a person involved in the response.
Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the National Incident Commander for the Deepwater BP Oil Spill response, reported two deaths on June 23.
One person was involved in a swimming accident at a hotel pool; the second was a Vessel of Opportunity operator in Gulf Shores, Ala. who shot himself in the head after a BP training meeting.
[...]"
Note: Yes, after all, he was working in a toxic
environment.
Bill Clinton: ‘We may have to blow up the well’[06/30/10]
"Little noticed comments from former President Bill Clinton over the weekend which he made in South Africa are perhaps -- well -- a bit explosive.
"Unless we send the Navy down deep to blow up the well and cover the leak with piles and piles and piles of rock and debris, which may become necessary - you don't have to use a nuclear weapon by the way, I've seen all that stuff, just blow it up - unless we're going to do that, we are dependent on the technical expertise of these people from BP," Clinton said.
Clinton was speaking about British Petroleum's efforts to staunch a massive leak that erupted after one of the oil rigs it was leasing blew up Apr. 20. His remarks about the explosion solution come at about 2:30 into the recording, posted below.
Matt Simmons, founder of energy investment bank Simmons & Company, suggested earlier this month that the US military could close the drill hole with a nuclear weapon.
"Probably the only thing we can do is create a weapons system and send it down 18,000 feet and detonate it, hopefully encasing the oil," he said. [...]"
Note: He couldn't 'encase' Hillary, could he?
Obama and Cameron pledge to defend BP profits[06/30/10]
"Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron met over the weekend to discuss the BP oil spill and pledged to defend the interests of the oil giant. [...]"
California Notified Of Gulf Evacuation Plans[06/29/10]
"A well-placed source in California told WMR that the California Emergency Management Agency
(CEMA) has been briefed by its counterpart agencies in the Gulf coast states that there are plans to conduct a mass evacuation of millions of Gulf coast residents due to the catastrophic environmental and public health effects of the BP oil disaster.
CEMA officials have been briefed on the planned evacuations by counterparts in the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, and the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
The Gulf states’ emergency planners stressed to their California counterparts that they are dealing with a disaster of unprecedented proportions and that contingency plans are being constantly updated and revised on ways to deal with the transformation of the Gulf of Mexico into a deadly “toxic soup” of oil and Corexit 9500 oil dispersants and the atmosphere into a dangerous mixture of hydrocarbon gases.
CEMA was briefed on the impending mass evacuation since California would be expected to absorb a large number of evacuees from the Gulf
states. CEMA officials did not say how the state of California, which is virtually bankrupt, would pay for the influx of hundreds of thousands and perhaps greater numbers of evacuees from the Gulf coastal region. [...]"
Commentary: Methane Release From the Gulf Oil Spill: What Does It Mean? How Bad Could It Get?[06/29/10]
"The methane could kill all life in large areas of the Gulf. However, rumors being spread widely around the Web claiming that the methane could bring on a doomsday catastrophe are not credible.
This essay will attempt to clear up the confusion and convey the facts regarding methane and the oil spill. [...]"
Alabama State Troopers Moonlighting as BP Security Guards[06/29/10]
"WMR’s sources on the Gulf coast report that BP Security personnel are being augmented by off-duty Alabama state troopers and G4S Wackenhut private security guards. The BP Security personnel ensure that no observers are present on Gulf coast beaches during night time hours when BP contractors scour the beaches and pick up and covertly dispose of dead dolphins, turtles, birds, and other sea animals that wash ashore covered with oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.
BP is secretly disposing of the dead animals in order to avoid paying fines and compensation for killing endangered and protected species like turtles, dolphins, and brown pelicans. The sharp drop off in oxygen levels in the Gulf is forcing many sea animals into shallower waters in order to breathe, however, sharks are also following the easier prey into coastal rivers and inlets.
BP Security personnel are noticeable by their grey uniforms. Another firm, Talon Security, was specifically hired by BP to keep nosy media away from Gulf beaches and waters and intimidate cleanup workers into not talking to the press.
BP medical personnel who are handling health complaints from affected residents of the Gulf region also report a sharp increase in cases of respiratory problems and even cases of chemical pneumonia from those affected by the benzene fumes from the oil in the Gulf and its estuaries. Dangerously high levels of benzene are affecting Gulf coast residents with emphysema and bronchitis. [...]"
SBA declines 70 percent of Louisiana businesses applying for oil spill loans, state complains[06/29/10]
"In an eerie repeat of difficulties after Hurricane Katrina, the Small Business Administration is turning down more than two-thirds of Louisiana companies seeking Gulf oil spill relief loans, according to a top state official's complaint to the federal agency Thursday.
Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret sent a letter to SBA Administrator Karen Mills complaining that the SBA is using its normal loan approval processes even though the circumstances are extraordinary, and that the agency is turning down far too many Louisiana businesses because of "credit concerns" or because they can't prove they'll be able to repay quickly. [...]"
BP,
Shell Evacuate Gulf of Mexico Crews on Storm Alex[06/28/10]
"BP removed non-essential workers from its ATLANTIS, MAD DOG and Holstein
oil-production platforms in the western part of the Gulf ... Alex is forecast
to regain strength after moving back out over water, the U.S. National
Hurricane Center said in a statement on its website. [...]"
Note: Well, if it's the Western part of the Gulf, and hurricanes
spin counterclockwise, it will push the oil inland. This is just
the first storm.
The Real Truth About BP and What Is Happening In the Gulf
[15:43] [See video below] BP is engaged in criminal negligence. It only pretends to clean-up its mess when government officials arrive for photo-ops. BP and its employees have given more than $3.5 million to federal candidates over the past 20 years, with the largest chunk of their money going to Obama.
BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg told reporters earlier this month: “I hear comments sometimes that large oil companies are greedy companies or don’t care, but that is not the case with BP. We care about the small people.”
Small people. Expendable people. The woman in this video tells us what is really happening in Louisiana. BP, Obama, and Congress — all beholden to large corporations and bankers — are sacrificing thousands of people and keeping it hidden.
Kindra Arnesen, Venice, Louisiana
No skimmers in sight as oil floods into Mississippi waters[06/28/10]
"A morning flight over the Mississippi Sound showed long, wide ribbons of orange-colored oil for as far as the eye could see and acres of both heavy and light sheen moving into the Sound between the barrier islands. What was missing was any sign of skimming operations from Horn Island to Pass Christian.
Saturday’s briefing projected oil would be on the beaches of the barrier islands, the Chandeleurs, in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. For Sunday the projection of beached oil showed thicker lines as the bulk of the oil body moved closer.
For Monday the projection was more of the same, except it included a red X at Bay St. Louis, meaning the forecast is oil will reach the mainland there. [...]"
Former
Oil Worker Says "Cleanup" Just For Show [06/27/10]
"Former oil clean-up worker Candi Warren says she signed up to make a
difference, but soon found out the work of cleaning the beaches was all
cosmetic. That's what she was told, she says. [...]" Note: This is because it cannot be 'cleaned up', as they
would like everyone to believe it can.
20 million people are “to have to evacuate the gulf states” says prominent oil-industry insider[06/27/10]
"A tropical wave has formed in the Caribbean and could conceivably blow through the gulf.
“We’re going to have to evacuate the gulf states,” said Matt Simmons, founder of Simmons and Co., an oil investment firm and, since the April 20 blowout, the unflagging source of end-of-the-world predictions. “Can you imagine evacuating 20 million people? . . . This story is 80 times worse than I thought.” … [...]"
Note: See the "Oil & Environment" story
page link at the top of this panel for related stories.
Gulf oil spill: Could ‘toxic storm’ make beach towns uninhabitable?[06/27/10]
"Ron Greve expects the worst is yet to come in the oil spill drama that is haranguing beach towns all along the US Gulf Coast. So, like a growing number of residents, the Pensacola Beach solar-cell salesman took a hazardous materials class and received a “hazmat card” upon graduation.
Those cards, says Mr. Greve, could become critical in coming weeks and months. In the case of a hurricane hitting the 250-mile wide slick and pushing it over sand dunes and into beach towns, residents fear they’ll face not only mass evacuations, but potential permanent relocation.
Storm-wizened locals know that it can take days, even weeks, for roads to open and authorities to allow residents to return to inspect the damage and start to rebuild after a hurricane moves through.
In the case of a “toxic storm,” only residents with hazmat cards would be allowed to cross bridges to return home, Greve says, since toxicity risks would be too high for untrained residents.
“You’d have to have these cards to be able to return,” says Mr. Greve. “In these classes, they basically tell you that swallowing even a small amount of the oil or getting some on your hands and then having a smoke could be deadly.”
Fears about ecological damage have dominated concerns around the spill, which began when the Deepwater Horizon rig, leased by BP, exploded on April 20, killing 11 people. The rig sank two days later and oil began rushing into the open Gulf. [...]"
Note: Rigs are built to burn and stay together. What about the
SWAT Team sent to the rig before it exploded?
Lawyers say shocked over uses of $20 billion Gulf fund[06/26/10]
"Victims lawyers said they were shocked that the fund was for purposes other than compensating people suffering economic losses from British Petroleum's destruction of the Gulf of Mexico and US Gulf Coast. Those purposes could include covering BP's clean-up costs and litigation. The fund was "sold to the American public as a compensation fund. And now we have learned that they can use it for whatever the heck they want to use it for," said Robert Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and activist. "It's another subterfuge by BP," Kennedy told Reuters at a conference in Atlanta on litigation over the spill. [...]"
Controlled media blackout underway as Gulf oil spill crisis ensues[06/26/10]
"From staged press events and photo shoots to private security forces, the controlled media’s engine is revving into overdrive. The Intel Hub has confirmed reports that there has been staged press meetings and staged photo/video shoots in and around the Gulf coast region. It is also confirmed that workers have been stopped from communicating with the press by private security forces.
There is plenty of evidence and witness reports to back up just how bad this situation really is. BP is refusing to issue workers protective masks. Inhalation and exposure to the oil, gases and the chemical Corexit could become a deadly combo. Keep in mind all of the workers on the Exxon Valdez are dead from exposure to such toxins. The average life span of the Valdez workers was 53 years of age.
To make matters worse there are reports circulating that the CIA front company Evergreen Air has not only been spraying the population by the cover of night; but rather they are spraying Corexit over workers during the day.
Talk of evacuations is now mainstream. Domestic crime in the area is up a reported 300-400%. Oil & Corexit has been filmed in the streets over several different states. Plants and crops are being damaged from the acidic toxic rainfall. A plume of gasses is making it’s way over the coastal population in some areas. There are more and more reports of clinics in Louisiana and Florida filling up from chemical “flu like” symptoms. Economic and employment repercussions have started to set in.
The weather is also an issue. Tropic storms and possible hurricanes linger on the horizon. At the same time beaches throughout the coast are being hammered and coated with black crude; including the world famous white sand beaches of Florida.
The tourism industry is winding down as this situation turns from a bad dream to a real nightmare. This could have potentially devastating blow to the entire Gulf coast region and it’s population. If the evacuations become a mandatory reality, martial law could be implemented throughout the region. [...]"
Class Action Suit Derides BP's 'Culture of Safety'[06/26/10]
"While BP's top U.S. official said he stands by BP's "culture of safety" and said BP's practices are the same as those "deployed by the other companies out there," a federal class action claims that BP refineries in Texas and Ohio have accounted for 97 percent of the "egregious, willful" citations from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the past 3 years. [...]"
The First
"OilCane": What Happens if a Hurricane Rides over the Oil Spill[06/26/10]
"The gulf oil spill is bad but it could become much, much worse and soon. The threat is a hurricane moving over the spill. If a hurricane’s violent winds track over the spill, we could witness a natural and economic calamity that history has never recorded anywhere or anytime. We will literally be in oil-soaked waters. We will have witnessed the first
oilicane. A category one hurricane (on a scale of 1 to 5) has maximum sustained winds of 74 to 95 miles per hour near the eye. A category five hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 156 to 200 miles per hour. The difference between the two storms is gigantic and non-linear. The latter hurricane may cause 250 times more damage than the former. [...]"
Note: I see NOTHING about the methane in the gulf being
ignited by an electrical storm.
Despite concerns, dispersant use continues on gulf oil spill[06/26/10]
"A month ago the Environmental Protection Agency ordered BP to stop spraying so much dispersant on oil gushing from the Deepwater Horizon well and to find a less toxic alternative to the chemical it was using.
BP is still spraying the same stuff — under the brand name Corexit — that led to EPA concerns in May. Although it has decreased the total amount used, BP has exceeded the recommended daily level of 15,000 gallons sprayed beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. And so far, neither BP nor the EPA has found an effective but less toxic alternative to Corexit. [...]"
Gulf Coast Attorneys File RICO Class Action Lawsuits Against BP[06/25/10]
"Gulf Coast law firms Levin Papantonio, Eastland Law and others have begun filing a series of civil RICO actions in Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama to hold BP accountable for the false assurances it gave the American people that it could handle a worst-case scenario deepwater oil spill. The suits allege that BP committed mail fraud, wire fraud and potentially other RICO predicate act violations when the company sought permits from the federal government for deepwater offshore drilling, knowing that it did not possess the technical expertise or equipment necessary to respond to an emergency such as the ongoing Deepwater disaster. [...]"
House Judiciary Committee Subpoenas BP[06/25/10]
"The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed British Petroleum's claims documents yesterday, after committee chairman Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) said the company had not complied with requests to provide information on its payments. The decision to issue the subpoenas had bipartisan support. [...]"
Government Insiders: Get Ready for the Gulf “Dead Zone”[06/25/10]
"Bad news concerning the Gulf oil disaster continues to come from WMR’s federal government sources in the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Emergency planners are dealing with a prospective “dead zone” within a 200 mile radius from the Deepwater Horizon disaster datum in the Gulf.
A looming environmental and population displacement disaster is brewing in the Gulf. The oil dispersant used by BP, Corexit 9500, is seen by FEMA sources as mixing with evaporated water from the Gulf and absorbed by rain clouds producing toxic precipitation that threatens to continue killling marine and land animals, plant life, and humans within a 200-mile radius of the Deepwater Horizon disaster site in the Gulf.
Adding to the worries of FEMA and the Corps of Engineers is the large amounts of methane that are escaping from the cavernous grotto of oil underneath the Macondo drilling area of Gulf of Mexico.
On a recent visit to the Gulf coast, President Obama vowed that the Gulf coast will “return to normal.” However, federal officials dealing with the short- and long-term impact of the oil disaster report that the “dead zone” created by a combination of methane gas and Corexit toxic rain will force the evacuation and long-term abandonment of cities and towns within the 200-mile radius of the oil volcano.
Plans are being put in place for the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Mandeville, Hammond, Houma, Belle Chase, Chalmette, Slidell, Biloxi, Gulfport, Pensacola, Hattiesburg, Mobile, Bay
Minette, Fort Walton Beach, Panama City, Crestview, and Pascagoula. The toxic rain from the Gulf is expected to poison fresh water reservoirs and lakes, streams, and rivers, which will also have a disastrous impact on agriculture and livestock, as well as drinking water, in the affected region. [...]"
BP dumps gravel in Alaska sea; gets exempt from offshore drilling ban[06/25/10]
"BP’s “Liberty” project is exempted as regulators have granted it status as an “onshore” project even though it is about three miles off the coast in the Beaufort Sea. The reason: it sits on an artificial island — a 31-acre pile of gravel in about 22 feet of water — built by BP. Regulators and BP say likelihood of spill is very remote. Sound familiar? They also assert that BP’s spill response plan would be able to handle a worst case — which BP estimated as a spill of 20,000 barrels per day. Again, sound familiar? [...]"
Read: BP’s Plan For Controversial Arctic Drilling Project
NOAA Confirms Oil Plumes Are From BP’s Well[06/25/10]
"The preponderance of evidence based on careful examination of the results from these four different cruises leads us to conclude that DWH-MC252 oil exists in subsurface waters near the well site in addition to the oil observed at the sea surface and that this oil appears to be chemically dispersed. While no chemical “fingerprinting” of samples was conducted to conclusively determine origin, the proximity to the well site and the following analyses support this conclusion. [...]"
Methane in Gulf "astonishingly high": U.S. scientist[06/25/10]
"Texas A&M University oceanography professor John Kessler, just back from a 10-day research expedition near the BP Plc 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. [...]"
Note: With storm season in full swing ... all it would take is
a good bolt of lightning to set it all off.
Analysis:
Deepwater Crisis in America[06/24/10]
"Seldom are true facts established in the beginning – By research and investigation, additional facts are brought to light, thus the Discovery of Truth is an ongoing journey – any rational person would be in support of a Criminal Investigation into these matters. [...]"
Videographer: It’s raining oil in Louisiana[06/24/10]
"This skeptical article at Fast Company declares it "not likely" that it's raining oil, but it quotes the EU Times as stating that "when combined with the heating Gulf of Mexico waters,
[Corexit's] molecules will be able to 'phase transition' from their present liquid to a gaseous state allowing them to be absorbed into clouds and allowing their release as toxic rain upon all of Eastern North America."
And the article also points to a report (PDF) from the newly-renamed federal Minerals Management Service which states that oil, if it's light enough, has been known to evaporate. "So it might be possible that oil is mixing with rain," Fast Company's Ariel Schwartz concedes.
"Worst case scenario? It's petroleum mixed with Corexit, the cancer-causing dispersant BP's spraying on its oil slick," [...]"
Note:
Research:
Abiogenic Petroleum[06/24/10]
"Abiogenic Petroleum origin is an alternative hypothesis to the prevailing theory of biological petroleum origin. Most popular in the Soviet Union between the 1950s and 1980s, the abiogenic hypothesis has little support among contemporary petroleum geologists, who argue that abiogenic petroleum does not exist in significant amounts on Earth and that there is no indication that an application of the hypothesis is or has ever been of commercial value.
The abiogenic hypothesis argues that petroleum was formed from deep carbon deposits, perhaps dating to the formation of the Earth. The presence of methane on Saturn’s moon Titan is cited as evidence supporting the formation of hydrocarbons without biology. Supporters of the abiogenic hypothesis suggest that a great deal more petroleum exists on Earth than commonly thought, and that petroleum may originate from carbon-bearing fluids that migrate upward from the mantle. [...]"
Gulf oil spill: Boat captain, despondent over spill, commits suicide[06/24/10]
"William Allen Kruse, 55, a charter boat captain recently hired by BP as a vessel of opportunity out of Gulf Shores, Ala., died Wednesday morning before 7:30 a.m. of a gunshot to the head, likely self-inflicted, authorities said.
"He had been quite despondent about the oil crisis," said Stan Vinson, coroner for Baldwin County, which includes Gulf Shores. [...]"
Exposé:
Jack
McLamb: BLM Involvement aboard Deepwater Horizon?Oil Platforms Designed to Burn Forever
[06/23/10]
"Hundreds of oceanic oil rig platforms have had accidents all around the world. Some deadly some not so deadly. Typically when an oil rig collapses it is due to some sort of structural failure. Usually caused by certain extreme conditions such
as super storms, hurricanes, and other violent sea conditions. No evidence has ever been brought forth that shows oil rigs collapse due to a fire. In fact, fire has burned on many different oil rigs for weeks at a time. Usually a collapse is due to what is known as a blowout at the sea floor level. Methane gas and crude oil burn at 800 to 1300 degrees F. Steal melts at 2850 degrees F.
The fact that BP executives and a team of four men were on the rig just hours before the disaster, seems very out of place. BLM showed up and only one man flashed his I.D. Witnesses confirm.
Also why would Obama send SWAT teams to other rigs as well as the Deepwater Horizon?
Swat teams were sent to at least 30 rigs. The Intel Hub has also reported on documents found by “TheShowmebby” pertaining to joint U.S. Coast Guard and DHS drills on the exact days of the spill. Can you say another 9/11?
Note: According to Alex Jones, during a commercial for his LIVE Infowars broadcast, he spoke with officer Jack
McLamb, who passed on some startling information. “Jack McLamb has confirmed through his sources that the Bureau of Land Management was involved with planting bombs aboard the Deepwater Horizion oil rig”.
This could be big if McLambs sources are indeed correct. McLambs radio show airs tonight at 5 PM Pacific/ 8 PM Eastern. As of now the Intel Hub is trying to contact McLamb to verify his statement.
The BLM involvement aboard the Deepwater Horizon was first mentioned on The Invisible Hand with Tracy Twyman by Zac Zimmerman of Zimerman Oil Co. The Intel Hub has been working with this same information for awhile and believes it holds some weight. In a May 5, 2010 article we ran titled ” The BP Oil Spill, Horrible Accident Or Well Calculated Plan” which laid out what we knew as of early May.
Another interesting article titled “ Oil Platforms Designed To Burn Forever” points out how it is very uncommon for steel structures to collapse from fire which was also apparent from the 9/11 investigations. Some platforms have been known to burn for weeks with little to no structural damage. [...]"
US to issue new oil drilling ban[06/23/10]
"The US will issue an order for a new moratorium on deep water oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico after a court blocked an earlier ban. [...]"
Note: The judge should have recused himself. See story
further down this page.
MSM: Revealed: Judge who overturned Obama’s offshore moratorium owns drilling stocks[06/23/10]
"The federal judge who overturned Barack Obama's offshore drilling moratorium appears to own stock in numerous companies involved in the offshore oil industry—including Transocean, which leased the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig to BP prior to its April 20 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico—according to 2008 financial disclosure reports," Yahoo News reports. [...]
According to Feldman's 2008 financial disclosure form, posted online by Judicial Watch [PDF
file], the judge owned stock in Transocean, as well as five other companies that are either directly or indirectly involved in the offshore drilling business."
Note: See Oil & Environment link above for related stories.
Video: Jindal hails lifting of drilling moratorium
Book:The Truth About Oil[06/23/10]
"Forget all the protectionist, anti-Arab, environmentalist propaganda against the fuel of industrial civilization, petroleum. Oil is not formed from rotting rotting dinos, and therefore limited. It’s not a “fossil fuel.” The earth produces oil from natural processes deep in our planet. Oil–and natural gas–are constantly being replenished. They represent real renewable energy, unlike, for example, those eery, ear-blasting wind turbine farms. To understand what the regime doesn’t want you to know, read Thomas Gold’s
The Deep Hot Biosphere: The Myth of Fossil
Fuels. " Suppose someone claimed that we are NOT " running out of
petroleum". (because the shortages and supplies are orchestrated to
appear 'as if' that were the case, to keep the price profitable) . . . Or that life on Earth began below the surface, in the dark airless pores of our planet's rocky crust. Or that oil and gas -- so-called "fossil fuels" -- are not the product of biological debris. You might expect to hear statements like these from an author of science fiction. But what if they come from a renowned scientist, someone who has been called "one of the world's most original minds"? In THE DEEP HOT BIOSPHERE, Thomas Gold sets forth truly controversial and astonishing theories: First, he proposes that Earth supports a subterranean organic domain of greater mass and volume than the biosphere -- the total sum of living things -- on its surface. Second, he proposes that the organisms inhabiting this Deep Hot Biosphere are not plants or animals but heat-loving bacteria that survive on a diet of hydrocarbons -- natural gas and petroleum. And third and perhaps most amazingly, he advances the stunning idea that most hydrocarbons on Earth are not "fossil fuels" but part of the primordial "stuff" from which Earth itself was formed some 4.5 billion years ago. The Deep Hot Biosphere may seem difficult to believe at first glance, but its theories are supported by a growing body of evidence, and by the indisputable stature and seriousness Thomas Gold brings to any scientific enterprise. In this book we see a brilliant and boldly original thinker, increasingly a rarity in modern science, as he develops revolutionary conclusions about the fundamental workings of our planet, the origins of life on Earth, the nature of earthquakes, and even the likelihood of life on -- or within -- other planets. [...]"
Note: Interesting reader comments below the book
description. You can now see that "Peak Oil" effects can ONLY be
artificially created. It's NOT that there is any shortage of oil ..... HOWEVER
... the very thing that the movie 'Collapse' talks about can be 'created' by
those who sabotage the oil paradigm. Whether some of those people are those
who hope to profit from Cap and Trade or 'forced replacement of old
technologies' remains to be seen. It puts the Gulf Oil 'disaster' in another,
dual, light -- one that has to do with energy, technology and money ... and
one that makes this another '9/11' type incident that will be used to continue
the dynamic set forth in the original 9/11.
IRS may tax oil
'spill' victims[06/23/10]
"oil spill victims said they were shocked that they may have to pay taxes on federal compensation. [...]"
Commentary: "They Knew: BP Was Trying to Seal Seafloor Cracks in February; White House Was Warned"[06/22/10]
"... BP’s report implies that they were able to fix the problem in February. But if this was no big deal, and the well was functioning properly, then why would Goldman Sachs unload 44% of their shares of stock totaling roughly $250 million? It could have been a normal sale, but if you were an investigator, wouldn’t you be asking questions?
Even if Goldman could explain themselves, what about Mr. Hayward? He is the CEO of BP and cashed in $2 million one month before the ‘accident.’
One viable conclusion is that BP knew that they had made a mistake. Maybe the pressure in the well became uncontrollable. They tried what worked in the past, but it didn’t work this time, perhaps because they were dealing with an unproven drilling approach for those depths and that type of oil. [...]
This does not explain, however, why BP did not get the workers to safety if they knew a disaster was imminent. Anyone who had foreknowledge of an imminent disaster and did not take action to preserve human life should be criminally charged."
Note: They didn't warn the workers because they pretended it
was a 'surprise accident'.
BP Disaster Day 63: Oil Flow to Hit Atlantic on Day 80[06/22/10]
"A computer-generated oil flow map from the National Center for Atmospheric Research shows the oil slick from the BP-caused disaster expanding in the Gulf of Mexico and extending down the Florida Gulf Coast throughout the month. [...]"
Commentary: BP’s Dumb Investors - Critical Analysis[06/22/10]
"The companies now threatening to sue BP have only themselves to blame. Call me a hard-hearted bastard, but I’m finding it difficult to summon up the sympathy demanded by the institutional investors now threatening to sue BP. [...]"
U.S. Shouldn't Have Been Doing Business With BP In The First Place, Analyst Says[06/22/10]
"BP had "a long history of breaking the law" even before causing the ongoing monster oil disaster on the Gulf Coast, and the federal government shouldn't be doing business with such firms, a progressive policy analyst says. BP's situation illustrates the need to enact something called "High Road Contracting" to weed out irresponsible companies, says Karla Walter, senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank in Washington. [...]"
MSNBC Host Admits To Parroting White House Talking Points
on BP Disaster[06/22/10]
"MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski admitted on air this morning that she was repeating White House talking points she had been advised to include in the channel’s news programming regarding the ongoing BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. [...]"
Note: This is Zbigniew
Brzezinski's daughter. That the networks
would remain ignorant of the degree of public knowledge about Brzezinski, and
make her a MSM shill, is amusing. So, the fact that the major networks exist
ONLY to spout government propaganda becomes more transparent to the public
each day, rendering the networks moot. Journalism left the room a long time
ago.
Investigations:BP Oil Gusher[06/21/10]
"Republican candidate: Obama, BP ‘colluded’ to make oil spill happen Bill Randall, a North Carolina Republican candidate for Congress, is calling for a “thorough investigation” into whether
Obama’s administration colluded with BP to allow the Gulf oil spill. “There were procedures that were violated by BP that the federal government signed [...]" Related: States Need To Launch Criminal Investigation Into BP, Federal Government’s Role In Oil Spill
"There can now be no doubt whatsoever that the BP oil spill was purposefully contrived, either through deliberate negligence or outright sabotage, and is now being used to further the Obama administration’s political agenda. [...]" Oil blowout fumes sickening people in
Atlanta--geologist says: "Where are the logs?"
" Chris Landau has made a living as an engineer for decades. South African by birth, American citizen by naturalization and choice, Landau is at odds with many mainstream geologists. He is a proponent of the inorganic oil creation process. This process differs from what we were all taught in school. It poses that oil is the byproduct of natural deep earth processes and that oil doesn't come "from decayed plant matter."
As a product from earth processes, the stuff we call oil contains a variety of toxic, deadly chemicals. Landau says the Gulf catastrophe is caused by an oil well blow out. This is where gas pressure builds up and blows the well head. In this particular case, not only has the well head been blown, but the massive pressure inside the well, driven by a pool of gas that is thousands of miles deep and 20 miles across, have fractured the sea bottom. This has created additional splits in the earth, which allow more oil to bleed out of the earth, like black blood spewing from the earth's arteries.
Landau says this is not a "spill." A spill is finite. This is a blow out, an explosion of oil spewing out of the earth under great pressure. What is spewing out, blasting out with more pressure than we comprehend, is a toxic mixture of various chemicals, some of which can kill you at a mere 400 parts per million. [...]"
Note:A Hole in the World – Naomi Klein
"The Deepwater Horizon disaster is not just an industrial accident – it is a violent wound inflicted on the Earth itself. In this special report from the Gulf coast, a leading author and activist shows how it lays bare the hubris at the heart of capitalism. [...]" Gulf oil spill: BP accused of lying to Congress
"US congressman says company's worst-case assessment of leak was 20 times higher than public estimate [...]"
MSM: Obama officials still approving flawed Gulf drilling plans[06/21/10]
"Despite President Barack Obama's promises of better safeguards for offshore drilling, federal regulators continue to approve plans for oil companies to drill in the Gulf of Mexico with minimal or no environmental analysis. The Department of Interior's Minerals Management Service has signed off on at least five new offshore drilling projects since June 2, when the agency's acting director announced tougher safety regulations for drilling in the Gulf, a McClatchy review of public records has discovered. Three of the projects were approved with waivers exempting them from detailed studies of their environmental impact — the same waiver the MMS granted to BP for the ill-fated well that's been fouling the Gulf with crude for two months. [...]"
BP’s plan: Raise $50 billion, sue business partners[06/21/10]
"BP is trying to raise 50 billion dollars to cover the cost of the Gulf of Mexico spill and is preparing to sue its partners in the oil field, British newspapers said on Sunday.
The Sunday Telegraph said BP is readying to take legal action against US firm Anadarko, its main partner in the field, for its share of the clean-up costs.
The broadsheet cited a "senior BP source" as saying Anadarko was "shirking its responsibilities", not accepting its liabilities and that legal action in the United States is now likely to follow.
The Sunday Times said BP is working on a plan to raise 50 billion dollars to cover the cost of
the oil spill, which would start next week with a bond sale to raise 10 billion dollars.
A further 20 billion dollars would come from bank loans, while the final slice is expected to come from asset sales over the next two years, the broadsheet said. [...]"
Exposé:
Interior
Department's New Oil Industry Watchdog Has No Energy Experience[06/21/10]
"To overhaul federal oversight of offshore drilling, President Obama has turned to a Washington lawyer with a reputation for fixing broken government agencies, but little or no background with energy or environmental issues. [...]"
Methane is Newest BP Oil Spill Threat for Gulf of Mexico[06/21/10]
"The US Geological Survey team estimates that since the April 20th accident on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform that 4.5 billion cubic feet of methane has already been released but the total amount could be as high as 9 billion cubic feet. Scientists are now increasingly worried about the long term effect on maritime life and how long it will take the environment to heal naturally before the habitat restores itself. This is the first time that the lasting negative effects of methane gas have been brought to the attention of the US Government. The focus has always been on the cleanup of the oil spill for which no solution is available immediately but is clearly visible on the shores of the Gulf States. The methane gas problem was put on the backburner initially because it is invisible to the naked eye. That may change very soon as scientists fear that the methane gas spill has far more repercussions on local maritime life than the oil spill. [...]"
Related: Methane could create Gulf 'dead zones'
"The oil emanating from the seafloor contains about 40 percent methane, compared with about 5 percent found in typical oil deposits, said John Kessler, a Texas A&M University oceanographer who is studying the impact of methane from the spill.
That means huge quantities of methane have entered the Gulf, scientists say, potentially suffocating marine life and creating "dead zones" where oxygen is so depleted that nothing lives.
"This is the most vigorous methane eruption in modern human history," Kessler said. [...]"
See'Oil and the Environment" link above for current
related stories.
Commentary: Obama To Earn Nearly $85 Million From Gulf Oil Disasterby Sorcha Faal [06/21/10]
"... Goldman Sachs wasn’t alone either in its astute “foreknowledge” of the collapse of BP’s stock value due to the Gulf disaster as BP’s own chief executive, Tony Hayward, sold about one-third of his shares weeks before this catastrophe began unfolding too.
But according to this FSB report the largest seller of BP stock in the weeks before this disaster occurred was the American investment company known as Vanguard who through two of their financial arms (Vanguard Windsor II Investor and Vanguard Windsor Investor) unloaded over 1.5 million shares of BP stock saving their investors hundreds of millions of dollars, chief among them President Obama.
For though little known by the American people, their President Obama holds all of his wealth in just two Vanguard funds, Vanguard 500 Index Fund where he has 3 accounts and the Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund where he holds another 3 accounts, all six of which the FSB estimates will earn Obama nearly $8.5 million a year and which over 10 years will equal the staggering sum of $85 million.
The FSB further estimates in this report that through Obama’s 3 accounts in the Vanguard 500 Index Fund he stands to make another $100 million over the next 10 years as their largest stock holding is in the energy giant Exxon Mobil they believe will eventually acquire BP and all of their assets for what will be essentially a “rock bottom” price and which very predictably BP has hired Goldman Sachs to advise them on.
Important to note is that none of this wealth Obama, Goldman Sachs, and other American elites is acquiring would be possible without this disaster, all of whom, as the evidence shows, “somehow” knew what was going to happen before it actually did, including the US energy giant Halliburton who 2 weeks prior to this disaster just happened to purchase the World’s largest oil disaster service company Boots & Coots. [...]"
BP Document Estimates Spill At 100,000 Barrels Per Day[06/21/10]
"An internal BP Plc document released on Sunday by a senior congressional Democrat shows that the company estimates that the rate for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill could be about 100,000 barrels of oil per day... [...]"
BP’s Secret Army Of Oil Disaster Contractors[06/21/10]
"Of the 25,000 people responding to the greatest environmental catastrophe in the history of the nation, 21,000 are under contract to the foreign oil giant BP. This private army includes workers shipped in from California making $10 an hour to clean the beaches, ex-military public relations experts, and submarine robotics companies. There are no contractors working directly for the government. The Center for American Progress — like many other outside observers — recommends that the government take over operational control from BP, to resolve conflicts of interest between the foreign corporation’s shareholders and public health and safety. [...]"
Concepts
and Practices: U.S. disaster aid is almost always free of charge; other nations expect the U.S. to pay for help[06/21/10]
"The State Department confirmed that nearly every offer of equipment or expertise from a foreign government since the April 20 oil rig explosion would require the U.S. to reimburse that country.
The offers reveal a hard truth about the United States' international friendships: With the U.S. widely regarded as the world's wealthiest nation, there is a double standard regarding foreign aid after a crisis, especially with offers from relatively poor countries. [...]"
Massive
oil spills appeared yesterday in the Red Sea[06/20/10]
"Red Sea Governor Magdi Qobayessi said that a committee has been
assembled to determine the source of the spill and begin cleaning it up.
Meanwhile, Red Sea Governor Magdi Qobayessi said that a committee has been
assembled to determine the source of the spill and begin cleaning it up.
[...]"
Big Oil – First Nigeria then the World[06/20/10]
"The big oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico is not the first to threaten a people’s way of life. Just ask the Ogoni people from Nigeria’s oil rich central Niger Delta. Their experience over decades offers a model of things to come without serious changes in consumption and regulation. Since the early 1960′s, oil spilled from Shell pipelines has fouled their region. Food and fresh water sources vanished. Their economy collapsed. While Shell and the Nigerian elite reap their rewards, the people in the polluted oil regions live with steadily declining jobs, incomes, and living standards. The amount of oil spilled in just this region during the 1970′s far exceeds that of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. The problem has been continuous since then. Most of it is still sitting there. [...]"
Coast Guard Authorized to Burn Oil Off Florida, Health Notification Issued[06/19/10]
"The Florida Department of Environmental Protection authorized the Coast Guard to burn oil offshore, and the county is warning people of potential health issues. Particulate matter, an airborne mix of very small particles and liquid droplets, may reach the shore, according to an Okaloosa County Health Department news release. [...]"
Report: BP and the Pentagon's Dirty Little Secret [06/19/10]
"... As an institution, the Pentagon runs on oil. Its jet fighters, bombers, tanks,
Humvees, and other vehicles burn 75% of the fuel used by the Department of Defense. For example, B-52 bombers consume 47,000 gallons per mission, and when an F-16 fighter kicks in its afterburners, it burns through $300 worth of fuel a minute. In fact, according to an article in the April 2010 issue of Energy Source, the official newsletter of the Pentagon’s fuel-buying component, the DoD purchases three billion gallons of jet fuel per year....
With anger boiling over in the Gulf, there seemingly could be no more egregious offender or more deserving “ass to kick” than BP’s. “I don’t know of any other oil companies operating in America that are currently on criminal probation,” says Slocum. “I don’t know any other oil companies that recently pled guilty to a felony. I don’t know any other oil companies that appear to have committed numerous acts of negligence that resulted in the largest industrial environmental disaster in American history. BP is an outlier, so it needs to be treated as an outlier.” [...]"
Commentary:Radioactive Oil From BP
Blowout? [06/19/10]
"... There is a large feed from Deep Earth just off the coast of Louisiana. Does this ring any bells? Give you the idea of the scope of the disaster yet?
Deep Earth oil is flooding to the surface and it is contaminated with uranium and thorium.
Similar symptoms of illness are now beginning to occur at the Deepwater Horizon spill site and the resulting oil slick.
It is my conclusion, the oil from Deepwater is Deep Earth oil with elevated levels of radioactivity from Uranium and Thorium that hasn't had the time to decay.
Links to papers [...]"
Gulf
"Spill": Disaster? Or a Well Organized Plan[06/19/10]
"In the last few months, a strange series of events has taken place since surrounding the April 20th BP Gulf oil spill. The Intel Hub will attempt to lay out some of the seemingly unbelievable facts in a manner which can easily be understood.
Between March 22nd and March 24th, several drills involving an oil spill took
place. “Spills Of National Significance” was a drill ran by DHS and the Coast Guard. The SONS documents were first broke by the Intel Hub on May 8, 2010. More than a week later, ABC News would of course take credit for the story.
We now know, through witness testimony, that there were cracks reported in the drill casing two weeks prior to the disaster. Goldman Sachs sold 44% of their total holdings, 4,680,822 shares of BP stock in the first quarter of 2010.
Goldman Sachs earned about $ 266 million on the sale. Apparently, Halliburton also had some psychic insight on what was soon to
come. Eleven days before the explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon, Halliburton purchased an oil spill prevention firm. Halliburton was the lead company in charge of cementing the Deepwater rigs as well.
Just hours before the rig explosion, The Bureau of Land Management took part in a surprise inspection aboard the Deepwater Horizon. Am unannounced, four man team quickly flashed credentials to a supervisor and was then allowed access to the entire rig. Zac Zimmerman reveals in this interview how odd this particular BLM visit really was. Not to
mention, many rigs have burned for weeks at a time without collapsing. Another important fact is that Obama, along with DHS and the Department of the Interior, sent SWAT teams to the gulf to inspect all platforms and rigs. One must question, why would you deploy over 30 SWAT teams in response to an oil spill unless it was an act of terrorism, an act of war, or they if they were sent to carry out some sort of covert operation? [...]"
Related:Republican candidate: Obama, BP ‘colluded’ to make oil spill happen
"Bill Randall, a North Carolina Republican candidate for Congress, is calling for a "thorough investigation" into whether President Barack Obama's administration colluded with BP to allow the Gulf oil spill.
"There were procedures that were violated by BP that the federal government signed off on, safeguards that decades of engineering wherewithal and knowledge told them that this way the way to do it," Randall told reporters earlier this week. "They intentionally bypassed that and the safety was compromised."
Randall continued: "I’m not necessarily a conspiracy person, but I don’t think enough investigation has been done on this. Someone needs to be digging into that situation. Personally, and this is purely speculative on my part and not based on any fact, but personally I feel there is a possibility that there was some sort of collusion."
Though Randall has insisted he doesn't know why the Obama administration would want to do this, his claim came in response to a question about whether he supported President Obama's six-month moratorium on deep-water drilling. That would suggest Randall may be reflecting the views of some conservatives who suspect the oil spill may have been caused on purpose by environmentalists or other people who want to turn public opinion against oil drilling and pass climate-change and green energy legislation.
At a follow-up press conference Thursday, Randall defended his call for an investigation into possible collusion between BP and the federal government but denied that his earlier comments suggested the spill was made to happen or allowed to happen. [...]"
Disaster capitalists: Halliburton to make money off oil spill
[06/19/10] "Does a company that both builds oil rigs and cleans up oil spills have any motivation to prevent oil rig disasters?
That's the question some people in business and politics are asking themselves after Halliburton's purchase of an oil clean-up company 10 days before the Deepwater Horizon explosion that killed 11 workers and launched the worst oil spill in US history.
Some observers see a conspiracy in the actions of the company once headed by Dick Cheney. Halliburton, which built the cement casing for the Deepwater Horizon's drill, announced its purchase of Houston-based oilfield services company Boots and Coots for $240 million on April 9, just 11 days before the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
According to a report at the Christian Science Monitor Friday, Boots and Coots is now under contract with BP to help with the oil spill. The company "focuses on oil spill prevention and blowout response," CSM reports. Halliburton's purchase is not yet a done deal -- it's still awaiting regulatory approval, though few observers think the purchase won't pass muster.
"[Mergers and acquisitions] in the industrial and oil services sectors is totally normal," writes David Anderson at The Inspired Economist, "but the timing in this case, is not. Boots & Coots sure seems like the perfect company to own if it would soon become necessary to get more involved with some oil disaster. [...]"
Analysis:
License To Drill[06/18/10]
"At his long-awaited press conference on the Gulf oil disaster last month, President Obama announced a moratorium on new oil drilling and exploration for six months. In recent weeks, the government has quietly approved the sale of more than 400 new leases for vast swaths of the Gulf of Mexico. And these
contracts— which mark the first step in the drilling process—were subjected to the same slapdash environmental oversight that failed to prevent the BP catastrophe. The region was included in a plan created by the Bush administration's Department of the Interior to lease new areas of the Gulf to the oil and gas industries. But it was Obama's Interior secretary, Ken Salazar, who gave the go-ahead for the sale of Lease 213—6,800 tracts covering 36 million acres off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama in November 2009. The sale—which was held on March 17 this year in the New Orleans Superdome—attracted $1.3 billion in bids. Since then, the Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) has approved the sale of 448 of those tracts, 198 of them in deepwater, which is defined as more than 656 feet below the sea. BP is the proud new leaser of 13 of those tracts. [...]"
Lawmakers look to ban hydrofracking[06/18/10]
"Hydro-Fracking in Marcellus Shale Environmentalists call it a first step. A move by Onondaga County to restrain a drive to begin drilling for natural gas trapped below much of Central New York and the Southern Tier. [...]"
Jesse Woodrow – BP Chief Peter Sutherland exposed[06/18/10]
"Peter Sutherland, a known globalist, stands at the end of at least 7 different new world order front groups. He is
even the chief financial officer for the Vatican! It has been heavily documented that Goldman Sachs placed shorts on the Gulf just days before the Deepwater Horizon Explosion. Did Goldman Sachs get inside information from the chairman of their international subsidiary. who just so happens to be a high ranking member of British Petroleum? He is non-executive Chairman of Goldman Sachs International (a registered UK broker-dealer, a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs). He was previously non-executive chairman of BP and was a director of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group until he was asked to leave the board when it had to be taken over by the UK government to avoid bankruptcy. He also formerly served on the board of ABB. He is on the steering committee of the Bilderberg Group [1], a chairman of the Trilateral Commission[2] and vice chairman of the European Round Table of Industrialists.[3] [...]"
Note: May he die soon, and in irony.
Who Owns BP? Biggest Shareholder is JPMorgan Chase[06/18/10]
"In the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, BP’s stock value has plummeted, prompting news stories identifying the company’s largest investors. Oddly enough, some media outlets have failed to identify the largest BP shareholder: the U.S. investment firm JPMorgan Chase.
According to the European financial database Amadeus, JPMorgan Chase is the No. 1 holder of stock in BP. That distinction also has earned the Wall Street bank the title of “Global Ultimate Owner” of the oil giant, as it owns 28.34% of BP. Next, at 7.99%, is Legal and General Group, a British-based financial services company with assets of more than $350 billion. Another U.S. investment firm, BlackRock Inc., owns 7.1% of BP. Other owners include the governments of Kuwait, Norway, Singapore and China. [...]"
Note:JP Morgan invented CDO's and
derivatives, and they have helped cause EVERY financial problem the US has
ever experienced. Essentially, Wall Street and the Banks control
BP. Related: JP Morgan says "Gulf oil spill will help the economy"
| Oil Spill May End Up Lifting GDP
Slightly | Could the Oil Spill Help the Economy?
| Enough of their delusion: Gulf Oil Spill Could Have Major Economic, Environmental Effects
BP Was Founding Member of ‘Cap-and-Trade’ Lobby [06/17/10]
"There’s a problem: BP was a founding member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership
(USCAP), a lobby dedicated to passing a cap-and-trade bill. As the nation’s largest producer of natural gas, BP saw many ways to profit from climate legislation, notably by persuading Congress to provide subsidies to coal-fired power plants that switched to gas. [...]"
BP engineer called doomed rig a 'nightmare well'[06/17/10]
"BP took measures to cut costs in the weeks before the catastrophic blowout in the Gulf of Mexico as it dealt with one problem after another, prompting a BP engineer to describe the doomed rig as a "nightmare well," according to internal documents released Monday.
The comment by BP engineer Brian Morel came in an e-mail April 14, six days before the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion that killed 11 people and has sent tens of millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf in the nation's worst environmental disaster. [...]"
BP chairman says company cares about ‘the small people’[06/16/10]
"BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said Wednesday the British energy giant cared about the fate of the "small people" hit by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, vowing to look after all affected.
Emerging from White House talks with President Barack Obama, Svanberg said the British energy giant had "always met our obligations and responsibilities."
"We have made clear from the first moment of this tragedy that we will live up to all our legitimate responsibilities," Svanberg said, adding all claims for compensation would be met "swiftly and fairly."
"We will look after the people affected, and we will repair the damage to this region, the environmental damage to this region and to the economy," he added.
Obama said he had urged the BP bosses to remember when they were meeting in the boardroom to "keep in mind those individuals, that they are desperate, may lose business that have been in their families for two or three generations." [...]
"English is a second language for Svanberg, who is Swedish, but reporters took note of his demeaning phrasing, and shouted questions about what he meant after he spoke, which he did not answer," The Huffington Post reported.
However, in Swedish, the words are very similar: "small" is translated as "små."
In a column called "The 'small people' ask, 'WTF?'" NBC News notes, "Reaction has been swift to BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg's declaration that BP cares about 'the small people.' And folks aren't cutting the Swedish-born executive any slack for trying to speak colloquially in a second language.""
Analysis: "From 9/11 to 4/20: BP Gulf Oil Leak and a Planned Course for History"By Justin O’Connell [06/16/10]
"Evidence and September 11th fit well together, like puzzle pieces. The amount of data pointing towards alternative solutions to the who, what, why, and where’s of that fateful day leave many questions officially unanswered; not to mention millions of people perplexed about how their brethren just don’t seem to see what they see. [...]
Just like trades before 9/11 should cause concern and questions, so too do trades made by major players in the days leading up the BP oil leak. Goldman Sachs, a premiere brokerage firm, sold 4,680,822 shares of BP in the first quarter of 2010. Goldman’s sales represented the largest of any firm during that period. If the firms’ shares been sold at the average price of BP’s stock that quarter, it would have gained more than $266 million from its holdings. Had the firm sold those shares today, their investment would have lost 36+ percent on its value; so, roughly $96+ million. Shares sold were 44 percent of Goldman’s position in the Big Oil firm, the largest sales of oil shares in its trading history. Of course, the remaining holdings have lost tens of millions in their value. [...]
"
Sequentials
At Large: Cloud
of Death followed by Tsunami traveling at 400-600 MPH?[06/16/10]
[9:23] "According to Richard C. Hoagland, insider sources in
BP and in U.S. Government say that there is a Gas Bubble 15-20 Miles across
10+ feet high near BP’s oil well head in Gulf of Mexico. It may cause an
explosion with Apocalyptic proportions in weeks or months. The pressure at the
well is 100.000 PSI and when the Gas explodes it will be like Mt. St. Helens
going off underwater. It will create a Cloud of Death and a Tsunami Wave
traveling at 400-600 MPH sinking all Vessels around the area as well as drive
all hazardous materials including the Oil inland. [...]" Part
2[7:44] " Note: Who knows ... this concept could be used to empower an
evacuation scenario ... time will tell.
BP to fund $20bn oil spill payout[06/16/10]
"BP is to place $20bn in an independent fund for victims of the Gulf oil spill and will cancel dividend payments for 2010. [...]"
Commentary: The Sovereign State of BP - Down for the Count?[06/16/10] "British Petroleum has operated as though it were a sovereign state since its inception. When they blew the well at their Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, it never occurred to them that they would have to take orders from anybody. But that may change largely due to their inability to stop the flow of oil after nearly sixty days of gushing.
President Obama was clear in his speech last night. If any entity is going down as a result of the catastrophe, it will be BP. Today, Obama meets with BP's Chairman of the Board, Carl-Henric Svanberg, and the man he told the chairman to fire, Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward.
Two sovereign states will collide. The outcome is a foregone conclusion. [...]"
BP
oil spill Corexit dispersants suspected in widespread crop damage[06/16/10]
"A mysterious “disease” has caused widespread damage to plants from
weeds to farmed organic and conventionally grown crops. There is very strong
suspicion that ocean winds have blown Corexit aerosol plumes or droplets and
that dispersants have caused the unexplained widespread damage or
“disease”. BP’s favorite dispersant Corexit 9500 is being sprayed at the
oil gusher on the ocean floor. Corexit is also being air sprayed across
hundreds of miles of oil slicks all across the gulf. There have been
widespread reports of oil cleanup crews reporting various injuries including
respiratory distress, dizziness and headaches. In a report written by Anita
George-Ares and James R. Clark for Exxon Biomedical Sciences, Inc. titled
“Acute Aquatic Toxicity of Three Corexit Products: An Overview” Corexit
9500 was found to be one of the most toxic dispersal agents ever developed.
[...]"
Venezuela Obtains a Win in
Exxon Mobil Lawsuit[06/16/10]
"Last Thursday the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
(ICSID) ruled in favour of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the lawsuit against it by Exxon Mobil, which was filing for higher compensation following the nationalisation of its share of an Orinoco Oil Belt... [...]"
Who’s Liable for the Gulf Oil Spill? Largely, Taxpayers[06/16/10]
"BP has repeatedly promised to pay all “legitimate claims” for loss and damage as a result of the Gulf oil spill, now vying for the title fourth biggest oil spill in history at 2.3 million barrels of crude over the past two months. And that’s exactly as it should be. But how can the company pay off all the claims it faces? [...]"
Bank of America Ordered Traders: No Oil Deals with BP Beyond June 2011[06/16/10] "Bank of America Merrill Lynch has ordered its traders not to enter into oil trades with BP Plc that extend beyond June 2011, a market source familiar with the directive told Reuters. The order to the bank’s traders came from a high-level executive and was made on Monday, according to a source familiar with it. [...]"
The
Short Clip BP Doesn't Want People to See[06/16/10]
[10:36] "Shot
by Robert M. Young and Edward James Olmos on a trip to the heart of the oil
spill in the Gulf. Edited by Stephen Cohen. Robert Young and I jumped on
a plane and went to the Gulf of Mexico just to lend our support by documenting
what we saw… Well, the people that we met took up all of our time. It
was brutal! I was not ready for the human aspect because no one had prepared
me for it. I thought they would be angry. They are devastated. Take a look at
this video and see for yourself. People are afraid to talk and you will learn
why watching this… [...]"
US oil firms 'unprepared' for major offshore disaster[06/16/10]
"The major oil companies drilling off the US coastline are as unprepared as BP for a major spill, the chairman of a Congressional panel has said. Exxon-Mobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Shell all have identical response plans to BP, Henry Waxman told the House energy and commerce committee. [...]"
US Politics: Climate bill architects Kerry, Lieberman vote against repealing oil industry tax breaks[06/16/10]
"The two chief authors of the Senate energy and climate bill joined 20 other Democrats Tuesday evening to help defeat a motion that would have stripped $35 billion in special tax breaks for big oil companies.
Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) cast their votes against the amendment introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to H.R. 4213, the "American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act." It failed 35-61.
Kerry, the Democrats' designated crusader for clean energy reform and tough emissions regulations, said through a spokesman he was not opposed to the substance of the amendment, but rather the timing at which it was introduced. [...]"
Interviews:
Amy Goodman on Gaza attack, BP oil spill catastrophe and Obama’s wars[06/16/10]
[8:56]
"RT’s Anastasia Churkina sits down for an exclusive interview with award-winning journalist, TV/radio host and author Amy Goodman to talk about all the latest stories the mainstream media has not been too truthful about." [...]"
Note: This is a very good interview.
ROV films oil leak coming from rock cracks on
seafloor [06/16/10]
[4:28]
"Starts off slow - but gets NASTY! ROV films oil leak coming from cracks in a ROCK on the sea floor.
BP denies that oil or gas are leaking from cracks in the sea floor on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.
This is just one of many videos that may prove otherwise. [...]"
BP Gets OK To Burn Off Captured Oil, Gas At Sea[06/16/10]
"BP won permission to start burning oil and gas piped up from its broken seafloor well as part of a pledge to more than triple how much crude it stops from spewing into the Gulf of Mexico.
Federal authorities gave permission late Monday for BP PLC to use a new method that involves pumping oil from the busted wellhead to a special ship on the surface, were it would be burned off rather than collected. [...]"
Note: I don't see any talk of 'carbon credits' ... Water on Fire: Controlled Burns of Spilled Oil[06/16/10]
" [...]"
BP Hires Blackstone Group, Goldman Sachs To Defend Itself Against Takeover Attempts[06/16/10]
"BP has hired two banks to defer any kind of takeover attempt a rival company (like ExxonMobil, perhaps) would make.
Similarly, Dow Jones newswires claim that the aforementioned banks could be Goldman Sachs and Blackstone Group, the same guys who took Nalco public, you know, that company that manufactures the lethal and controversial Corexit 9500 dispersant. [...]"
Gulf Oil Disaster Updates June 15th[06/15/10]
"Plans to burn hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil from BP’s blown-out well are raising new questions about the health and safety of the thousands of workers on rigs and vessels near the spill site.
BP and the federal government are in new territory once again in dealing with the nation’s worst environmental disaster: There’s never been such a huge flaring of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, or possibly anywhere.
The incineration of such huge amounts of oil combined with the black clouds of smoke already wafting over the Gulf waters from controlled burns of surface oil create pollution hazards for the estimated 2,000 people working in the area. [...]"
Foreign flagging of offshore rigs skirts U.S. safety rules[06/15/10]
"The Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico was built in South Korea. It was operated by a Swiss company under contract to a British oil firm. Primary responsibility for safety and other inspections rested not with the U.S. government but with the Republic of the Marshall Islands — a tiny, impoverished nation in the Pacific Ocean.
Now, as the government tries to figure out what went wrong in the worst environmental catastrophe in U.S. history, this international patchwork of divided authority and sometimes conflicting priorities is emerging as a crucial underlying factor in the explosion of the rig. [...]"
How the Jones Act and Labor Unions are Blocking Oil Spill Cleanup [06/15/10]
[2:39]
"June 11, 2010 report by Fox News' Brian Wilson on how the 1920 Jones Act is preventing friendly countries from helping us clean up the Gulf Oil Spill.
Wilson asks James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation why this is so: After 50 plus days of oil flowing freely into the gulf, the question could be asked: Why do effective and proven foreign clean up ships remain on the sidelines? Carafano believes it may have something to do with the Obama administration's close relationship with labor unions.
"Cause this is a big thing for unions," Carafano said. "The unions see it as ... protecting jobs. They hate when the Jones Act gets waived, and they pound on politicians when they do that. So ... are we giving in to unions and not doing everything we can, or is there some kind of impediment that we don't know about? [...]"
Democracy Now:Rolling Stone: How Obama Let the World’s Most Dangerous Oil Company Get Away with Murder[06/14/10] Video clip
"An extensive new investigation into the Obama administration’s handling of the BP oil spill disaster reveals that it was government mismanagement, delays and absence of oversight that allowed the crisis to spiral out of control. In the article "The Spill, the Scandal, and the President," Rolling Stone’s Tim Dickinson writes, "Though George W. Bush paved the way for the catastrophe, it was Obama who gave BP the green light to drill." Dickinson explores how Interior Secretary Ken Salazar kept in place the oil industry-friendly environmental guidelines that Bush had implemented and ultimately let BP, an oil company with the worst safety record, to get away with murder. [...]"
Note: [includes rush transcript]
Oil Hurricanes May Cause Toxic Rain and Food Security Issues[06/14/10]
"What do you get when you mix a hurricane with an oil spill? How about the potential for a stronger hurricane, higher hurricane winds, toxic rain, and oil infused storm surges. Or, for those of you who prefer a little doom in your forecast, perhaps you’d like to hear that the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources believes “that the BP gas leak is going to become ‘the worst environmental catastrophe in all of human history threatening the entire eastern half of the North American continent with ‘total destruction’.” [...]"
Alabama Beaches Filled with Waves of Oil[06/14/10]
"Thousands of people lined Gulf Shores beaches this afternoon, but almost none dared even put a toe in the water. In some sections, large pools of black oil sat on the shoreline. As far east or west as the eye could see, oil stained the white sands. Small groups of workers took turns for hours shoveling clumps of the oil into black plastic bags. But as quickly as they dug, the The smell of oil hung in the hot, humid air. Eastward, under the Gulf State Park Pier, gobs of oil hit posts and covered white boom in the area. Over Perdido Pass, to the east beyond orange boom, there appeared to be no oil in the water, though pebble-sized tarballs were sprinkled in the sand. Outside the
Flora-Bama at the Florida state line, swimmers cooled off in the area where oil was not present. oil washed ashore -- in sheets, in globs, with each successive, dark wave. [...]"
UT: Massive cleanup effort underway after oil leak in Red Butte Canyon[06/13/10]
"A massive effort is underway to clean up the damage left behind when a Chevron pipeline leaked up to 21,000 gallons of oil into Salt Lake City waterways Saturday. [...]"
Related: Residents to Chevron: Clean up the mess
"A leak from Chevron's underground oil pipeline may have gone undetected for hours as it spilled 50 gallons of crude a minute Saturday into Salt Lake City's Red Butte Creek.
"This is extremely harmful," said disgusted resident Peter G. Hayes, a biology teacher who showed oily rocks from his creek-side home to Chevron officials at Liberty Park. "I want to know when are you going to send someone to my backyard and clean up my mess because I can't even live in my house because of the smell."
Chevron pledged to clean up the 6-mile mess, but the company could not quantify the damage. [...]"
UK:
How BlueDog Boys kept Obama's boot off neck of BP's U.S. partner
Transocean[06/13/10]
"The American owners of the drilling rig at the centre of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill have been involved in nearly three-quarters of all significant safety incidents on rigs in the region since 2008, according to new figures.
Transocean, the world’s largest rig operator, has so far avoided much of the fall-out from the environmental disaster heaped on BP by President Obama and members of Congress following the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
But an analysis of government data reveals it has a highly questionable safety record. [...]"
Australia:70,000 litres of petrol spilt at mine[06/13/10]
"The Northern Territory Department of Resources says it is investigating an unleaded fuel spill at the Rio Tinto Alcan alumina mine and refinery at
Nhulunbuy, on the Gove Peninsula. [...]"
BP seeks to limit liabilities in “truce” with White House[06/13/10]
"In a White House meeting next week, BP will reportedly seek an agreement with the Obama
administration that will limit liabilities in return for a temporary delay of a scheduled dividend. [...]"
Note: How crass and insane these people are. The fractured
logic and lack of reason. The criminal complicity .... between corporations
...
Commentary: Brits Freak Out About Anti-British Mass-Strike Ferment In U.S.[06/12/10]
The British government and media are freaking out about the mounting rage in the United States against BP, and, as they well understand, against the British Empire in general. The Wall Street Journal wrote on Friday that "In a series of telephone calls BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward has lobbied the U.K. government to put more pressure on the U.S. government to dial back the aggressive rhetoric coming out of Washington. Mr. Osborne offered the first public sign of British government support for BP on Thursday amid heightened criticism in the U.S.... Mr. Cameron, who has been under pressure to bat for BP, spoke with BP Chairman
Carl-Henric Svanberg, who had also earlier met with U.K. Treasury Chief George Osborne and other senior officials at Downing Street."
London Mayor Boris Johnson said the (anti-British) remarks are "slightly worrying. I do think that it starts to become a matter of national concern if a great British company is being continually beaten up on the international airwaves," he said. "Ultimately [BP] cannot be faulted because, I'm sorry, it was an accident that took place, and BP, I think, is paying a very, very heavy price indeed."
Damian Reece of the London Telegraph tried to blame Obama's lame effort to cover his ass as "intemperate outbursts:" "Obama's increasingly intemperate outbursts against the company are sufficiently damaging as to prove counter-productive. He seems not to understand the power of his words, which for an occupant of the Oval Office is worrying. Let's ignore the interests of U.K. shareholders for the moment. Why is Obama so apparently keen to test to destruction a company 35% owned by his own citizens? Why is he willing to undermine his country's biggest domestic oil and gas producer?"
" [...]" Related:
Obama, British PM Cameron to discuss the trouble with BP
Scientists Warn Gulf Of Mexico Sea Floor Fractured Beyond Repairby Sorcha Faal [06/10/10]
"A dire report circulating in the Kremlin today that was prepared for Prime Minister Putin by Anatoly Sagalevich of Russia's Shirshov Institute of Oceanology warns that the Gulf of Mexico sea floor has been fractured “beyond all repair” and our World should begin preparing for an ecological disaster “beyond comprehension” unless “extraordinary measures” are undertaken to stop the massive flow of oil into our Planet’s eleventh largest body of water.
Most important to note about Sagalevich’s warning is that he and his fellow scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences are the only human beings to have actually been to the Gulf of Mexico oil leak site after their being called to the disaster scene by British oil giant BP shortly after the April 22nd sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform.
BP’s calling on Sagalevich after this catastrophe began is due to his being the holder of the World’s record for the deepest freshwater dive and his expertise with Russia’s two Deep Submergence Vehicles MIR 1 and MIR 2 [photo below] which are able to take their crews to the depth of 6,000 meters (19,685 ft). [...]
What does Schlumberger know about the Deep Water Horizon Accident?[06/12/10]
"On May 19th Reuters ran a story about employees of Shlumberger leaving the rig of the Deepwater Horizon the very same day of the catastrophe...
...BP contracted Schlumberger (SLB) to run the Cement Bond Log (CBL) test that was the final test on the plug that was skipped. The people testifying have been very coy about mentioning this, and you'll see why.
SLB is an extremely highly regarded (and incredibly expensive) service company. They place a high standard on safety and train their workers to shut down unsafe operations. [...]"
BP Oil Disaster Could Hit Europe Via the Powerful Gulf Stream Current[06/12/10]
"A cursory look at a map of the Gulf Stream shows that the oil is not just going to cover the beaches in the Gulf, it will spread to the Atlantic coasts up through North Carolina then on to the North Sea and Iceland. And beyond the damage to the beaches, sea life and water supplies, the Gulf stream has a very distinct chemistry, composition (marine organisms), density, temperature. What happens if the oil and the dispersants and all the toxic compounds they create actually change the nature of the Gulf Stream? No one can rule out potential changes including changes in the path of the Gulf Stream, and even small changes could have huge impacts. Europe, including England, is not an icy wasteland due to the warming from the Gulf Stream. [...]"
Commentary: Gulf Coast Evacuation Contingency Plans Soon to Go Operational?[06/11/10]
"Steve Quayle has basically confirmed what we have reported and added some very important information to the equation. People really need to look into this, especially if you are in the Gulf. The Intel Hub is asking any chemist to get a hold of us or get a hold of Mr. Quayle as soon as possible. A chemist may be able to predict when these evacuations may happen. I am also asking anyone from Louisiana to contact me immediately. I did not post this to cause fear in anyway. Everyone should look into this on their own and make an educated decision on their next move. The Intel Hub is not telling people to get out of the Gulf, that is a decision that each individual must make on their own. [...]
The operational name for the Gulf Coast Evacuation is “Swift Fox”. Yesterday morning at around 8:30 Mountain time, I received information that specific towns, in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Georgia were having hotel rooms rented in mass by different named “Societies” using Federal government credit cards. The block hotel room rentals are for half the available rooms in hotels with a minimum of 120 rooms. Specific conversations were “overheard” that would indicate that the planned Gulf Coast evacuation is soon to be implemented. The only scenario I hear that may force the government to evacuate the coast is a multiple plume situation. Apparently, the unmitigated oil spilling has caused a pressure flux which, ironically, has caused a spider web network of Gulf seabed fissures, which has caused at least one other confirmed oil plume. NOAA is searching for two more suspected ones”. This quote is from an insider who is really concerned as he should be. Here’s additional info he provided. His comments in the following quote: “I know FEMA has already scoped out FEMA camp locations, i.e. vacant lots and swaths of land that can be leased temporarily in Texas and Georgia”.
The inside guy said it is up to the President to give the go-signal. There is an evacuation plan drafted and in place, ready for execution only *if* the administration deems it necessary. That can happen two ways. FEMA makes an emergency declaration with recommendation to POTUS (President of the US) for an evacuation or 2/3 of the Gulf States request federal help for an
evac. States can individually declare an evacuation of their Gulf residents, but that would be a state action only, not
FEMA/Federal”. [...] " |Governor of Louisiana: National Guard staging for “effort to evacuate” communities impacted by oil spill
"Currently, our Soldiers and Airmen are staging for and are engaged in the planning of the effort to evacuate and provide security and clean up for the coastal communities expected to be impacted by the oil spill. They are engaged in the protection of vital infrastructure to include medical facilities, fuel distribution, interstate highways, water-ice distribution and power facilities which are all vital to the recovery of coastal Louisiana." [...]"
Rahm Emanuel's Ties to BP, Add To His Growing Problems[06/11/10]
"White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's ties to British Petroleum have now added to his problems and those of Barack Obama. While the Obama administration's subservience to BP is not explained by Emanuel's ties, the ties are nonetheless coherent with an administration that does the bidding of the British Empire, despite the recent spate of method-acting expressions of anger. [...]"
BP Gulf Spill May Top 100,000 Barrels Per Day[06/11/10]
"One of the members of Obama's own Flow Rate Technical Group, Dr. Ira
Leifer, has told the London Timesonline that the BP Gulf oil spill may top 100,000 barrels a day. Dr.
Leifer, who is a researcher in the Marine Science Institute at the University of California, and a member of the technical group, said that BP's operation to cut the leaking pipe and cap it with a new containment device last week may have increased the surge of oil not by 20 percent as BP and the White house had warned may happen, but several times over. [...]"
Blind, Dumb and Stupid: Louisiana Business Challenges Moratorium On Offshore Drilling[06/11/10]
"An offshore oil-drilling support business has challenged the 6-month moratorium on deepwater drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf in Federal Court. Hornbeck Offshore Services claims that all 33 oil rigs affected by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's moratorium had "previously satisfied the rigors" of the Minerals Management Service's permitting process. The drilling moratorium was a response to BP's catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. [...]"
Toxic Corexit dispersant chemicals remained secret as feds colluded with Big Business[06/11/10]
"After weeks of silence on the issue, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally decided to go public with the list of ingredients used to manufacture
Corexit, the chemical dispersant used by BP in the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. There are two things about this announcement that deserve our attention: First, the ingredients that have been disclosed are extremely toxic, and second, why did the EPA protect the oil industry's "trade secrets" for so long by refusing to disclose these ingredients until now? [...]"
Oil spill reaches Alabama, Florida inland waterway[06/11/10]
"Scientists released a significantly higher estimate of the amount of oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico, poisoning the environment and damaging the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people. [...]"
Note: I'll bet they did.
Coast Guard Admiral Sees Game Changer as Oil Awaits Atlantic Hurricanes[06/11/10]
"Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary E. Landry was up early on Saturday, April 24, preparing to brief news reporters on the deadly explosion at the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig when BP Plc called with bad news: The well was leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico, 5,000 feet below the surface.
She dashed off an e-mail to inform several admirals about the leak that was destined to become the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history. In the subject line she typed, “GAME CHANGER.”
After serving 42 days as the coordinator of the U.S. government’s response to the undersea gusher, Landry is now preoccupied with planning for a second potential game-changing event: the Atlantic hurricane season that began June 1. The government forecasts more storms than normal, increasing the risk of delays and complications in a response effort already pockmarked with failures.
“This adds a new dimension of complexity that nobody anticipated,” said Landry, 53, head of the Coast Guard’s Eighth District, a command that spans 26 states and is located in New Orleans.[...]"
Corexit Linked to the Blackstone Group & Lord Jacob Rothschild[06/11/10]
"Regardless of whether the Deepwater Horizon Disaster is an accident or a False Flag Event, the inescapable truth is that the United States is faced with a disaster of unprecedented proportions. The quantity of oil being released into the Gulf of Mexico is uncertain, although it is safe to say that it is in the millions of gallons and covers thousands of square miles.
The purpose of this article is to inform, educate and warn the reader of what is probably about to take place, and what steps might be taken to deal with this emergency as it may develop over the next few weeks and months .
The statements within this article are factual, but by no means complete, and there will be updates when possible. One thing is for certain, the Gulf of Mexico region now contains millions of gallons of oil that IS going to spread to other parts of the Gulf of Mexico as well as along the East Coast of the United States. [...]"
Coast Guard’s Expert: “There will be oil off the coast of Miami shortly, if it’s not already there. It’s happening”[06/11/10]
" There will be oil off the coast of Miami shortly, if it’s not already there. It’s happening,” says Dr. Robert H. Weisberg, director of the University of South Florida Ocean Circulation Group in the school’s College of Marine Science. And Weisberg says he has the forecasts to prove it–four of them to be exact. The latest updates to those forecast has oil from the Gulf spill showing up in the Gulf Stream off the coast of Miami today. [...]"
Video: U.S. fury at BP faces British backlash[06/11/10]
"With BP's falling stock price dealing a huge blow to millions of British stockholders, many investors have accused President Obama of holding his boot on the throat of British pensioners by being so vocal in his attacks on BP. NBC's Dawna Friesen reports. (Nightly News) [...]"
BP's Perjury Corner - Hardball With Mike Papantonio[06/11/10]
[4:59]
"As oil continues to gush from the BP site in the Gulf of Mexico, so do the lies coming from the BP spin machine.
Attorney Mike Papantonio is working to hold British Petroleum accountable for the damage that they are causing the environment, and working on a class action suit against BP on behalf of families suing BP, as well as to expose the lies that BP continues to feed the news media.
Here's Mike's latest appearance on Hardball with Chris Matthews .. [...]"
|BP accused of 'lack of integrity'
"US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accuses BP of a "lack of integrity" when it made its original case to drill deep in the Gulf of Mexico. [...]"
Oil disaster could cost Florida 200,000 jobs[06/11/10]
"If Florida suffers a nightmare scenario of oil soaking its Gulf Coast, the economic cost could top $10 billion and put about 195,000 people out of work, according to a new report.
The grim estimates from a University of Central Florida economist involve fairly simple math: Take the value of tourism on Florida’s western coast and cut it in half.
The economist, Sean Snaith, said a 50 percent drop in tourism and related spending seemed reasonable should Florida suffer a massive, direct hit from the Gulf oil spill. Still, he acknowledged it’s hard to predict the consequences of a nightmare scenario. [...]"
Scientist Awed by Size, Density of Undersea Oil Plume in Gulf[06/10/10]
"Vast underwater concentrations of oil sprawling for miles in the Gulf of Mexico from the damaged, crude-belching BP PLC well are unprecedented in "human history" and threaten to wreak havoc on marine life, a team of scientists said today, a finding confirmed for the first time by federal officials.
Researchers aboard the F.G. Walton Smith vessel briefed reporters on a two-week cruise in which they traced an underwater oil plum 15 miles wide, 3 miles long and about 600 feet thick. The plume's core is 1,100 to 1,300 meters below the surface, they said.
"It's an infusion of oil and gas unlike anything else that has ever been seen anywhere, certainly in human history," said Samantha Joye of the University of Georgia, the expedition leader. [...]" |
Government scientists confirm massive oil plumes
"Government scientists on Tuesday confirmed the existence of massive underwater plumes of oil creating large oxygen-starved and poisoned “dead zones” in the Gulf. [...]"
SWAT Teams Dispatched To 29 Oil Drilling Platforms Early On[06/10/10]
"Obama’s Interior Department dispatched SWAT teams to 29 platforms in the Gulf early on. Why would SWAT be dispatched to oil rigs if the Deepwater Horizon was just an accident? This raises many questions. Such as fires have been known to burn for weeks on platforms without any signs of collapse. Also the involvement of the BLM on the rig two hours before the explosion raises some questions. Aparently a four man inspection team showed up to the Deepwater Horizon hours before the explosion. [...]"
BP Accounts for 97% of Flagrant Violations At U.S. Refineries in Last 3 Years[06/10/10]
"In an article entitled "Renegade Refiner: OSHA Says BP Has Systemic Safety Problem" by Jim Morris and M.B. Pell, written on May 16 for the Center for Public Integrity, the willful criminal negligence of BP is documented with a vengeance. According to OSHA, two refineries owned by oil giant BP account for 97 percent of all flagrant violations found in the refining industry by government safety inspectors over the past 3 years. Most of BP's citations were classified as "egregious willful" by OSHA. [...]"
Evergreen Air is dropping chemicals over the oil spill[06/10/10]
"On May 19th, The Waco Tribune Herald reported that an Evergreen Air Supertanker 747 had trained at Texas State Technical College-Waco, where it flew 100 feet in the air and dropped water on targets applied to the ground. Evergreen Air was training for its planed run to fly over the spill while dropping a substance that could break up oil that threatens to damage the coastline. As we all know the chemicals being used underwater are considerably worse than the oil itself. It is now safe to say that the chemicals that were dropped from the air are just as bad, if not worse. It is possible that the fly overs are still happening at this very moment.
The Tribune was quoted as saying, “What makes the Evergreen Supertanker special is its size and the amount of chemical it could drop with a single flight.” Evergreen air has this ability due to its special outfitting set up to spray our once clear skies with chemicals such as barium and aluminum. There are many privately owned companies involved in covert operations and Evergreen Air seems to pop up on a somewhat frequent level. Most likely, this is due to its use in other covert activities such as flying known mainstream media shills and dictators around the world.
Evergreen Air also works hand in hand with the U.S. Forest Service, who frequently use Evergreen to drop fire retardant on forest fires.
As The Intel Hub has reported on in the past, Evergreen Air is a known CIA front and has been heavily involved in spraying chemtrails across America. [...]"
Sanders Amendment Would Repeal Big Oil Tax Breaks[06/10/10]
"Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today proposed repealing more than $35 billion in oil and gas industry tax breaks. Sanders's amendment would invest $10 billion of the savings in the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. The remaining $25 billion would reduce the federal deficit. [...]"
BP suffers $1bn setback in Siberia[06/10/10]
"The political storm engulfing BP intensified yesterday as the group came under renewed pressure on its Russian front.
Gazprom, the Kremlin-controlled gas monopoly, has raised new questions over the future of a giant gasfield in Siberia controlled by the British group’s Russian joint venture
TNK-BP. [...]"
Another Gulf oil spill: Well near Deepwater Horizon has leaked since at least April 30k[06/09/10]
"The Deepwater Horizon is not the only well leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico for the last month.
A nearby drilling rig, the Ocean Saratoga, has been leaking since at least April
30, according to a federal document. While the leak is decidedly smaller than the Deepwater Horizon spill, a 10-mile-long slick emanating from the Ocean Saratoga is visible from space in multiple images gathered by
Skytruth.org, which monitors environmental problems using satellites. [...]"
Oil Spill Described
as Thousands of Small Spills[06/09/10]
"The massive oil spill devastating the Gulf of Mexico has turned into "hundreds of thousands of smaller spills going different directions," Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen told reporters at a White House press conference Monday. "We're adapting to an enemy that changes," he said. [...]"
US mandates new safety rules for offshore drilling[06/09/10]
"US authorities Tuesday ordered offshore drilling rigs to implement new safety measures in the wake of the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The new directive from the Interior Department allows shallow-water drilling -- in depths of up to 500 feet (150 meters) -- to continue if rigs are in compliance with the safety rules.
The new rules call for certification from a professional engineer before beginning any new drilling operations.
They also call for new procedures for well casing and cement and at least two independent tested barriers for the well, and third-party verification of the blowout preventer -- the device that failed in the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon operation.
"Oil and gas from the Outer Continental Shelf remains an important component of our energy security as we transition to the clean energy economy, but we must ensure that offshore drilling is conducted safely and in compliance with the law," said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. [...]"
"Evidence Points To BP Oil Spill False Flag"[06/09/10]
"- Sales of shares and stocks in days and weeks beforehand - Halliburton link, acquisition of cleanup company days before explosion
- BP report cites undocumented tampering with well sealing equipment - Government uses disaster to push for Carbon Tax, Nationalization talk.
Troubling evidence surrounding the Deepwater Horizon explosion on April 20th suggests that the incident could have been manufactured.
On April 12th, just over one week before the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, Halliburton, the world’s second largest oilfield services corporation, surprised some by acquiring Boots & Coots, a relatively small but vastly experienced oil
well control companies. The company deals with fires and blowouts on oil rigs and oil wells. It was responsible for putting out roughly one third of the more than 700 oil well fires set in Kuwait by retreating Iraqi soldiers during the Gulf War.
The deal itself is still under scrutiny with Boots and Coots facing an ongoing investigation into “possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of state law”
Where this information gets really interesting is with the fact that Halliburton is named in the majority of some two dozen lawsuits filed since the explosion by Gulf Coast people and businesses who claim that the company is to blame for the disaster.
Halliburton was forced to admit in testimony at a congressional hearing last month that it carried out a cementing operation 20 hours before the Gulf of Mexico rig went up in flames. The lawsuits claim that four Halliburton workers stationed on the rig improperly capped the well. [...]"
Senator confirms reports that wellbore is pierced; oil seeping from seabed in multiple places[06/08/10]
"Senator Bill Nelson was interviewed by Andrea Mitchell this morning on MSNBC and confirmed reports of oil seeping up from additional leak points on the seafloor.
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL): "Andrea we’re looking into something new right now, that there’s reports of oil that’s seeping up from the seabed… which would indicate, if that’s true, that the well casing itself is actually pierced… underneath the seabed. So, you know, the problems could be just enormous with what we’re facing."
[...]" See Video clip[4:00]
Starts at 2 min 30 sec into the tape where Nelson says these things. A report confirms that Senator Nelson’s office is “fully aware of the breaking news and significance of what the Senator said to Andrea Mitchell.
Nelson is not the first to mention reports of a rupture in the wellbore. See BPs findings show fracture in the wellbore
, Wall Street Journal, June 2. Halliburton made the cement casings on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, and some experts have said the casings contributed to the cause of the disaster. Halliburton, in congressional testimony, has said it followed the orders of BP.
Related:Halliburton campaign donations spike
"As Congress investigated its role in the doomed Deep Horizon oil rig, Halliburton donated $17,000 to candidates running for federal office, giving money to several lawmakers on committees that have launched inquiries into the massive spill.
The Texas-based oil giant’s political action committee made 14 contributions during the month of May, according to a federal campaign report filed Wednesday — 13 to Republicans and one to a Democrat. It was the busiest donation month for Halliburton’s PAC since September 2008. [...]"
The Next Deepwater Horizon? : Mother Jones[06/08/10]
"BP's other major Gulf operation, the Atlantis, which sits 124 miles off the Louisiana coast. Kenneth Abbott, a project control supervisor BP contracted to work on the Atlantis, and the environmental group Food & Water Watch filed suit against the federal government on May 17 seeking a temporary injunction to force the Minerals Management Service (MMS) to shut down the platform. Abbott claims that his contract was terminated shortly after he alerted management to the rig's lack of crucial engineering documents in late 2008. According to Abbott, the BP Atlantis lacks more than 6,000 documents that are key to operating the rig safely. Abbott has said that the vast majority of the project's subsea piping and instrument diagrams were not approved by engineers, and the safety systems are out of date. An internal BP email that came out in the course of Abbott's dispute refers to the potential for "catastrophic operator errors" on the rig due to these lapses. The suit argues that without these documents, the rig operators "are flying blind, and have no way to assure the safety of offshore drilling operations." The Atlantis, which produces 200,000 barrels of oil a day, operates 7,000 feet below the sea surface—2,000 feet deeper than the Deepwater rig. That suggests that if a blowout occurred, the Atlantis could release far more oil than the Deepwater well. [...]"
The Amount Of Neurotoxin Pesticide Corexit Sprayed By BP Tops 1 Million Gallons[06/08/10]
"BP’s latest oil spill response update for June 4th says the total amount of the dispersant used in the Gulf of Mexico more than 1,021,000 gallons.
But what most people don’t know is that the active ingredient of the toxic chemical dispersant, which is up to 60% by volume, being sprayed by BP to fight the Gulf oil spill is a is a neurotoxin pesticide that is acutely toxic to both human and aquatic life, causes cancer, causes damage to internal organs such as the liver and kidneys simply by absorbing it through the skin and may cause reproductive side effects.
In fact the neurotoxin pesticide that is lethal to 50% of life in concentrations as little as 2.6 parts per million has been banned for use in the UK since 1998 because it failed the UK “Rocky shore test” which assures that the dispersant does not cause a “significant deleterious ecological change” – meaning it can delete an ecology or more specifically delete the entire food chain.
Corexit has also earned the highest EPA warning label for toxicity which means the effects of the toxic chemicals to the eye are corrosive resulting in irreversible destruction of ocular tissue and other tissue with corneal involvement along with an burning that can persist for more than 21 days and effects to human skin are corrosive resulting in tissue destruction into the dermis and/or scarring. [...]"
Russia’s Scientists:
'Toxic Rain From Oil Spill Will Ravage America'[06/08/10]
"Russia’s top scientists have informed their president that they expect toxic rain from the Gulf oil spill to destroy the eastern coast of the United States. They also believe that BP’s use of a chemical dispersal agent at the spill site is hiding just how bad the spill really is. Er, here’s hoping they’re wrong? From the EU Times: [...]"
BP gets break on dumping in Lake
Michigan[06/08/10]
"The massive BP oil refinery in Whiting, Ind., is planning to dump significantly more ammonia and industrial sludge into Lake Michigan, running counter to years of efforts to clean up the Great Lakes. [...]"
Texas: Hood County Oil Well Explosion – 3 dead 2 missing[06/08/10]
"According to Reuters, an oil well has exploded in Hood County, Texas. It looks more like an electric company was digging to put electrical poles into the ground and they hit a 36″ transfer line. Reports are coming in that 3 people have died and 2 are confirmed missing. There appears to be a power pole laying next to the explosion. The explosion is approximately 10 miles from Glen Rose.
The blast erupted at about 3 p.m. at 2101 County Road 1120 in Hood County, south of Fort Worth. Flames could be seen from 30 miles away and were hundreds of feet high.
The Intel Hub will be monitoring this story as it develops. I bet the burning vehicles do not belong to the gas company. The explosion started a brush fire that has consumed close to 300 acres so far.
A witness I spoke with had this to say “here it was like a big sonic boom and places rattled and then it was humming for awhile” Another person stated that he thought it was Thunder at first.
Reports are also coming in that the company involved is Enterprise Products Partners. This is now a confirmed report. The company involved was Enterprise. Enterprise has personally confirmed that they are the company that owned the gas line. [...]"
Note: Neptune ... sigh .. oil and gas ...
West VA:Gas well explosion send flames 70 feet high[06/08/10]
"A crew drilling a natural gas well through an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle hit a pocket of methane gas that somehow ignited, triggering an explosion that burned seven workers, a state inspector said Monday.
The blast created a column of flame at least 70 feet high, and it will likely burn until a team of well fire experts can reach the scene to extinguish it, said Bill Hendershot, an inspector with the Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Oil and Gas.
The fire is in a rural area outside Moundsville, about 55 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, and presents no danger to any structures or people, Hendershot said. [...]"
Power and Water Problems Loom for Florida as Oil Threat Lurks Off Shoreby Wayne Madsen [06/08/10]
"Informed emergency planning sources in Florida have informed WMR that the state faces severe fresh water shortages and power blackouts if the thick crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster clogs sea water intakes at the largest seawater desalinisation plant in the United States -- the Tampa Bay Seawater Desalinisation Plant at Apollo Beach in Tampa, Florida. The plant, which uses seawater reverse osmosis to turn seawater into 16 to 19 million gallons of drinking water daily for residents of the Tampa Bay area, faces the threat of filtration membranes becoming clogged if oil from the Gulf of Mexico enters its intake pipes. Such an event would render the plant unable to process seawater, resulting in a major fresh water shortage for the Tampa Bay. Similarly, oil clogging the water cooling intakes at the Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant on the Gulf of Mexico coast, some 80 miles north of Tampa, could force the shutdown of the Unit 3 pressurized water nuclear reactor. Such an event would result in power shutdowns in the Florida areas served by the power plant. The Obama administration has taken a page from the government of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Chernobyl in censoring the bad news from the Gulf oil mega-disaster. The Chernobyl cover-up largely resulted in the hastening of glasnost and the ultimate collapse of the Soviet Union. [...]"
Note: See the "Oil Disasters" Big News page
link in the Special Articles panel for related developments.
Many Gulf federal judges have oil links[06/07/10]
"More than half of the federal judges in districts where the bulk of Gulf oil spill-related lawsuits are pending have financial connections to the oil and gas industry, complicating the task of finding judges without conflicts to hear the cases. [...]"
Exposé: Top PR firm for BP tied to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel[06/07/10]
Commentary: "Over at The Next Right, the've pieced together some interesting connections about the White House's ties to British Petroleum, better known as the company currently polluting the Gulf of Mexico. We all know Obama was the biggest recipient of BP's campaign cash in Washington, but it seems BP's ties to the White House run even deeper.
According to The Next Right, PR firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner "helped BP plan and evaluate its successful re-branding campaign, focusing the company's branding on energy solutions, including the development of solar and other renewable energy sources."
The firm's Stanley Greenberg is married to Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. There was something of a flap last year when it was pointed out that White house Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had been living in the couple's Capitol Hill townhouse, resulting in a lot of questions about whether or not this arrangement violated congressional ethical guidelines.
Further, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee paid Greenberg's firm some $500,000 in 2006 and 2008 while Emanuel was living with Greenberg, and Emanuel was even in charge of the DCCC during the 2006 election cycle.
And I'd be willing to bet that BP has paid Greenberg Quinlan Rosner a lot more than that. I doubt I'm the only one who thinks that BP's relationship with the White House might be a little too close for comfort."
The Amount Of Neurotoxin Pesticide Corexit Sprayed By BP Tops 1 Million Gallons[06/07/10]
"Corexit is lethal in as little as 2.6 parts per million where oil is lethal in 11 parts per million meaning that Corexit is over 4 times more toxic than oil.
Furthermore scientific studies show that oil dispersed with Corexit is 11 times more lethal than oil alone.
In fact the study referenced showed that crude oil was lethal at 4250 parts per million to killifish but combination of oil mixed with Corexit was lethal in as little as 317.7
ppm. [...]"
MSM: Oil discovery in Falklands hailed as biggest of its kind since North Sea oil[06/07/10]
"An oil field discovery in the Falklands was hailed yesterday as potentially the biggest discovery of its kind since North Sea Oil. Shares in Rockhopper exploration soared 52 per cent yesterday as the company said it expected to pump out at least 242 million barrels of oil from the ‘Sea Lion’ well [...]"
Note: This is why Britain will fight Argentina over it.
Gas, fluids spew for hours from blown-out
Pennsylvania well[06/06/10]
"A blowout at a natural-gas well in a remote area shot explosive gas and polluted water as high as 75 feet into the air before crews were able to tame it more than half a day later, officials said Friday.
The gas never caught fire, and no injuries were reported, but state officials worried about an explosion before the well could be controlled. The well was brought under control just after noon Friday, about 16 hours after it started spewing gas and brine, said Elizabeth
Ivers, a spokeswoman for driller EOG Resources Inc. Pennsylvania, historically an insignificant source of natural gas, is trying to adapt its laws to respond to a furious rush to tap a gas-rich shale formation under its land. The blowout could test the ability of state regulators, who promised an aggressive investigation into the accident. [...]"
Note: This is beginning to set all these oil events partially
in the astrological realm, as planets related to 'oil' and 'gas' are going
through different aspects.
BP And Halliburton Build Legal Teams Attempt To Buy Off Government Officials - British Petroleum Oil Disaster in Gulf of Mexico[06/06/10]
"Facing possible jail time for their roles in the largest oil spill in American history, BP and Halliburton are building high-powered legal teams with "deep Department of Justice and White House ties." But the companies are pursuing other means to defend themselves as well.
Halliburton's campaign donations have spiked as it tries to curry favor with key members of Congress investigating the disaster. The company donated $17,000 in May, making it "the busiest donation month for Halliburton's PAC since September 2008," Politico reports. Thirteen of the 14 contributions from May went to Republicans, while seven went to members of Congress who are "on committees with oversight of the oil spill and its aftermath": [...]"
The story was also featured at a more mainstream site.
BP Chief Tony Hayward Sold Shares Weeks Before Oil Spill[06/06/10]
"The chief executive of BP sold £1.4 million of his shares in the fuel giant weeks before the Gulf of Mexico oil spill caused its value to collapse. Tony Hayward cashed in about a third of his holding in the company one month before a well on the Deepwater Horizon rig burst [...]"
Note: Why, so did Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs .... Hmmm. Related: Goldman Sachs sold $250 million of BP stock before spill
Clean Water Act Might Provide Avenue for Federal Legal Action on Oil Spill[06/06/10]
"If the Obama administration is serious about holding BP and others responsible for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, it can start with the federal Clean Water Act, which could allow the federal government to collect as much as $4.7 billion in civil fines just for the oil that's spilled so far. [...]"
Note: Obama is there to provide INACTION ONLY ...
Oil still leaking after BP caps oil pipe[06/05/10]
"BP reported some oil was flowing up a pipe Friday from a cap it wrestled onto its broken Gulf of Mexico well but crude still spewed and it was unclear how much could be captured in the latest bid to tame the nation's worst oil spill. [...]"
Note: Well, then they haven't really capped it, have
they?
Expert: If cap fails, oil in Gulf will triple[06/05/10]
"The worst fears of one conservationist may be coming true. Admiral Thad Allen said Friday that the cap placed over the leaking well was only collecting oil at a rate of 42,000 gallons a day. Recent estimates put the leak's flow at 500,000 to a million gallons a day.
That figure may have increased by 20 percent after the pipe at the top of the blowout preventer was cut off during BP's latest attempt to staunch the flow.
"If the cap doesn't work, we're going to have three times the amount of oil in the Gulf of Mexico," conservationist Rick Steiner told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann Thursday.
As much as 46 million gallons have already leaked into the Gulf. If the "cut and cap" operation fails there could be more than 138 million gallons of oil spilled before a relief well is finished in
August. [...]"
Oil slick reaches Florida panhandle[06/05/10]
"The oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico is spreading rapidly as tar balls have now reached an island off the northeastern Florida panhandle. [...]" Video: Reports of oil strike fear in heart of Florida
"The first substantial clumps of oil began to appear on the blinding white sand of Florida's Gulf shores on Friday, spreading anxiety especially among those dependent on the state's tourism industry. NBC's Mark Potter reports. (Nightly News) [...]"
The BS About The Loss Of Oil Industry Jobs[06/05/10]
"There is a meme that I am starting to hear from the Republicans and the Democrats that have become wholly owned subsidiaries of the oil industry. It is the idea that there will be massive job losses from the suspension of deep water drilling in the Gulf and elsewhere. Rule one in any Republicans play book; keep the issue isolated so you never see the big picture. This is because any time you look at Republican policies in the larger context they fall completely apart.
There are about 1.3 million jobs in oil production in the United States. Roughly 25% of them are in Louisiana. This is due in large part to the very friendly environment to oil development that exists in the state. Depending on what study you look at the Bayou State is either the 3rd or 1st most corrupt state in the nation. Its corruption is not a partisan thing; it is an equal opportunity corrupt state with the likes “Dollar” Bill Jefferson and Sen. David Vitter. Can there be any doubt that large amounts of oil industry money have been part of this corruption.
[...]"
Oil
'Futures': Crude Rises On Reported Expansion Of US Drill Ban[06/05/10]
"Crude futures rose Thursday on news reports that a federal moratorium on new offshore drilling permits
would expand to include shallow water. The wider ban was later denied by the Interior Department, which includes the Minerals Management Service, the agency in charge of offshore permitting. The Associated Press had reported that an MMS email said permits would not be issued “no matter the water depth.”
A drilling moratorium was announced last week for deeper water. The ban would have little impact on oil production
today, but could reduce production by as much as 350,000 barrels of oil and gas a day in 2015. [...]"
Note: There should be commodity price controls to prevent
untoward profiteering from misfortunes.
Former Valdez Cleanup Worker Warns of Toxic Dangers in the Gulf[06/05/10]
"At the time, it was the worst oil spill the United States had ever seen.
It was 1989, and Merle Savage, then a healthy 50-year-old, had heard the news about Exxon Valdez. Compelled to help, she spent four months cleaning up Alaska’s oil-contaminated waters and shores.
She has never been the same since. Now 71, Savage still feels the toll that summer took on her health, but as she watches the reports coming out of the Gulf, she’s felt something else:
Déjà vu. After all, the symptoms seem to line up: A flu-like illness. Dizziness. Nausea. Nosebleeds. Vomiting. Headaches. Coughing. Difficulty breathing. Many of the same things she experienced two decades ago; some of the same things she still experiences today.
“I had an upset stomach all the time. I was throwing up, fainting, I was having trouble with my lungs,” Savage said. It’s been 21 years. She said her health has improved over the past two decades, but still, “everything is not back to normal. It’s still difficult to breathe.”
Asked if there’s any doubt in her mind that the health problems in the Gulf are due to workers’ chemical exposure, she was certain.
“No. There’s none,” Savage said. “Let’s face it, crude oil is toxic. There’s no question about it. Anybody who says it isn’t has to have some type of interest otherwise. The fact that you’re out there in it, and the heat and humidity and fumes, you breathe it and it’s going into your lungs. I can’t imagine anybody thinking different.”
But there are people who suggest otherwise. The Coast Guard has suggested that heat, fatigue, or the smell of petroleum is causing the symptoms. BP CEO Tony Hayward suggested over the weekend that the symptoms could be caused by food poisoning, which he said was “a really big issue when you’ve got a concentration of this many people.”
The comment has prompted public ridicule. But the suggestion that the illness is attributable in some way to crowded quarters is one that dates to the Exxon Valdez, when workers came down with what was then described as “a flu-like upper respiratory illness.” [...]"
LaRouche: Royal Dutch Shell Takeover of BP a Shell Game[06/05/10]
"According to the Guardian, "doubts over BP's survival" could lead to a takeover of BP by Shell. "Analysts are wondering whether merger talks ... as happened between BP and its arch rival Shell in 2007 ñmight arise again as BP's ability to pay dividends is questioned, and its public credibility in America, which provides 40 percent of its income, plummets." [...]"
BP successfully cuts leaking oil well pipe: official[06/04/10]
"BP has successfully cut an underwater wellpipe using hydraulic shears and will now work to place a containment vessel over the leak, the senior US official overseeing the response said Thursday. [...]"
BP, Prior to Gulf Accident, Said Measuring Oil Flow Was “Critical” to Effective Response[06/04/10]
"In statements to the press, BP representatives have said that calculating the flow of oil is somehow “not relevant” or “might even detract” or “would not affect” the company’s response to the disaster in the Gulf. Problem is, this directly contradicts what BP said in its own documents—drafted before the accident—about it being “the priority issue” when responding to oil spills.
In its 582-page Oil Spill Response Plan for the Gulf of Mexico region, BP noted that in the case of an oil spill, determining its size and volume were
“critical to initiating and sustaining an effective response.” “When a spill has been verified and located, the priority issue will be to estimate and report the volume and measurements of the spill as soon as possible,” Page 6 of the document reads.
After the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, it took four days before a spill was reported. [...]"
Judges Quit BP Gulf Oil-Spill Suits Over Conflicts of Interest[06/04/10]
"Six of 12 active judges in the federal judicial district based in New Orleans have removed themselves from spill-damage cases filed by fishermen, property owners and coastal businesses, according to a court official and court records. The judges found conflicts tied to oil investments or personal relationships with lawyers or companies involved. “Plaintiffs have been informed that most or all of the judges in the district have a conflict and cannot preside” over the litigation, victims’ lawyers said in a request to a Washington judicial panel asking that all the cases be combined before one judge in the New Orleans district. Federal judges in southern Alabama also have stepped aside from handling spill-damage cases, a court official there said. [...]"
US to bill BP $69mn for oil spill[06/04/10]
"The White House has slapped BP with a 69-million-dollar bill for the recovery operations relating to the oil spill in Gulf of Mexico. [...]"
BP debt wobbles as rating is cut[06/04/10]
"The price of BP bonds falls sharply ahead of decisions by two credit rating agencies to downgrade the oil giant. [...]"
Undersea Oil Pipelines Vulnerable to Hurricanes[06/03/10]
"The study found that the 31,000 miles of pipelines along the seafloor of the Gulf could crack or rupture unless they are buried or their supporting foundations are built to withstand hurricane-induced currents. "Major oil leaks from damaged pipelines could have irreversible impacts on the ocean environment," the authors wrote. Researchers got a unique look at what a hurricane can do underwater during Ivan, a Category-4 hurricane with wind speeds of more than 130 mph in the Gulf. Ivan passed over a network of sensors on the ocean floor. The study's calculations are the first to show that hurricanes propel underwater currents with enough force to dig up the seabed as far as almost 300 feet below the surface, potentially creating underwater mudslides and damaging pipes and other equipment that rest on the bottom. There have been more than 1,000 reports of damage to Gulf oil pipelines over the past two decades, according to the MMS report. The most oil was spilled into the Gulf after Katrina and Rita. "As a result of both storms, 124 spills were reported with a total volume of roughly 17,700 barrels of total petroleum products," the report says. [...]"
Feds Move to Block Transocean's Bid To Cap Damages For Gulf Oil Spill[06/03/10]
"Hours after Attorney General Eric Holder disclosed ongoing criminal and civil probes related to the Gulf oil spill, the Justice Department has filed motions to block Transocean from seeking to limit their liability in the unfolding disaster. The documents were filed late Tuesday night in federal court in Houston, Texas [...]"
Investigations:
Under Cheney’s Influence, Wyoming’s Oil Ties Flooded MMS[06/03/10]
".... On that subject—the culture of coziness between the Minerals Management Service and industry—a non-profit Wyoming news service WyoFile published a report today that details some of the ties between MMS internal culture, the state of Wyoming, and the state’s native son, Dick Cheney. [...]"
BP Denies Oil Plumes Exist;
Blames Workers' Illnesses on ' Food Poisoning'[06/03/10]
"BP says it has no idea how much oil remains under the broken wellhead at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, and it denied the existence of giant underwater plumes of oil. The oil company claims that if those plumes do exist, BP scientists are studying whether they should be a concern, but that the plumes are not from BP's use of chemical dispersants to sink the oil. BP officials also claimed that the nine oil cleanup workers who have been hospitalized might have contracted food poisoning; it denied the workers' claims the dispersants made them sick. [...]"
Note: It's almost as if .. BP is run by Israelis ... the
disregard for people ... sigh.
Oil Spill Hearings In Congress: Companies Blame Each Other, Refuse Responsibility[06/03/10]
"Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama grew frustrated grilling the executives on why engineers replaced a heavy "mud" compound in the well with much lighter sea water – thereby reducing downward pressure on the oil – when they were temporarily capping the site for future exploitation. He quoted an oil rig worker saying, "That's when the well came at us, basically."
"I'm not familiar with the individual procedure on that well," BP's McKay said.
Steven Newman, Transocean's president and CEO, and Halliburton executive Tim Probert repeatedly told Sessions they did not know how often sea water instead of the compound was used to seal Gulf wells. [...]"
Air Sampling Finds a Compound in Toxic Dispersant Is Also in the Air[06/03/10]
"Faced with limited data, we’ve been careful not to attribute a causal relationship between dispersant use and illness in cleanup workers. But McClatchy notes that the dispersants’ toxins may be making its way into the air workers are breathing. Air sampling data gathered to ensure the safety of cleanup workers has identified a chemical compound in the air that is also in the dispersants BP is applying to the Gulf:
Little-noticed data posted on BP’s website and the Deepwater Horizon site show that 32 air samples taken near workers have indicated the presence of
butoxyethanol, a component listed as present in an oil spill dispersant used by BP, known as
Corexit. The Environmental Protection Agency considers it toxic. [...]"
BP's Rap Sheet: British Petroleum Is a Multiply-convicted Felon[06/03/10]
"British Petroleum is a serial criminal violator, which has pled guilty and/or paid criminal fines in at least four cases in U.S. courts, and is still on probation for two of them. Barack Obama's continued protection of this criminal—and British sponsored—entity has been the latest count of impeachment to show that Obama must be impeached. And if he is not removed from office soon, the United States will not survive. [...]"
Goldman Sachs sold $250 million of BP stock before spill[06/02/10]
"Firm's stock sale nearly twice as large as any other institution; Represented 44 percent of total BP investment
The brokerage firm that's faced the most scrutiny from regulators in the past year over the shorting of mortgage related securities seems to have had good timing when it came to something else: the stock of British oil giant BP. [...]"
Video: Feds launch criminal probe of oil spill[06/02/10]
"The Coast Guard intensified clean-up efforts along the Louisiana coast on Tuesday as the Justice Department confirmed they are conducting both criminal and civil investigations into the oil rig explosion. NBC's Anne Thompson reports. (Nightly News) [...]"
'Hidden' Government Subsidies Fuel Big Oil's Lack of Responsibility, Analyst Says[06/02/10]
"The billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded government subsidies they take only serve to reinforce a sense of irresponsibility on the part of the big oil companies like BP, according to an analyst at a left-leaning think tank. [...]"
Nigeria's agony dwarfs the Gulf oil spill. The US and Europe ignore it[06/01/10]
".... Judith Kimerling, a professor of law and policy at the City University of New York and author of Amazon Crude, a book about oil development in Ecuador, said:
"Spills, leaks and deliberate discharges are happening in oilfields all over the world and very few people seem to care."
There is an overwhelming sense that the big oil companies act as if they are beyond the law. Bassey said: "What we conclude from the Gulf of Mexico pollution incident is that the oil companies are out of control.
"It is clear that BP has been blocking progressive legislation, both in the US and here. In Nigeria, they have been living above the law. They are now clearly a danger to the planet. The dangers of this happening again and again are high. They must be taken to the international court of justice." [...]"
Jeremy
Scahill: Wackenhut in the Gulf guarding BP & US 'Command ' Center[05/31/10]
"I just got off the phone with my friends Naomi Klein, author of "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism," and her husband Avi Lewis, host of al Jazeera English's popular program Fault Lines. They are traveling around the devastated US Gulf reporting on the horrific disaster caused by BP's massive oil spill. They described to me a run in that they just had with the private security company Wackenhut, which apparently has been hired to do the perimeter security for the "Deepwater Horizon Unified Command." The "Unified Command" is run jointly by BP and several US government agencies including the US Coast Guard, the Department of Defense, the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security. [...]"
Commentary: United States of Ecocide: Spilling and Consuming Way to Oblivion[05/31/10]
"America has and continues to face many challenges – repudiating slavery, enfranchising most, world wars – and most recently the inevitable slowdown of economic growth as speculative, industrial capitalism runs its course. America has enjoyed for awhile super-sized living and grown to be what it is based upon liquidating ecosystems. We have progressed to the point where regional ecosystems are collapsing – most obviously in the Gulf Coast, but throughout the vast country as ecosystems are dying. America now faces our most difficult and profound test ever, coming to terms with our deeply ecologically unsustainable lifestyles, and committing to national and global ecological sustainability. Clearly the American way of life has been built upon liquidating our own and foreign natural life-giving ecosystems to access resources for consumption. To equate mowing ancient forests, dumping waste into water, over-fishing oceans, polluting the atmosphere, and the pervasive toxic chemical cocktail with progress and development is absurd. [...]"
BP Collects Billions in U.S. Government Contracts[05/31/10]
"Daniel Gross of Slate poses the question: How do we punish BP? The options he suggests – boycotting BP products, charging for the cleanup, even nationalizing the company – are less than satisfying. Here’s another possibility: How about barring BP from the federal trough? According to USASpending.gov, BP has received more than $9 billion in defense contracts
[...]"
BP's corporate, personal ties to White House emerge[05/31/10]
"Three years ago, the national laboratory then headed by Steven Chu received the bulk of a $500 million grant from the British oil giant BP to develop alternative energy sources through a new Energy Biosciences Institute. Chu received the grant from BP's chief scientist at the time, Steven E. Koonin, a fellow theoretical physicist whom Chu jocularly described as "my twin brother." Koonin had selected the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley, over other universities in the United States and Britain, in part because of Chu's pioneering work in alternative fuels. Today, Chu is President Barack Obama's energy secretary, [...]"
Media ignores Goldman Sachs' ties to Corexit dispersant[05/31/10]
"Yes, BP is hedging its losses wiFollow the money...and the money goes to Goldman Sachs and friends.
Critics say Nalco, which formed a joint venture company with Exxon Chemical in 1994, boasts oil-industry insiders on its board of directors and among its executives, including an 11-year board member at BP and a top Exxon executive who spent 43 years with the oil giant. "It's a chemical that the oil industry makes to sell to itself, basically," said Richard Charter, a senior policy adviser for Defenders of Wildlife. In defense of the oil industry, it makes financial sense that Exxon and BP were the initial investors in this type of dispersant. It’s not surprising that oil executives sit on the board. I am not defending the toxicity of their product, the integrity of their board members or the likely Halliburton-stye billing process that will kick in when BP decides it is no longer responsible for the impact of the “very, very modest” oil blowout that is already twice as large as Exxon-Valdez and is far more devastating economically and let the bankrupt US Treasury cover the bills. (To be fair, BP has accepted full responsibility and within days of the accident and without a court order, BP gave the states of Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi each $25 million to help with the immediate damage.) But BP’s investment in Nalco is the token diversion.
[...]"
Officials warn oil spill may not be capped until August[05/31/10]
"BP switches from the top-kill method after the White House expresses 'very, very grave' concerns. The oil company will soon begin a new procedure that, even if successful, may not plug the leak completely.
The "American people need to know" that it's "possible we will have oil leaking from this well until August, when the relief wells will be finished," said Carol Browner, the White House energy advisor. [...]"
Gulf Oil Spill: The Technology Oil Executives Don't Want to Talk About[05/31/10]
"As oil drilling in the new millennium moved increasingly into deep waters off the North American and European coasts, oilfield workers recognized they were operating with less and less of a safety net. Shear ram technology needed to make blowout preventers into failsafe devices capable of preventing catastrophic blowouts was, they knew, lagging behind the rest of oilfield technology. Chevron noted in a presentation to the Norway Arctic Workshop in Tromso in January 2009 that existing BOPs have weaknesses. The company said in a PowerPoint presentation that it was working with Cameron on the alternative well kill system -- or AWKS -- to develop "simultaneous shear and seal capability on a broad range of tubulars -- unlike current shear rams." Everyone in attendance at the meeting knew what that last phrase meant. [...]"
U.S. Telling BP `What to Do' as Company Seeks to Contain Majority of Oil [05/31/10]
"BP Plc said it will seek to contain a majority of oil gushing from its Gulf of Mexico well with a new tactic to plug the leak as a White House adviser said the U.S. is now telling the company “what to do.” [...]"
Note: Right. How about this: BP Commands Government to Strangle Off Media Coverage of Oil Gusher
| News networks say access to oil spill ’slowly being strangled off’
"Media organizations say they are being allowed only limited access to areas impacted by the Gulf oil spill through restrictions on plane and boat traffic that are making it difficult to document the worst spill in U.S. history.
The Associated Press, CBS and others have reported coverage problems because of the restrictions, which officials say are needed to protect wildlife and ensure safe air traffic.
Ted Jackson, a photographer for The Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans, said Saturday that access to the spill "is slowly being strangled off."
A CBS news story said one of its reporting teams was threatened with arrest by the Coast Guard and turned back from an oiled beach at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The story said the reporters were told the denial was under "BP's rules." [...]"
"There's A Larger Leak Then The One We Are Shown. Simmons Says Nuke It"[05/30/10]
Simmons Says Government Should Take Over BP Oil Clean Up [3:58]
"Matt Simmons, founder and chairman emeritus of Simmons & Co., talks with Bloomberg's Mark Crumpton and Lori Rothman about BP Plc's leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. BP said in a statement today that it has spent $930 million responding to the spill, which began after an April 20 rig explosion that killed 11 workers. The well has been spewing an estimated 12,000 to 19,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf, a U.S. government panel said yesterday. (Source: Bloomberg) [...]"
Note: A comment from another site: "I've had a strange feeling for the last week that this is all some kind of strange manipulated puppet show. First there was the mention of Haliburton working on the well before it exploded and the possibility of foul play. Secondly, I keep reading comments from people who say they are in the oil business and know that the BP attempts are futile. But nonetheless our media keeps presenting their "Top Kill" and other bogus measures to get our hope up that they actually can stop this. Why?
Now talk about other leaks which are bigger, and the use of nuclear weapons to stop it. Seems like a good idea at this point, but are we witnessing just the incredible ineptitude of our age, or something else. On top of it all, is not also the symmetrical quality of this apparent? Now Obama has his Katrina, and with a wierd feeling of Deja-vu we can all watch HIM now giving press conferences with Coast Guard leaders in the Gulf reassuring a country convinced of his ineptitude."
Related: Energy
'expert': Nuking oil leak ‘only thing we can do’
"As the latest effort to plug the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico meets with failure, the idea of nuking the immediate area to seal the oil underground is gaining steam among some energy experts and researchers.
One prominent energy expert known for predicting the oil price spike of 2008 says sending a small nuclear bomb down the leaking well is "probably the only thing we can do" to stop the leak.
Matt Simmons, founder of energy investment bank Simmons & Company, also says that there is evidence of a second oil leak about five to seven miles from the initial leak that BP has focused on fixing. That second leak, he says, is so large that the initial one is "minor" in comparison.
Simmons spoke to Bloomberg News on Friday, before BP announced that its latest effort to plug the leak, known as the "top kill" method, had failed. [...]
His idea echoes that of a Russian newspaper that earlier this month suggested the US detonate a small nuclear bomb to seal the oil beneath the sea.
Komsomoloskaya Pravda argued in an editorial that Russia had successfully used nuclear weapons to seal oil spills on five occasions in the past. [...]
" Note: How about the other two plumes? Nuke them too, I suppose.
Third Giant Underwater Oil Plume Discovered[05/30/10]
"Today, the Washington Post is reporting that a third giant underwater plume has been discovered: A Louisiana scientist said his crew had located another vast plume of oily globs, miles in the opposite direction. James H. Cowan Jr., a professor at Louisiana State University, said his crew on Wednesday found a plume of oil in a section of the gulf 75 miles west of the source of the leak. Cowan said that his crew sent a remotely controlled submarine into the water, and found it full of oily globules, from the size of a thumbnail to the size of a golf ball.... Cowan said the oil at this site was so thick that it covered the lights on the submarine. "It almost looks like big wet snowflakes, but they're brown and black and oily," Cowan said. The submarine returned to the surface entirely black, he said. Cowan said that the submarine traveled about 400 feet down, close to the sea floor, and found oil all the way down. Trying to find the edges of the plume, he said the submarine traveled miles from side to side. "We really never found either end of it," he said. He said he did not know how wide the plume actually was, or how far it stretched away to the west. "You're almost like a deer in the headlights when you're watching this. You don't know what to say," Cowan said. He said the oil's threat to undersea ecosystems "is really starting to scare us." [...]"
Top Kill Is Failing, Source Tells NY Times[05/30/10]
"Now that everyone's tuned out for the Memorial Day Weekend, it's time to dump the bad news: The top kill doesn't seem to be working, despite repeated positive assessments from the Coast Guard. A month and change since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf, the Times has finally found an inside source on the team trying to plug the leak. And this guy's news is not specifically too good. [...]"
Why hasn’t the government launched a criminal investigation into BP?[05/30/10]
"That’s the question several former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials have been asking in the aftermath of the catastrophic explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig last month that killed 11 employees and ruptured a newly drilled well 5,000 feet below the surface and has spewed tens of millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf if Mexico, which now stands as the largest spill in US history. [...]"
Raining Oil in Florida: This is Just the Beginning[05/29/10]
"Oil is semi-volatile, which means that it can evaporate into the air and create a heavy vapor that stays near the ground -- in the human breathing zone. When winds whip up oily sea water, the spray contains tiny droplets -- basically a fume -- of oil, which are small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs. We know that's happening in the Gulf Coast, because people are reporting a heavy oily smell in the air. Already my colleagues in Louisiana are reporting that people in the coastal community of Venice, Louisiana are suffering from nausea, vomiting, headaches, and difficulty breathing. [...]
The following eyewitness account came to our attention yesterday: Hi all, Making this quick, don't feel well. About 4:15pm or so eastern, coming back from Tampa, Florida north on Veteran's Expressway...about 7 miles perhaps from SR 54...it sprinkled some gray watery and solid black oil on my car. Thought it was bugs, but so fast did not make sense and windshield wipers just smeared it. Got out of car at store and looked on the paint and solid black dots on my car...I touch? huh? it's wet? it's
OIL. "
Gas build-up threatens North Sea oil rig[05/29/10]
"Ninety oil workers have been evacuated from a North Sea rig as engineers fight to control a huge build up of pressure in a well which critics say has the potential to blow-up the platform and cause a major environmental problem.
The Norwegian company Statoil has been pumping cement into an offshore well on the Gullfaks field in an operation similar to the one being attempted today by BP in the Gulf of Mexico.
The equivalent of around 70,000 barrels of oil a day of production from the Gullfaks C, Tordis and Gimle platforms has been shut down and more than 90 staff evacuated from the area, which lies in Norwegian waters.
The country's industry regulator said it was the third well control incident on Gullfaks in the past six months.[...]"
Gulf
Oil spill threatens 'total destruction'[05/28/10]
"The British Petroleum oil spill is threatening the entire eastern half of the North American continent with "total destruction," reports say.
An ominous report by Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources warned of the impending disaster resulting from the British Petroleum (BP) oil and gas leak in the Gulf of Mexico, calling it the worst environmental catastrophe in all of human history, the European Union Times reported.
Russian scientists believe BP is pumping millions of gallons of Corexit 9500, a chemical dispersal agent, under the Gulf of Mexico waters to hide the full extent of the leak, now estimated to be over 2.9 million gallons a day.
Experts say Corexit 9500 is a solvent four times more toxic than oil. The agent, scientists believe, has a 2.61ppm toxicity level, and when mixed with the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, its molecules will be able to “phase transition.”
This transition involves the change of the liquid into a gaseous state, which can be absorbed by clouds. The gas will then be released as “toxic rain” leading to “unimaginable environmental catastrophe” destroying all life forms from the “bottom of the evolutionary chart to the top,” the report said. [...]"
BP top kill halted due to "snag," another giant underwater plume of oil discovered[05/28/10]
"The New York Times reported today that BP's "top kill" effort has been halted due to a snag.
A "snag?" Perhaps that is a reference to the estimated 165 to 170 thousand pounds per square inch of pressure that is blowing oil and natural gas from the floor of the Gulf like a volcano, and now also blowing out the drilling "mud" that BP is attempting to inject in the opening to seal it. [...]"
Commentary:An Ominous Drilling Sign for the Truth[05/28/10]
"In 2005, world oil-production alone (not including natural-gas) was an incomprehensible 80 – 100 million barrels of oil per day.
USGS coastal geologists understand these factors cannot be ignored as far as influencing earth crust stresses and confirm the earth’s response to extracting by force 3,360,000,000 – 4,200,000,000 gallons of the planets vital fluids every single day: Earthquakes and tsunamis.
While disagreement abounds on this topic, scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) say that oil production at plate boundaries where hard, rocky slabs slide against each other to releases tremendous amounts of energy and could be the cause for the 2004 quake that triggered a deadly tsunami in Sumatra.
“Here’s how it works: With high-tech equipment, oil companies pinpoint oil-rich areas and use large drills to puncture the surface below the sea, sometimes as deep as 10,000 feet. As this pricey fluid gets sucked from the sediment pores, the surrounding rocks shift positions to fill in the newly vacated spaces. At a large scale, for example the volume displaced when millions of barrels of oil are produced, the land movement can actually cause a mini-seismic earthquake, said Robert Morton, a USGS coastal geologist.
During these various stages the globe of the earth is gradually being depressurized and cooled internally, causing contraction for both of these reasons. When objects cool down, they automatically shrink/contract in size. If you let high-pressure air or gas out of a cylinder, it forms ice around the outlet, and cools the entire cylinder. If you let some of the air out of a football, or basketball, the ball shrinks and goes badly out of shape.”
“Apply that to the Earth and you have earthquakes – simple common- sense – not rocket-science. A fact so simple that anyone who understands the oil-extraction process would understand, but, because they are insanely-blinded by their insatiable greed and avarice, they often overlook the obvious.” (Paul Noel,
JAH, Sterling D. Allan and Mary-Sue Halliburton) [...]"
Top BP official on oil rig takes the fifth; another says too sick to testify[05/28/10]
"After reports that a BP "company man" overruled workers for the oil rig company Transocean on a key safety procedure prior to an explosion which set the rig aflame and sinking into the Gulf of Mexico, a senior BP official that was on the rig when it exploded has told investigators he will invoke his Fifth Amendment right not to testify in the case.
"One of BP's company men on the Deepwater Horizon when it exploded, Robert Kaluza, has declined to testify before the investigative panel in Kenner, citing his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself, the Coast Guard said," according to the New Orleans Times Picayune. "Kaluza was scheduled to testify Thursday in the joint U.S. Coast Guard and Minerals Management Services hearings in Kenner."
The Louisiana paper also said a second BP official, Donald Vidrine, told the Coast Guard he couldn't testify Thursday because of "illness."
BP was leasing the oil rig from the multi-billion dollar oil company Transocean at the time of the blast. Transocean employees were managing its operation under BP's guidance. Transocean owns nearly half of the world's drilling rigs.
According to McClatchy Newspapers, BP won't even identify what role the two men had on the rig. [...]"
Hurricanes could damage pipelines
"Hurricanes could complicate the clean-up of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and damage other offshore pipelines, experts warn. [...]"
US fires head of agency that oversees oil drilling[05/28/10]
"The Obama Administration has fired the head of the agency that oversees oil drilling and the collecting of oil royalties, AP reported on its live wire feed Thursday morning.
"AP sources: Elizabeth Birnbaum fired as director of the U.S. Minerals Management Service," the brief said.
Birnbaum didn't attend a press conference organized by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Wednesday. [...]
Scientists Discover Massive New Sea Oil Plume[05/28/10]
"Marine scientists have discovered a massive new plume of what they believe to be oil deep beneath the Gulf of Mexico, stretching 22 miles (35 kilometers) from the leaking wellhead northeast toward Mobile Bay, Alabama.
The discovery by researchers on the University of South Florida College of Marine Science's Weatherbird II vessel is the second significant undersea plume recorded since the Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20.
The thick plume was detected just beneath the surface down to about 3,300 feet (1,000 meters), and is more than 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) wide, said David Hollander, associate professor of chemical oceanography at the school.
Hollander said the team detected the thickest amount of hydrocarbons, likely from the oil spewing from the blown out well, at about 1,300 feet (nearly 400 meters) in the same spot on two separate days this week. [...]"
Obama halts drilling at all 33 deep-water Gulf rigs[05/28/10]
"Obama announces a halt to drilling operations at all 33 deep-water rigs in the Gulf of Mexico for 6 months or until a presidential commission completes its work. Some of the rigs are already drilling and will have to stop. Others were preparing to drill and will have to stop those preparations until the commission finishes. [...]"
Oil spill clean-up boats recalled after crews fall ill[05/27/10]
"All 125 commercial fishing boats helping oil recovery efforts off Louisiana's Breton Sound area have been recalled after four workers reported health problems, officials said.
The crew members aboard three separate vessels "reported experiencing nausea, dizziness, headaches and chest pains" mid-afternoon Wednesday, the US Coast Guard said in a statement.
"No other personnel are reporting symptoms, but we are taking this (recall) action as an extreme safeguard," said Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Robinson Cox.
The move raises questions over the safety of the clean-up operation in and around the Gulf in Mexico, in particular the protection workers have been given as they mitigate the oil, and the toxicity of the controversial chemical dispersants being used by BP in an attempt to break up the slick. [...]"
Note: 7 in hospital receiving treatment for contact with dispersant. Related: Lloyd’s syndicates launch legal action over BP insurance claim - Times Online
"BP’s attempts to limit the financial damage from the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico suffered a blow yesterday when almost half the syndicates in the Lloyd’s of London insurance market launched a legal action against the company. The syndicates are attempting to block efforts by the oil giant to claim on cover held by the rig operator
Transocean. BP, which had no external insurance in place for the accident, is trying to claim up to $700 million through a policy held by
Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig that BP has blamed for the April 20 blast. A spokesman for BP said: “We believe we may be entitled to coverage for the incident under Transocean’s insurance.” But in legal documents filed in a Houston court, 38 separate Lloyd’s underwriting syndicates plus a string of other international insurers affected by the disaster, rejected BP’s claim. [...]"
Oil Drilling in Arctic Called Off[05/27/10]
"The Obama administration today will suspend planned exploratory oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean off Alaska until at least 2011, a casualty of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The move will stop Shell from drilling five wells in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas off northern Alaska weeks before it had hoped to start work, an administration official told McClatchy Newspapers. "He is suspending proposed exploratory drilling in the Arctic," an administration official said on condition of anonymity to talk before Salazar's report is officially released today. Shell, which paid $2.1 billion in 2008 for the leases, had planned to start exploratory drilling in June or July. Also in March, Obama put Bristol Bay, Alaska, off-limits to oil and gas exploration through 2017. [...]"
Note: Good idea.
BP begins ‘top kill’ method to try to plug gusher[05/26/10]
"BP on Wednesday launched its latest bid to plug the gushing well in the Gulf of Mexico by force-feeding it heavy drilling mud, a maneuver known as a "top kill" that has never before been tried 5,000 feet underwater.
The oil giant's chief executive earlier gave the procedure a 60 to 70 percent chance of working, and President Barack Obama cautioned Wednesday there were "no guarantees."
BP spokesman Steve Rinehart said the company will pump mud for hours, and officials have indicated it may be a couple of days before they know whether the procedure is working. The top kill involves pumping enough mud into the gusher to overcome the flow of the well, and engineers plan to follow it up with cement to try to permanently seal the well. [...]"
Note: Feed to Live Gusher Cam Video included.
UK:
Rothschild Zionist Mandelson Next BP Chief? [05/26/10]
"Lord Mandelson is said to be lined up as a potential successor to Tony Hayward as the chief executive of BP. [...]"
Related: Nat Rothschild helps Lord Mandelson lick his wounds
"... The former business secretary's sojourns at the Klosters bolt-hole of Lord Rothschild's 38-year-old son and heir are always lavish affairs. On one occasion, Nat put his fleet of expensive cars, including a Porsche and a Ferrari, at his house guests' disposal.
Happily, before Mandelson, pictured, kept his date with Nat, he found a window in his diary to bid farewell to the Queen, whom he served as Lord President of the Council. [...]"
Note: Lord Mandelson is currently staying at Nat Rothchild's Alpine chalet.
Rothschild
control of the gold market[3:18]
"Under the surface, the Rothschilds long had a powerful influence in dictating American financial laws. The law records show that they were powers in the old Bank of the United States [abolished by Andrew Jackson].
Rothschild quotes: "Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes the laws."
"I care not what puppet is placed on the throne of England to rule the Empire, ...The man that controls Britain's money supply controls the British Empire. And I control the money supply."
"We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent."
Transocean Strong-Armed & Detained Deepwater Horizon Explosion Survivors Into Keeping Quiet[05/26/10]
"Stephen Davis, a seven-year veteran of drilling-rig work from San Antonio, told The Guardian's Suzanne Goldenberg today that he was held on a boat for 36 to 40 hours after diving into the Gulf from the burning rig and swimming to safety. Once on a crew boat, Davis said, he and the others were denied access to satellite phones or radio to get in touch with their families, many of whom were frantic to find out whether or not they were OK. Davis' attorney told Goldenberg that while on the boat, his client and the others were told to sign the statements presented to them by attorneys for Transocean -- the firm that owned the Deepwater Horizon -- or they wouldn't be allowed to go home. After being awake for 50 harrowing hours, Davis caved and signed the papers. He said most of the others did as well. The surviving workers on the rig jumped into the water in self-preservation, and the corporate virus tried to preserve itself by getting those workers to say they were unharmed and limit its liability for any injuries caused in the explosion. Sickening.[...]"
Commentary: Predictions re: BP and the Gulfby Edger at Antemedius [05/26/10]
"I'm going to hazard a few predictions here. I hope I'm wrong. If I am you can crucify me later.
Neither BP nor anyone else has any workable idea how to stop the leak. If they did it would have been stopped by now.
The leak will continue to flow into the ocean for the foreseeable future, until the reservoir pressure drops to lower than the pressure of the weight of the ocean pressing down on it.
At some point perhaps the seabed will collapse into an emptying reservoir and there will be seabed earthquakes? And maybe tsunamis?
BP will not be "shoved aside". The government will not take over the management of the disaster response. Neither BP nor any of its management will face any substantive sanctions or criminal charges for this. Nor will BP be "debarred" from government contracts by the EPA.
For a very simple and obvious reason. The government has the largest military in the world to supply and operate, and the government has two military occupations in progress to run.
BP has been one of the biggest suppliers of fuel to the Pentagon in recent years, with much of its oil going to U.S. military operations in the Mideast. (It sold $2.2 billion in oil to the Pentagon last year, making it No. 1 among all the oil companies in sales to the military, according to the latest figures from the Defense Energy Support Center.)
The government is going to do everything they can possibly do to keep BP alive and healthy, to keep their largest supplier of fuel to the military operating profitably and supplying that fuel.
Ken Salazar spouting his ""We will keep our boot on their neck until the job gets done" line to the media is PR to keep the peasants from burning down the castle, and is probably the only way he has of avoiding being made the scapegoat and saving himself.
Sorry about the Gulf of Mexico, folks. It's being sacrificed for the (heave) greater good [...]"
BP
Alaska Oil Spill Shuts Down 800 Miles Of Pipeline[05/26/10]
"Up to several thousand barrels of crude oil from the trans-Alaska pipeline spilled Tuesday into a massive tank and overflowed into a containment area, shutting down the 800-mile line until the hazard is removed.
The spill happened during a scheduled pipeline shutdown at a pump station near Fort
Greely, about 100 miles south of Fairbanks. [...] The 48-inch diameter trans-Alaska pipeline carries crude oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, where tankers pick it up and deliver it to refineries. The pipeline in April moved an average of 645,113 barrels per day. Peak capacity is just more than 2.1 million barrels per day, but throughput has fallen as Alaska North Slope production has diminished." Related: Trans-Alaska Pipeline Shutdown
"The Trans-Alaska Pipeline, partly owned by BP, shut down on Tuesday after spilling several thousand barrels of crude oil, drastically cutting supply out of Alaska’s oilfields.
The accident comes at a difficult time for BP — the largest single owner of the pipeline operator, holding 47 percent — as it struggles to plug a gushing Gulf of Mexico oil well.
The shutdown followed a series of mishaps that resulted from a scheduled fire-command system test at Pump Station 9, about 100 miles south of Fairbanks, said Alyeska Pipeline Service Co, the operator of the 800-mile oil line.
The power outage triggered opening of relief valves, causing an unspecified volume of crude oil to overflow a storage tank into a secondary containment. There were no injuries, but the approximately 40 people at the work site were evacuated, Alyeska spokeswoman Michele Egan said. [...]"
Explosions And Sea Floor Collapse At Blowout?[05/26/10]
"I've been watching the live Spillcam, and discussing it with folks, here all day long. About 5pm last night, we all started taking note of gas bubbling out of the seabed floor. It started earlier than that, actually-- see pic a few posts down. About 1am this morning, the eruptions began to increase in spew volume. [...]"
Related: Video Stills Of New Oil Explosion & Sea Floor Collapse
Justice Dept. Tells BP: Save All Docs[05/25/10]
"ABC News has learned that the Justice Department has quietly asked BP and Transocean to preserve all documents related to the ongoing spill and ensuing disaster unfolding in the Gulf---a sign that legal action against the companies may be in the future. The reason for the request, should the government decide to pursue a civil or criminal investigation targeting the companies, these documents could be critical. [...]"
US has approved 19 environmental drilling waivers since oil
'spill' [05/24/10]
"... in the month since the BP-run Deepwater Horizon (above right) exploded and collapsed into the sea, its drill site spewing an unending current of oil into the open ocean, the US government has granted at least 19 environmental waivers for gulf drilling projects and 17 drilling permits. Most are for deepwater drilling operations, similar to that conducted by the ill-fated rig. [...]"
Commentary: “BP Rules”: CBS Oil Spill Journalists Threatened With Arrest[05/24/10]
[1:04]
"In The BP Oil Disaster is a WAY BIGGER Problem Than You May Think published on May 6, 2010, Wayne Madsen suggested that the reason for giving the BP oil spill
national security status was to prevent media access to information and images. The following CBS video further proves the accuracy of Mr. Madsen’s report.
Since when does a private corporation have the authority to control traffic in the open sea?
The fact that US Coast Guard members openly admitted that these were not government laws or policies, but “BP rules,” and that they would arrest reporters attempting to take pictures, shows just how in bed the government is with corporate interests.
There is a media blackout in the Gulf - and anywhere else where government and corporate interests feel it is necessary to control the
(mis)information being disseminated to the American people and the world. [...]"
Commentary:
Time to Expropriate BP? It's a National Security Issue[05/24/10]
"As the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues virtually unabated, due to what all evidence so far indicates to be criminal negligence by British Petroleum, some policymakers are beginning to raise the question of expropriating the British company.
In discussion today, Lyndon LaRouche expressed support for that idea. "After all," he said, "this is a national security issue. And Buckingham Palace is far, far away." [...]"
The Cover-up: BP's Crude Politics and the Looming Environmental Mega-Disasterby Wayne Madsen for Oil Price.com [05/24/10]
"Plans by BP to sink a 4-story containment dome over the oil gushing from a gaping chasm one kilometer below the surface of the Gulf, where the oil rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and killed 11 workers on April 20, and reports that one of the leaks has been contained is pure public relations disinformation designed to avoid panic and demands for greater action by the Obama administration, according to FEMA and Corps of Engineers sources. Sources within these agencies say the White House has been resisting releasing any "damaging information" about the oil disaster. They add that if the ocean oil geyser is not stopped within 90 days, there will be irreversible damage to the marine eco-systems of the Gulf of Mexico, north Atlantic Ocean, and beyond. At best, some Corps of Engineers experts say it could take two years to cement the chasm on the floor of the Gulf.
Only after the magnitude of the disaster became evident did Obama order Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to declare the oil disaster a "national security issue." Although the Coast Guard and FEMA are part of her department, Napolitano's actual reasoning for invoking national security was to block media coverage of the immensity of the disaster that is unfolding for the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean and their coastlines.
From the Corps of Engineers, FEMA, the Environmental Protection Agency, Coast Guard, and Gulf state environmental protection agencies, the message is the same: "we've never dealt with anything like this before."
The Obama administration also conspired with BP to fudge the extent of the oil leak, according to our federal and state sources. After the oil rig exploded and sank, the government stated that 42,000 gallons per day was gushing from the seabed chasm. Five days later, the federal government upped the leakage to 210,000 gallons a day.
However, WMR has been informed that submersibles that are monitoring the escaping oil from the Gulf seabed are viewing television pictures of what is a "volcanic-like" eruption of oil. Moreover, when the Army Corps of Engineers first attempted to obtain NASA imagery of the Gulf oil slick -- which is larger than that being reported by the media -- it was turned down. However, National Geographic managed to obtain the satellite imagery shots of the extent of the disaster and posted them on their web site.
There is other satellite imagery being withheld by the Obama administration that shows what lies under the gaping chasm spewing oil at an ever-alarming rate is a cavern estimated to be around the size of Mount Everest. This information has been given an almost national security-level classification to keep it from the public, according to our sources. [...]" [All
updates on Oil Price.com written by Wayne Madsen] Related: BP Gets Pass From Obama Administration To Potentially Pollute Lake Michigan
"The Obama administration, already charged with providing political cover for BP in the Gulf of Mexico mega-oil disaster, is also charged with allowing BP to renege on agreements between the firm, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the state of Indiana to prevent pollution of Lake Michigan from the firm's Whiting, Indiana refinery near Hammond.
In 2007, the EPA, under the Bush administration, said it was powerless to stop BP from dumping more toxic waste into Lake Michigan from its expanded refinery that was processing increased amounts of heavy crude oil from Canada.
However, the EPA did urge BP to mitigate the increased pollution of solid waste and ammonia by taking other proactive steps to limit environmental damage, including financing projects for other plants along the Grand Calumet River and Lake Michigan to reduce their pollution and other clean-up and run-off water-filtering projects. [...]"
Note: Of course, LaRouche is correct about the long-term
British plan to sink the USA ... before the US colonies, the very concept of
what the US represented was never anticipated on the world scene, which had
always historically been peppered with tyranny, and not even a place that
represented the lack of it. What is going on here with BP .. and the banking
industry ... with the Queen still the largest landowner on the planet,
seems like a systemic 'dagger' aimed at the heart of individualism,
planet-wide.
Oil Spill: Why Were Bush's People Still There?[05/24/10]
Note: Because it's about those who think they 'are' the
entrenched 'government' , not some mythical and irrelevant 'change in
command'. The Coups D'Etat was in 1999/2000 .... it's all still in effect ...
essentially a Bush government on steroids, with another cutout freak 'in
charge' .... a "Nero fiddling while Rome burns" ... a "Caesar
reincarnated and a corrupt", and a stinking power structure full of
hobbled sequentials who again manage to fail to even stay out of their own
way, on the quest for power and wealth.
British Petroleum Accused Of Lies Over Oil Geyser[05/24/10]
"Mounting frustration and accusations of lying are forcing BP to begin coming clean on what it knows about the severity of the oil geyser which it created. Yesterday the company claimed it was doing everything it could to contain the month-old well leak which is spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico... [...]"
EPA Officials Weigh Sanctions Against BP’s U.S. Operations[05/22/10]
"Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency are considering whether to bar BP from receiving government contracts, a move that would ultimately cost the company billions in revenue and could end its drilling in federally controlled oil fields.
Over the past 10 years, BP has paid tens of millions of dollars in fines and been implicated in four separate instances of criminal misconduct that could have prompted this far more serious action. Until now, the company's executives and their lawyers have fended off such a penalty by promising that BP would change its ways.
That strategy may no longer work. [...]"
Class Says Transocean Hid History of Failure[05/22/10]
"A federal class action claims Transocean defrauded investors by concealing its history of failed blowout preventers, misrepresenting a string of failures as "anomalies," to inflate its share price. The class claims that BP issued Transocean a "notice of default" in 2000 over a faulty Transocean blowout preventer in BP's Discover Enterprise rig. That blowout preventer was made in 2000 by Cameron International; the blowout preventer in the Deepwater Horizon that exploded on April 20 also was made in 2000 by Cameron International, according to the complaint. [...]"
BP Turns Down Offers to Better Measure Gulf Disaster[05/22/10]
"Even as BP has succeeded in siphoning off some of the oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, the company has continued to resist calls for more accurate measurements of the oil flow,
according to The New York Times.
The current method of measuring the disaster seems particularly ill-suited to
the task, now that scientists have found enormous plumes of dispersed oil
forming in the deep waters of the gulf—and not on the surface of the
water. [...]"
A Volcano Of Oil Erupting[05/22/10]
"Mainstream reports are starting to discuss the fact that the oil slick rising from the oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico simply has to be a whole lot larger than first reported. [...]"
Obama sends nuclear experts to tackle BP's Gulf of Mexico oil leak[05/22/10]
"The US has sent a team of nuclear physicists to help BP plug the "catastrophic" flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico from its leaking Deepwater Horizon well, as the Obama administration becomes frustrated with the oil giant's inability to control the situation. [...]"
Whistleblower Sues to Stop Another BP Rig From Operating[05/22/10]
"A whistleblower filed a lawsuit today to force the federal government to halt operations at another massive BP oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, alleging that BP never reviewed critical engineering designs for the operation and is therefore risking another catastrophic accident that could "dwarf" the company's Deepwater Horizon spill. [...]"
Real News: BP's Gulf Oil Leak 19 Times Larger Than BP & Gov't Say?[05/21/10]
Video clip [6:55]
"The Real News Network's Jesse Freeston interviews journalists at McClatchy's DC bureau to for their latest on the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Journalists believe that BP and the Government may be hiding information on the severity of the leak. Those who fish for a living in the Gulf of Mexico are after BP for compensation. The central question yet to be answered to help resolve the question of how the explosion happened. And, the Cuban government is concerned but not vocal, given it's own aspirations for deep sea drilling. [...]"
Independent Oil and Gas Producers sue Goldman Sach's and BP subsidiaries for conspiracy to defraud[05/21/10]
"More than 80 independent Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas oil and gas producers have filed lawsuits alleging that Goldman Sachs subsidiary J. Aron & Co. and British Petroleum subsidiary BP Oil Supply Company conspired with SemGroup to defraud them and convert millions of dollars worth of the producers' crude oil and gas that was delivered to SemGroup prior to the company's 2008 bankruptcy. [...]"
Related: Media ignores Goldman Sachs' ties to Corexit dispersant[05/21/10]
"In a recent New York Times’ article “Less Toxic Dispersants Lose Out in BP Oil Spill Cleanup”, journalist Paula Quinlan questions why BP is using the toxic dispersant Corexit to clean up the oil when twelve other dispersants proved more effective in EPA testing.
Nowhere in the article does it mention that Goldman Sachs, the Blackstone Group and Apollo Management own Nalco, the producer of the 54 % effective, 100% toxic dispersant. [...]"
Washington - Industry Complicity Behind the Gulf Disaster by Stephen Lendman[05/21/10]
"It's common practice in America. A government-Wall Street cabal caused the financial crisis and subsequent fallout. Now debated financial reform is a stealth scheme to let bankers self-regulate. Rogue Democrats rammed through health reform to ration care and enrich corporate providers. Defense, technology, and related firms profit hugely from permanent wars, and a regulatory-free Washington - energy industry alliance lies at the root of the Gulf disaster, by far America's greatest ever environmental calamity, worsening daily with no fail-safe, or perhaps any, way to stop it. ~~~ Alarming reports show "Scientists are finding enormous oil plumes in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, including one as large as 10 miles long, 3 miles wide and 300 feet thick in spots. The discovery" shows that BP and the Obama administration lied about the incident's severity, and they're still lying. ~~~ On May 14, John Byrne's Raw Story article titled, "Oil spill could go on for years, experts say" cites a worst case scenario from two of them. According to Matthew Simmons, retired investment bank Simmons & Company chairman, specializing in "the entire spectrum of the energy industry," BP and US military engineers have no idea how to stop the flow, calling efforts to plug it a "joke." ~~~ The Center for Biological Diversity's Kieran Suckling called it "inconceivable that MMS (regulators, aware of the worst environmental disaster in US history, could) then rubber stamp new BP drilling permits based on (its) patently false statements that an oil spill cannot occur and would not be dangerous if it did." [...]"
Just Like 9/11? Oil Spill Responders Are Getting Sick … But Are Being Told They Don’t Need Any Safety Gear[05/21/10]
"Local fishermen hired to work on BP's uncontrolled oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico are scared and confused. Fishermen here and in other small communities dotting the southern marshes and swamplands of Barataria Bay are getting sick from the working on the cleanup, yet BP is assuring them they don't need respirators or other special protection from the crude oil, strong hydrocarbon vapors, or chemical dispersants being sprayed in massive quantities on the oil slick.
Fishermen have never seen the results from the air-quality monitoring patches some of them wear on their rain gear when they are out booming and skimming the giant oil slick. However, more and more fishermen are suffering from bad headaches, burning eyes, persistent coughs, sore throats, stuffy sinuses, nausea, and dizziness. They are starting to suspect that BP is not telling them the truth. [...]"
Latest Gulf Oil
Disaster FAQ: …[05/20/10]
"Earlier this month, we published an FAQ that attempted to explain what’s known about how the Deepwater Horizon spill happened, whether it could’ve been prevented, and who’s on the hook for the disaster.
We’ve now updated it with some of the latest questions, and answers: how widely the oil is spreading, which agency official admitted there’s “no enforcement” regarding offshore safety equipment, and why concerns are growing about the dispersants BP is using. [...]"
After Approving Toxic Dispersants, EPA Orders BP to Use Less Toxic Ones[05/20/10]
"The Environmental Protection Agency told oil giant BP on Wednesday night that it has 24 hours to choose less toxic dispersants to apply to the Gulf oil spill, according to The Washington Post. The EPA’s decision, expected to be announced later today, is a change of course for the agency, which had previously placed BP’s dispersant on its approved list, and had also approved BP’s underwater application of the dispersant as recently as last week. [...]"
How Bush's DOJ Killed a Criminal Probe Into BP That Threatened to Net Top OfficialsLink
Fixed[05/20/10]
"Mention the name of the corporation BP to Scott West and two words immediately come to mind: Beyond Prosecution.
West was the special agent in charge with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) criminal division who had been probing alleged crimes committed by BP and the company's senior officials in connection with a March 2006 pipeline rupture at the company's Prudhoe Bay operations in Alaska's North Slope that spilled 267,000 gallons of crude oil across two acres of frozen tundra - the second largest spill in Alaska's history - which went undetected for nearly a week.
West was confident that the thousands of hours he invested into the criminal probe would result in felony charges against the company and the senior executives who received advanced warnings from dozens of employees at the Prudhoe Bay facility that unless immediate steps were taken to repair the severely corroded pipeline, a disaster on par with that of the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill was only a matter of time.
In fact, West, who spent more than two decades at the EPA's criminal division, was also told the pipeline was going to rupture - about six months before it happened.
In a wide-ranging interview with Truthout, West described how the Justice Department (DOJ) abruptly shut down his investigation into BP in August 2007 and gave the company a "slap on the wrist" for what he says were serious environmental crimes that should have sent some BP executives to jail.
He first aired his frustrations after he retired from the agency in 2008. But he said his story is ripe for retelling because the same questions about BP's record are now being raised again after a catastrophic explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig killed 11 workers and ruptured an oil well 5,000 feet below the surface that has been spewing upwards of 200,000 barrels of oil per day into the Gulf waters for a month. [...]"
While BP’s Oil Gushes, Company Keeps Information to a Trickle[05/20/10]
"BP hasn’t yet been able to stop the flow of oil, but it’s been more successful at controlling the information coming out about the Gulf disaster.
McClatchy reported on Tuesday that BP has been withholding the results of “tests on the extent of workers’ exposure to evaporating oil or from the burning crude over the Gulf.” The data is important to determining whether current conditions are safe for workers in the Gulf, researchers told McClatchy. BP said it’s sharing the data with “legitimate interested parties,” but would not release it publicly: “Why would one do it? Any parties with a legitimate interest can have access to it,” BP spokesman Toby Odone told McClatchy.
That’s not the only instance in which the company has restricted the media’s access to information. CBS News reported that one of its news teams was filming on an oil-tarred public beach when Coast Guard officials and BP contractors came by and threatened them with arrest. The incident was caught on tape.
“This is BP’s rules,” one man can be heard yelling at the CBS crew. “It’s not ours.” [...]" Related: BP, Scientists, And Officials
"Can't Answer "How Much Oil Is Leaking Or Where It's Headed Next
"A suggestion box or publicity stunt? BP has received thousands of ideas from the public on how to stop a blown oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, but some inventors are complaining that their efforts are getting ignored. [...]
Atlantic Coast Now Under Threat As Oil Spreads[05/20/10]
"But Bp Insists Its A Moderate Spill [...]"
Note: "I've never heard of a more over-the-top, ludicrous misnomer to describe an event in my entire life. Yeah, just a little spill; don't mind me while I mop it up with a roll of Bounty cuz it's the thicker picker upper, doncha know? As it stands, this calamity of epic proportions continues to dump egregious amounts of oil into the ocean with no end in
sight. The sequentials have done it this
time ..."
Image:See
Picture of Gulf Oil Spill From Space[05/19/10]
"Oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill is being picked up by a strong ocean current that will take it to Florida in days and possibly on up the Atlantic coast, experts warned Wednesday.
The Loop Current has started sweeping leaking crude from the giant slick off Louisiana towards Florida's popular tourist beaches and fragile coral reefs, threatening a whole new dimension to the unfolding environmental disaster.
Scientists laid out a worst-case scenario in which the oceanic conveyor belt would see the first oil wash up in Florida in as little as six days, before carrying it up the US east coast and even into the Gulf Stream.
Large ribbons of crude and sludge have started washing ashore in Louisiana's marshlands in recent days, even as BP says it has contained some 40 percent of the oil streaming from the wreckage of the Deepwater Horizon rig.
The European Space Agency said Wednesday that its satellites showed oil being dragged into the powerful clockwise-moving current that joins the Gulf Stream, the northern hemisphere's most important ocean current system. [...]"
Story
Commentary: White House Covers Up Menacing Oil "Blob"by Wayne Madsen
[05/20/10]
"In an exclusive for Oilprice.com, the Wayne Madsen Report (WMR) has learned from Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sources that U.S. Navy submarines deployed to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast have detected what amounts to a frozen oil blob from the oil geyser at the destroyed Deep Horizon off-shore oil rig south of Louisiana. The Navy submarines have trained video cameras on the moving blob, which remains frozen at depths of between 3,000 to 4,000 feet. Because the oil blob is heavier than water, it remains frozen at current depths.
FEMA and Corps of Engineers employees are upset that the White House and the Pentagon remain tight-lipped and in cover-up mode about the images of the massive and fast-moving frozen coagulated oil blob that is being imaged by Navy submarines that are tracking its movement. The sources point out that BP and the White House conspired to withhold videos from BP-contracted submersibles that showed the oil geyser that was spewing oil from the chasm underneath the datum of the Deep Horizon at rates far exceeding originally reported amounts. We have learned that it was largely WMR's scoop on the existence of the BP videos that forced the company and its White House patrons to finally agree to the release of the video footage. [...]"
US overhauls agency in charge of offshore drilling[05/20/10]
"The US agency that regulates offshore drilling was broken up into three separate agencies Wednesday as part of a move to end cozy industry relationships exposed by the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, officials said.
The shake-up came a day after Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told lawmakers the Minerals Management Service, which issued lucrative offshore exploration leases and was also responsible for enforcing safety rules, needed to be cleaned up.
The MMS was severely criticized for being lax on safety after explosions send a BP-leased offshore oil rig to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, unleashing a catastrophic oil spill.
President Barack Obama ordered "top to bottom" reform of the agency after it was accused of allowing BP and other oil companies to drill in the Gulf without first obtaining required permits.
Salazar broke MMS into three separate agencies, each independent of the other and handling one of the three missions once handled by the agency. [...]"
Note: At more than 3 times the cost ...
In Gulf Spill, BP Using Dispersants Banned in U.K.[05/19/10]
"The two types of dispersants BP is spraying in the Gulf are banned for use on oil spills in the U.K. As EPA-approved products, BP has been using them in greater quantities than dispersants have ever been used in the history of US oil spills.
BP is using two products from a line of dispersants called Corexit, which EPA data appears to show is more toxic and less effective on South Louisiana crude than other available dispersants, according to
Greenwire. We learned about the U.K. ban from a mention on the New York Times’ website. (The reference was cut from later versions of the article, so we can’t link to the Times, but we found the piece elsewhere.) The Times flagged a letter Rep. Edward Markey, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, sent to the EPA yesterday. The letter pointed out that both the Corexit products currently being used in the Gulf were removed from a list of approved treatments for oil spills in the UK more than a decade ago. [...]"
Criminal Negligence: Despite Knowing It Had a Damaged Blowout
Preventer, BP STILL Cut Corners By Removing the Single Most Important Safety Measure[05/18/10]
"[Mike Williams, the chief electronics technician on the Deepwater Horizon, and one of the last workers to leave the doomed rig] claimed that the blowout preventer was then damaged when a crewman accidentally moved a joystick, applying hundreds of thousands of pounds of force. Pieces of rubber were found in the drilling fluid, which he said implied damage to a crucial seal. But a supervisor declared the find to be "not a big deal", Mr Williams alleged. [...]"
BP and the ‘Little Eichmanns’By Chris Hedges [05/17/10]
"These deformed individuals carrying out the global genocide against human life and the natural world lack the capacity for empathy. They possess the peculiar ability to organize vast, destructive bureaucracies and yet remain blind to the ramifications. [...]"
AP: Feds severely neglected inspections of offshore drilling rigs[05/17/10]
"The federal agency responsible for ensuring that the Deepwater Horizon was operating safely before it exploded last month fell well short of its own policy that the rig be inspected at least once per month, an Associated Press investigation shows. [...]"
BP Oil Spill a Crime not a Disaster[05/17/10]
"Language matters, especially at times of crisis. The explosion on BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig that released hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico has been called a “disaster” by many. It isn’t a disaster. It is a crime. Early estimates are that the spill will cost more than $14 billion to clean, will devastate local fisheries for generations and will result in untold damage to all parts of the ecology in the Gulf region. Corporations are the criminals here – British Petroleum (BP) and, a company that is no stranger to corporate crime, Halliburton. This massive spill highlights both the need for an immediate transition to clean energy sources and the need to apply democratic controls to inherently criminal multinational corporations. [...]"
Sequentials
At Large: Australia to open up seabed for oil exploration[05/17/10]
"Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson has announced 31 new offshore petroleum exploration areas.
The announcement was made at the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association's conference in Brisbane today.
The areas range over five basins, with 26 exploration areas in Western Australia, two in the Ashmore and Cartier islands, two in South Australia and one in the Northern Territory.
Exploration companies will have two chances to bid for the right to explore the areas, with contracts to be awarded in November this year and May next year.
Mr Ferguson says the areas vary in size and likelihood of yielding a major discovery.
He says the release could be a step towards achieving energy security for Australia. [...]"
Note: REAL 'energy security' for Australia is through development
and use of non-oil based technologies. How stupid are these
people, anyway, especially in light of recent events in the Gulf.
Gulf of Mexico Underwater Oil Plumes 10 Miles Long, 3 Miles Wide and 300 Feet Thick in Spots[05/16/10]
"Scientists are finding enormous oil plumes in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, including one as large as 10 miles long, 3 miles wide and 300 feet thick in spots. The discovery is fresh evidence that the leak from the broken undersea well could be substantially worse than estimates that the government and BP have given.
“There’s a shocking amount of oil in the deep water, relative to what you see in the surface water,” said Samantha
Joye, a researcher at the University of Georgia who is involved in one of the first scientific missions to gather details about what is happening in the gulf. “There’s a tremendous amount of oil in multiple layers, three or four or five layers deep in the water column.”
The plumes are depleting the oxygen dissolved in the gulf, worrying scientists, who fear that the oxygen level could eventually fall so low as to kill off much of the sea life near the plumes.
Dr. Joye said the oxygen had already dropped 30 percent near some of the plumes in the month that the broken oil well had been flowing. “If you keep those kinds of rates up, you could draw the oxygen down to very low levels that are dangerous to animals in a couple of months,” she said Saturday. “That is alarming.”
The plumes were discovered by scientists from several universities working aboard the research vessel Pelican, which sailed from
Cocodrie, La., on May 3 and has gathered extensive samples and information about the disaster in the gulf. [...]"
Minerals Management Service: Criminally Negligent?[05/14/10]
"As the new estimates of how much oil is being spilled from the BP Deep Horizon’s oil disaster (which is now estimated at as much as 70,000 barrels or 294,000 gallons a day) there have been the rumblings that there might be criminal proceedings against Transocean ( the rig owners), BP (the lease owners) and Halliburton (the folks who set the cement plugs that did not hold) . This is a good thing, as we should never lose sight of the fact that 11 people were killed in the initial explosion, as well as the enormous and on-going devastation to fisheries and tourism in the Gulf of Mexico.
If criminal charges only happen to those three groups it will miss one of the most critical and culpable players in the tragicomedy which lead up to the greatest ecological disaster ever to impact the United States; namely the Minerals Management Service. [...]"
Oil spill could go on for years, experts say[05/14/10]
"The retired chairman of an energy investment banking firm told National Geographic in little-noticed comments Thursday that efforts to stop the oil leak under the Gulf of Mexico could prove fruitless and than oil could gush into the ocean for years.
Matthew Simmons, retired chair of the energy-industry investment bank Simmons & Company, said that BP and the US military's engineers are more or less clueless about cutting off the flow.
"We don't have any idea how to stop this," Simmons said. The former banker mocked a proposal to try and plug the leak with trash, saying it was a "joke."
Simmons noted that the pressure at 5,000 feet undersea -- where the well site is located -- is so high, that containment efforts are likely often to fail. At 5,000 feet underwater, blocking elements have to be able to hold even with pressures off 40,000 pounds per square inch.
Incoming American Association of Petroleum Geologists chief David Resink says the oil reservoir that is feeding the spill is colossal. [...]"
Oil spill: BP had wrong diagram to close blowout preventer[05/14/10]
"In the days after an oil well spun out of control in the Gulf of Mexico, BP engineers tried to activate a huge piece of underwater safety equipment but failed because the device had been so altered that diagrams BP got from the equipment’s owner didn’t match the supposedly failsafe device’s configuration, congressional investigators said Wednesday." [...]"
Oil spill nets $270m for Transocean[05/11/10]
"The firm that owns the leaking oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico has made a $270 million profit from insurance payouts, despite having caused a massive ecological disaster. [...]"
Oil leak is 5 times greater than reported by officials[05/11/10]
"The amount of oil gushing from BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil disaster is five times more than what the oil company and the U.S. Coast Guard are currently estimating, said a Florida State University oceanography professor on Saturday.
At an oil spill environmental forum at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front, Ian MacDonald said the blowout is gushing 25,000 barrels a day.
The Coast Guard and BP estimate 5,000 barrels a day of crude is spewing into the Gulf.
MacDonald said his estimate is based on satellite images and government maps forecasting the slick’s trajectory. [...]"
Regulators Let Industry Drill Deeper, Despite Safety Concerns and Unproven Fixes[05/10/10]
"One key reason the Gulf oil spill has been so hard to stop is that BP was drilling so deep. Such deepwater drilling has been increasingly common—but both BP and regulators seem to have been unprepared for the complications that can crop up.
At 5,000 feet, the BP’s ruptured well continues to gush oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Efforts to temporarily stanch the flow of oil with a containment dome have so far failed, largely because of complications presented by the depth. (Also, BP—rather than having the device on hand—built the dome only after the accident.)
With the failure of the dome and with oil encroaching on shorelines, USA Today reports BP “has not decided yet how to proceed.” [...]"
Exposé: No
joke: Goldman Sachs shorted Gulf of Mexico[05/10/10]
"It turns out that Goldman Sachs really did place shorts on TransOcean
stock days before the explosions rocked the rig in the Gulf of Mexico sending
stocks plunging while GS profits soared — benefitting once again from a huge
disaster, having done the same with airline stocks prior to 911 then again
with the housing bubble. On Apr. 30, the Huffington Post published a
story stating: In what is looming as another public relations
predicament for Goldman Sachs, the banking giant admitted today that it made
“a substantial financial bet against the Gulf of Mexico” one day before
the sinking of an oil rig in that body of water. The new revelations
came to light after government investigators turned up new emails from Goldman
employee Fabrice “Fabulous Fab” Tourre in which he bragged to a girlfriend
that the firm was taking a “big short” position on the Gulf. “One
oil rig goes down and we’re going to be rolling in dough,” Mr. Tourre
wrote in one email. “Suck it, fishies and birdies!” [...]"
Note: How did they know beforehand to short the Gulf? How could
they know the event would happen in that time frame?
The Cover-up: BP’s Crude Politics and the Looming Environmental Mega-Disaster – Wayne Madsen [05/08/10]
"WMR has been informed by sources in the US Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), and Florida Department of Environmental Protection that the Obama White House and British Petroleum (BP), which pumped $71,000 into Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign — more than John McCain or Hillary Clinton, are covering up [...]"
Gulf Oil Spill FAQ: What Happened, What May Have Caused it, and Who’s Responsibleby Marian Wang, ProPublica [05/07/10]
"Last month’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill has been followed by huge amounts of reporting. Here’s our attempt to distill the information, and to focus on the more nebulous, unanswered questions of why
it happened, whether it could’ve been prevented , and who’s on the hook for the disaster. [...]"
Analysis: Gulf Oil Spill Disaster: The Trigger of American Economic Collapse?[05/07/10]
"This article is written to analyze the potential economic fallout of the Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion that occurred on April 20, 2010. I maintain that this incident could be the trigger of the American economic collapse. My expertise is in the insurance risk management and claims field. So, let’s look at what is going to happen as this disaster unfolds over time. [...]"
BP’s Oily Political Connections: From the Bush to Obama Era[05/06/10]
"Judging from the oily history of the last ten years, reining in BP could prove politically daunting. A company with incredible economic might, BP has enjoyed privileged access to the inner rungs of Washington power. Only by ridding the political system of insider money can we hope to avert future oil disasters like the devastating spill which hit the Gulf of Mexico last week. [...]"
Gulf of Mexico worst Case Scenarios-- Listing the Players and Possible Terrorist or Nuke Tie-in[05/06/10]
"This is a horror story which will become so much worse, it will become the dominant news story for the forseeable future. It includes Haliburton, the release of unprecedented geologic forces and a potential world wide catastrophe, not only ecologically, but much more, especially if the river of oil spewing from the deepwater, hyperpressurized sea-floor opening reaches the gulf stream, which will quickly spread it all the way up the
east coast and beyond, possibly even to Europe. [...]"
Obama is biggest recipient of BP’s political action cash in the last 20 years[05/06/10]
"Barack Obama is the biggest recipient of BP political action committee donations of any political candidate in the last 20 years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics and an analysis published Wednesday by Politico. [...]"
Govt Agency: Offshore Drilling Regulator Understated Risks of Oil Spills in Plans to Expand Drilling[05/06/10]
"Last week, we reported that in addition to the spotted history of the Minerals Management Service, the regulator responsible for overseeing offshore drilling, parts of the agency had withheld data on offshore drilling from those on staff who were responsible for assessing environmental risk.
At the time, Mandy Smithberger of the Project on Government Oversight told us that “the priority for the agency was on production rather than on regulation.” To that point, the evidence continues to mount. [...]"
U.S. exempted BP's Gulf of Mexico drilling from environmental impact study[05/05/10]
"The Interior Department exempted BP's calamitous Gulf of Mexico drilling operation from a detailed environmental impact analysis last year, according to government documents, after three reviews of the area concluded that a massive oil spill was unlikely.
[...]"
Government Official In Charge of
"Responding" to the Oil Spill Was the Official In Charge of "Responding" to Hurricane Katrina[05/05/10]
"Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that she was changing the federal leadership of the oil spill operations. Adm. Thad W. Allen, the commandant of the Coast Guard, is now directly overseeing the work of Rear Adm. Mary E. Landry, who had been in charge of the response. Admiral Allen was in charge of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina. [...]"
Judge Enjoins BP's
Unconscionable Contract With Fishermen-Volunteers[05/05/10]
"A federal judge blocked BP from forcing volunteers to promise not to file legal claims against the oil company as they fight to control the immense Gulf Coast oil spill. The president of the United Commercial Fisherman's Association likened BP's request "to demanding that a person running into their own burning home sign a release limiting or giving up their claims against the arsonist who caused the fire." [...]"
Related: BP Tries To Rip Off Fishermen With Waiver
Congressmen Raised Concerns About BP Safety in Months Before Gulf Spill[05/05/10]
"In the months before BP's Deepwater Horizon rig sank in a burning ball of fire in the Gulf of Mexico, the company had four close calls on pipelines and facilities it operates in Alaska, according to a letter from two congressmen obtained by
ProPublica. In that letter, dated Jan. 14, 2010, Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Bart Stupak,
D-Mich., noted that the company's efforts to cut costs could imperil safety at BP facilities.
Between September 2008 and November 2009, three BP gas and oil pipelines on Alaska's North Slope ruptured or clogged, leading to a risk of explosions, the letter said. A potentially cataclysmic explosion was also avoided at a BP gas compressor plant, where a key piece of equipment designed to prevent the buildup of gas failed to operate, and the backup equipment intended to warn workers was not properly installed.
The letter was addressed to BP's president of Alaskan operations, John Mingé. The congressmen have been investigating BP's safety and operations since 2006, when a 4,800-gallon oil spill temporarily shut down the Prudhoe Bay drilling field pipeline. [...]"
Halliburton Did Work On Deepwater Horizon Rig Hours Before Blowout[05/05/10]
"Investigators delving into the possible cause of the massive gulf oil spill are focusing on the role of Houston-based Halliburton Co., the giant energy services company, which was responsible for cementing the drill into place below the water. The company acknowledged Friday that it had completed the final cementing of the oil well and pipe just 20 hours before the blowout last week. [...]"
BP warned of rig fault ten years ago[05/04/10]
"BP faces fresh questions over the cause of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill after it emerged that problems with the type of equipment that led to the disaster were first reported a decade ago.
In June 2000, the oil giant issued a "notice of default" to Transocean, the operator of the rig that blew up last month. The dispute was over problems with a blowout
preventer, a set of iron slabs that should close out-of-control wells. It failed on the Gulf of Mexico rig, triggering the explosion and oil spill.
Transocean acknowledged at the time that the preventer did "not work exactly right". The rig in question, the Discover Enterprise, was unable to operate for extended periods while the problem was fixed. [...]"
British Petroleum says it will pay for Gulf oil spill's cleanup[05/04/10]
"British Petroleum PLC said Monday that it will pay for all the cleanup costs from a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that could continue spewing crude for at least another week.
Meanwhile, chief executive Tony Hayward said Monday that chemical dispersants have worked to some degree to keep oil from flowing to the surface, though he did not elaborate. He said on ABC's "Good Morning America" that the new approach seemed to be having a significant impact. [...]"
US closes 2 offshore platforms[05/02/10]
"The US government has shut down two offshore production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico amid increasing concerns over the growing oil slick. [...]"
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Shows Disastrous Legacy of Halliburton and the Real Cost of the Oil Era[05/02/10]
"The Halliburton link and Washington hypocrisy It was only a few weeks ago that Obama proudly announced he would expand offshore drilling, breaking one of his many now-worthless campaign promises. The lack of outcry from Democrats over this announcement was nothing short of bizarre: If Bush had announced an expansion of offshore drilling, he would have been widely (and rightly) condemned for it by the left. But when Obama announces the same thing, it's apparently okay with Democrats. Back on the Republican side of things, the company Halliburton -- yes, the same one that rakes in billions of dollars in profits rebuilding things in the Middle East after the U.S. military blows them up -- is the company that completed the "rig cementing" just 20 hours before the rig exploded. [...]"
Hurricane Season & The BP Oil Rig Disaster[05/02/10]
"One thing you don’t hear much mention of in all the coverage of the BP oil rig blowout that is now pouring 210,000 gallons of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, just a few dozen miles off the coast of Louisiana, is the 2010 hurricane season, which officially starts on June 1, but which can start significantly earlier.
This is, after all, an El Nino year, so storms could be more frequent and stronger than usual. In 2007, recall, the first storm of the season was Tropical Storm Andrea, which reached a size strong enough to merit a name on May 7, just a week later than today.
Why does this matter? Because any attempt to use booms or chemicals keep the oil away from the Gulf Coast would be completely impossible in the event of a major storm entering the Gulf. The combination of high winds, storm surges and high waves would push the oil slick way inland up the bayous and onto the shelter islands that protect 40 percent of America’s wetlands. (Even a moderate wind and a chop on the water near shore was defeating the booms put in place on Friday, and rendering any attempt to burn off the oil impossible.)
It could do worse, too. The strong winds in hurricanes, sweeping across the surging waves they have created, suck up a considerable amount of surface water and blow it inland. This time, however, those winds could also end up picking up a considerable amount of the oil slick floating on the sea's surface, which would be deposited as rain well inland, damaging croplands and forests, too. [...]"
Halliburton Acquired Boots & Coots On 9 April 2010[05/02/10]
"And then… ‘Last Resort’ Safety Device Failed in Fatal Drilling Incident: Boots & Coots Inc. of Houston and Amarillo, Texas-based GSM Enterprises Inc., two of the companies that extinguished hundreds of oil wells in Kuwait set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops in 1990, have been brought in to help cap the leaks. [...]"
Rig had history of spills, fires before big one[05/02/10]
"During its nine years at sea, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig operated by BP suffered a series of spills, fires — even a collision — because of equipment failure, human error and bad weather. It also drilled the world's deepest offshore well.
But Deepwater Horizon's lasting legacy will undoubtedly be the environmental damage it caused after it exploded and sank, killing 11 crew members and releasing an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico.
What likely destroyed the rig in a ball of fire last week was a failure — or multiple failures — 5,000 feet below. That's where drilling equipment met the sea bed in a complicated construction of pipes, concrete and valves that gave way in a manner that no one has been able to explain.
Oil services contractor Halliburton said in a statement Friday that workers had finished cementing the well's pipes 20 hours before the rig went up in flames. Halliburton is named as a defendant in most of the more than two dozen lawsuits filed by Gulf Coast people and businesses saying the oil spill could ruin them financially. Without elaborating, one lawsuit filed by an injured technician on the rig alleges that Halliburton improperly performed its job in cementing the well, "increasing the pressure at the well and contributing to the fire, explosion and resulting oil spill." [...]"
LA Times:Gulf oil spill: The Halliburton connection[05/02/10]
"Investigators delving into the possible cause of the massive gulf oil spill are focusing on the role of Houston-based Halliburton Co., the giant energy services company, which was responsible for cementing the drill into place below the water. The company acknowledged Friday that it had completed the final cementing of the oil well and pipe just 20 hours before the blowout last week.
In a letter to to Halliburton Chief Executive David J. Lesar on Friday, Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Rep. Bart Stupak
(D-Mich.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, called on Halliburton officials to provide all documents relating to "the possibility or risk of an explosion or blowout at the Deepwater Horizon rig and the status, adequacy, quality, monitoring, and inspection of the cementing work" by May 7. [...]"
Southern US Gulf states prepare for oil disaster after Deepwater Horizon slick begins to come ashore[05/02/10]
"Oil from a leaking underwater well in the Gulf of Mexico has started washing ashore in the southern US state of Louisiana, amid fears that the slick could become the worst environmental disaster in the country's history.. Billy
Nungesser, president of Plaquemines Parish, confirmed that a sheen of oil had reached the fragile coastal wetlands near the mouth of the Mississippi river [...]"
British Petroleum's Black Money Tide[05/02/10]
[7:58]
"BP's Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico oil spill is becoming worse by the day, with over 200,000 gallons of crude oil a day leaking into the gulf. Environmental Attorney Mike Papantonio appears on MSNBC's The Ed Show to discuss the disaster and the legal ramifications of it. [...]"
Article
Drilling Process Attracts Scrutiny in Rig Explosion[05/02/10]
"The scrutiny on cementing will focus attention on Halliburton Co., the oilfield-services firm that was handling the cementing process on the rig, which burned and sank last week. The disaster, which killed 11, has left a gusher of oil streaming into the Gulf from a mile under the surface.
According to Transocean Ltd., the operator of the drilling rig, Halliburton had finished cementing the 18,000-foot well shortly before the explosion.
Houston- based Halliburton is the largest company in the global cementing business, which accounted for $1.7 billion, or about 11%, of the company's revenue in 2009, according to consultant Spears & Associates. [...]"
Oil Spill Requires $4B Emergency Spending Response, Environmental Group Says[05/02/10]
"President Obama and Congress should enact a $4 billion emergency spending bill to limit the damage and recover from the ongoing Gulf of Mexico oil spill, according to a Washington-based environmental advocacy group. [...]"
Note: Who profits, and who owns the companies, and how are they
connected to Chicago and various administrations?
In another Wall Street misdeed, Morgan Stanley settles oil-trading flap[05/02/10]
"In another black eye for Wall Street, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission late Thursday announced a $14 million fine against Morgan Stanley Capital Group Inc. for allegedly
hiding its complex oil trades. [...]"
Commentary: 'Corporate Comrade' Halliburton[05/02/10]
"Halliburton, for whom George W. Bush hijacked the US military to wage war and perp capital crimes against the people of Iraq, may be and should be subject to severe penalties, perhaps death, as a result of the 'personhood' granted them recently by the US 'Supreme' Court. If Halliburton is a 'person', then Halliburton must be charged with multitudinous crimes, tried, found guilty and 'put to death for its capital crimes but not before it is literally 'fined' out of existence for the monetary damages it has inflicted upon the world environment and the Gulf of Mexico. [...]"
Halliburton Likely Caused Disaster: Drilling Process Attracts Scrutiny in Rig Explosion [05/01/10]
"An oil-drilling procedure called cementing is coming under scrutiny as a possible cause of the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico that has led to one of the biggest oil spills in U.S. history, drilling experts said Thursday.
The process is supposed to prevent oil and natural gas from escaping by filling gaps between the outside of the well pipe and the inside of the hole bored into the ocean floor. Cement, pumped down the well from the drilling rig, is also used to plug wells after they have been abandoned or when drilling has finished but production hasn't begun.
In the case of the Deepwater Horizon, workers had finished pumping cement to fill the space between the pipe and the sides of the hole and had begun temporarily plugging the well with cement; it isn't known whether they had completed the plugging process before the blast.
Regulators have previously identified problems in the cementing process as a leading cause of well blowouts, in which oil and natural gas surge out of a well with explosive force. When cement develops cracks or doesn't set properly, oil and gas can escape, ultimately flowing out of control. The gas is highly combustible and prone to ignite, as it appears to have done aboard the Deepwater Horizon, which was leased by BP PLC, the British oil giant.
Concerns about the cementing process—and about whether rigs have enough safeguards to prevent
blowouts— raise questions about whether the industry can safely drill in deep water and whether regulators are up to the task of monitoring them.
The scrutiny on cementing will focus attention on Halliburton Co., the oilfield-services firm that was handling the cementing process on the rig, which burned and sank last week. The disaster, which killed 11, has left a gusher of oil streaming into the Gulf from a mile under the surface.
Federal officials declined to comment on their investigation, and Halliburton didn't respond to questions from The Wall Street Journal.
According to Transocean Ltd., the operator of the drilling rig, Halliburton had finished cementing the 18,000-foot well shortly before the explosion. Houston-based Halliburton is the largest company in the global cementing business, which accounted for $1.7 billion, or about 11%, of the company's revenue in 2009, according to consultant Spears & Associates.
[...]"
Note: Cheney .... sigh ...
Gulf Spill Grows - Oil Stocks Slide [05/01/10]
"Shares of companies that provided services or operated the sunken Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, including Halliburton Co
(HAL.N) and Transocean Ltd (RIGN.S) (RIG.N), fell on Friday as worry about liability from a growing oil spill in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico mounted.
[...]" Note: Oops. Ha!
Whistleblower: BP Risks More Massive Catastrophes in Gulf[05/01/10]
"British Petroleum (BP) has broken federal laws and violated its own internal procedures by failing to maintain crucial safety and engineering documents related to one of the firms other deepwater production projects in the Gulf of Mexico, a former contractor who worked for the oil behemoth claimed in internal emails and other documents obtained by
Truthout. The whistleblower, whose name has been withheld at the person's request because the whistleblower still works in the oil industry and fears retaliation, first raised concerns about safety issues related to BP Atlantis, the world's largest and deepest semi-submersible oil and natural gas platform, located about 200 miles south of New Orleans, in November 2008. Atlantis, which began production in October 2007, has the capacity to produce about 8.4 million gallons of oil and 180 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.
It was then that the whistleblower, who was hired to supervise the company's databases, discovered that Atlantis had been operating without a majority of the engineer-approved documents it needed to run safely, leaving it vulnerable to a catastrophic disaster that would far surpass the massive oil spill that began last week following a deadly explosion on a BP-operated drilling rig.
BP's own internal communications show that company officials were aware of the issue and feared that the document shortfalls related to Atlantis "could lead to catastrophic operator error."
[...]" Related: BP Fought Safety Measures at Deepwater Oil Rigs
"Owner of Louisiana oil well objected to system that would have shut off spill.
[...]" U.S. Coast Guard responding to overturned oil rig
"The U.S. Coast Guard said Friday it was responding to an overturned oil rig in an inland canal near Morgan City, Louisiana.
[...]" Second drilling rig overturns in Louisiana
Oil spill sparks new drilling ban[05/01/10]
"The US administration has banned oil drilling in new areas of the US coast while the cause of the oil spill off Louisiana is investigated.
[...]" Related: Obama orders review of oil rig blast[05/01/10]
"Obama is ordering Interior Secretary Ken Salazar "to conduct a thorough review" of the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig and subsequent oil spill.
[...]"
British
Petroleum Had Other Problems in Years Leading to Gulf Spill[04/30/10]
"BP, the global oil giant responsible for the fast-spreading spill soon to make landfall in the Gulf of Mexico, is no stranger to major accidents.
In fact the company has found itself at the center of several of the nation's worst oil and gas–related disasters in the last five years.
In March 2005 a massive explosion ripped through a tower at BP's refinery in Texas City, Texas, killing 15 workers and injuring 170 others. Investigators later determined that the company had ignored its own protocols on operating the tower, which was filled with gasoline, and that a warning system had been disabled. ..."
Note: Interesting article. It is entirely possible that all these
'accidents' and 'oversights' are purposely done by the UK to negatively impact
the US.
Reload
Page World Politics: "Ivory Coast Crisis is About Oil" [12/30/10] "An unprecedented disinformation campaign is being orchestrated to justify foreign intervention in the Ivory Coast to unseat the Preseident Laurent Gbagbo and replace him with Alassane Dramane Ouattara, a stooge totally devoted to the interests of multinationals. Alassane Ouattara is the former Deputy CEO of the IMF, and former Prime Minister of Houphouet-Boigny who in 1990 administered an IMF plan which plunged the Ivorian people into a profound social and economic distress. He is the puppet” nominated” by the major powers to lead the Ivory Coast and to ensure that their interests are not threatened by the presence of uncompromising and patriotic men such as Laurent Gbagbo, a long time opponent of Houphouet (1970-1990′s.) French and American imperialist powers have agreed to remove Gbagbo who is guilty of pursuing a national policy prejudicial to their profits.’ [...]"
"An environmental law firm in New Orleans said it was preparing to challenge the government’s public declaration that following the nation’s worst-ever oil disaster, seafood from the Gulf of Mexico remained safe to eat. [...]"
Related: "BP Gulf Oil Spill Letter to The World Press"
[10:46] "Henning Kemner asked me to mirror this for him. The following 4 videos to be uploaded soon will give the proof of the documentation he speaks of here. [...]"
Ireland and the UK, which is the main reason we don’t already suffer winters on a par with Canada and Russia. Well, the gulf stream is gone - and we are heading into a winter that this country simply cannot cope with. [...]"
chaotic systems analyst at the Frascati National Laboratories in Italy. This could be the most significant man-caused Earth Changes news thus far in my lifetime. This morning, Lesie Pastor informed the New Energy Congress of a report by Your Own World USA that as of July 28, Oceanographic satellite data now shows that the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico has stalled as a consequence of the BP oil spill [volcano] disaster. This according to Dr. Gianluigi Zangari, an Italian theoretical physicist, and major complex and chaotic systems analyst at the Frascati National Laboratories in Italy. He further notes that the effects of this stall have also begun to spread to the Gulf Stream. This is because the Loop Current is a crucial element of the Gulf Stream itself and why it is commonly referred to as the "main engine" of the Stream. The concern now, is whether or not natural processes can re-establish the stalled Loop Current. If not, we could begin to see global crop failures as early as 2011. Images of The Day After Tomorrow flashed in my head. The disruption of major ocean currents is no small thing. The climate ramifications are massive, worldwide. [...]"
Update: BP, CIA conspiracy theory suggested behind his unexpected death [08/12/10] "Oil industry icon Matt Simmons became a household name during the BP oil spill crisis, partly because of his criticism of BP and their handling the worst oil spill in US history. Simmons, 67, was found dead in his home in Maine on August 8, 2010. The medical examiner’s office is unclear about whether he had drowned in his tub after suffering a heart attack, or died from a heart attack while drowning. Before his unexpected death, Simmons had become a whistle blower against BP and the US government. He used his oil industry and government connections to reveal information about the BP oil spill disaster that he claimed were deliberately hidden from the public. The confusion surrounding the exact cause of his recent death has sparked reports that he was assassinated by either the CIA or BP...]"
got attention for his dire calls about the fate of the Gulf of Mexico. The debate about the effect of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill — he thought it would be cataclysmic — lead him to split with his old firm, Simmons & Co., of which he was the chairman emeritus. [...]"
that flowed into the Kalamazoo River, making it the worst oil spill in the midwest, according to various news reports. It doesn't compare to the millions of gallons of oil currently drifting through the Gulf of Mexico. Not by a long shot: for three months, somewhere between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels were thought to be gushing into the sea every day. But for those of us who thought we were safe from spills because we don't live along the gulf coast, it's a good time to reflect: chances are, there's a pipeline in your back yard, and you didn't know it. Tens of thousands of miles of crude oil, natural gas, and other hydrocarbon pipelines snake across the country (the above map from the Energy Information shows pipelines and compressor stations). Over the last three years, accidents have averaged a dozen fatalities, 58 injuries, and a quarter billion dollars in damage per year, according to Department of Transportation statistics. Of course any loss of life is too much, but given how much product the pipes move, their safety record isn't all that terrible. At least, not compared to BP's of late. The spill in Michigan has tainted the Kalamazoo River and coated fish and birds in oil (at top, Canada geese are covered in muck from the spill). It's a bad scene, no question. But containment efforts appear to be preventing oil from making the 60-mile journey to Lake Michigan, and the pipeline, owned by Houston-based Enbridge Energy Partners, has been shut off. With luck, the damage will remain mostly local. News coverage of the spill is almost certainly amplified by the Deepwater Horizon tragedy in the gulf. But it does raise an interesting question: should we be paying attention not just to the threat of oil spills from deep water drilling, but also to the less sexy hazards posed by the vast forest of pipelines carpeting the country? [...]"
The bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling held its second meeting in Louisiana. (NBC News[...]" They only gave three hours notice to the whole Gulf coast that this meeting, held on a weekday, was happening.
as super storms, hurricanes, and other violent sea conditions. No evidence has ever been brought forth that shows oil rigs collapse due to a fire. In fact, fire has burned on many different oil rigs for weeks at a time. Usually a collapse is due to what is known as a blowout at the sea floor level. Methane gas and crude oil burn at 800 to 1300 degrees F. Steal melts at 2850 degrees F. The fact that BP executives and a team of four men were on the rig just hours before the disaster, seems very out of place. BLM showed up and only one man flashed his I.D. Witnesses confirm. Also why would Obama send SWAT teams to other rigs as well as the Deepwater Horizon? Swat teams were sent to at least 30 rigs. The Intel Hub has also reported on documents found by “TheShowmebby” pertaining to joint U.S. Coast Guard and DHS drills on the exact days of the spill. Can you say another 9/11?
even the chief financial officer for the Vatican! It has been heavily documented that Goldman Sachs placed shorts on the Gulf just days before the Deepwater Horizon Explosion. Did Goldman Sachs get inside information from the chairman of their international subsidiary. who just so happens to be a high ranking member of British Petroleum? He is non-executive Chairman of Goldman Sachs International (a registered UK broker-dealer, a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs). He was previously non-executive chairman of BP and was a director of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group until he was asked to leave the board when it had to be taken over by the UK government to avoid bankruptcy. He also formerly served on the board of ABB. He is on the steering committee of the Bilderberg Group [1], a chairman of the Trilateral Commission[2] and vice chairman of the European Round Table of Industrialists.[3] [...]"
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