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It is consistently reported by those government agencies connected to the Gulf Oil Spill disaster that the beaches are clean, the seafood is safe, and the M252 well is plugged with no more oil seeping into the Gulf of Mexico. If you have been following us here at Gulf Watchers you would know that it is not. One of the questions raised in this ongoing disaster regards the safety and use of the two varieties of Corexit dispersant which was used in large quantities, and according to some, still is.
Two "green" reporters who visited last month report
in the Huffington Post
Since the blown-out well at the Mississippi Canyon 252 Macondo site has been capped and the cleanup operations in the Gulf declared a success, BP has summarily fired thousands of workers without notice who were left unemployed as a result of the disaster. Local, state and federal agencies have been working to present a picture of normalcy, declaring the seafood safe to eat, the beaches clean and the water free from oil. The actual situation along the Gulf Coast is far from normal, with many people evacuating due to sickness and financial distress. Independent scientific reports continue to conclude the safety of the seafood is questionable at best, the beaches remain thoroughly contaminated, and the majority of the oil and dispersant is still in the water column or at the bottom of the Gulf.
Oil workers who had been doing cleanup for BP and have since been fired (hence are free to talk) report observing spraying and dumping of dispersant as late as September although BP reports that no dispersant has been used since mid July.
One of the fisherman who was enlisted early on the week immediately after the April 20 blowout spent up to 20 days at a time out on the water at the source. He and his coworkers were later assigned to the VOO program and and spent their days closer to shore spotting oil. All of these workers experienced various health issues indicative of chemical exposure. Initially they were given no Hazmat training or protective equipment of any kind. When BP and the US Coast Guard began spraying the Corexit dispersants, the boats in the area were instructed to move out of the area, but not so far that they could not visually observe the planes spraying from the air. In August and September they witnessed skiffs and barges dumping dispersant within one mile of the beaches along the Alabama coast. In one known case of extreme incompetence, Corexit was sprayed directly on a boat full of workers. The entire crew of the vessel was hospitalized and remain on disability. Many of these individuals previously would not speak out on any aspect of the spill, but as BP has terminated the VOO and all programs providing desperately needed employment for locals, they are now voicing their anger and disgust. Note to BP and other petroleum companies, if you really want to keep the workers silenced, be sure to continue to pay them for several months after the initial dirty work is done.
Although BP contends that dispersant was not used within three miles of shoreline, or along inland waterways, residents tell a different story.
Containers of Corexit 9500 were observed by the authors at a marina on Dauphin Island and a resident found containers of the more toxic 9527at Bayou La Batre. Corexit 9527 supplies were supposedly depleted in May and not used since. A resident of Cotton Bayou sent soil samples from her property to be tested independently and high concentrations of the marker (2-butoxyethanol) for Corexit were found.
In fact, there are numerous accounts of the Corexit dispersant being used on inland waterways, lagoons, and bayous. Margaret Long, a resident of Cotton Bayou in Alabama paid to have independent tests done on soil and water samples taken from her property. The results showed high concentrations of markers for Corexit. The official excuse repeatedly used to explain the 2-butoxyethanol in test results that it can be found in many household products is nothing short of absurd. It is simply not plausible to postulate that enough detergent or shampoo or hand lotion has been dumped on Margaret's property or in Cotton Bayou to elevate levels to what was confirmed.
The city of Orange Beach, Alabama, near the Florida border, has collected hundreds of water samples and sent them for testing.
According to Mayor Tony Gannon this is being done because of citizen concerns and also with an eye toward a possible lawsuit against BP.
Councilwoman Pattisue Carranza, a pharmacist, has said she believes that more people were getting sick this summer than in summers past.
"I just want people to know that we are aware that there may be something down there," Carranza said."Those people that are healthy today may not have a problem ever. They may have a problem in five years, 10 years, 20 years. That’s something we need to keep in the back of our mind when we’re dealing with BP."
Clean Gulf is a large trade show for the oil industry that also provides seminars and training for oil industry employees. Held October 18 – 20 in Tampa this year, obviously the Spill and what has been learned from it was to be a focus. Program is here This conference has been held for 20 years, which is somewhat disturbing to know because you think they would have figured out how to do things better during all that time!
Dispersant vendors, including Nalco were present, as well as peaceful protesters calling for the ban of Corexit. More on the rally and Nalco here
Christine Wall, a Tampa resident who is organizing this peaceful rally asks, "How can they call this convention Clean Gulf when they have poisoned the Gulf waters?" In an interview with Suite101, Ms. Wall says that the purpose in having this rally is to ask the agencies who are attending as well as the federal government to ban Corexit dispersants in the U.S.
Ms. Wall said, "There’s not a doubt this could have been handled differently. Corexit is highly toxic and is even banned in other countries. We want it banned here."
According to EPA data on other dispersants approved for emergencies, twelve were better than Corexit at breaking down oil. In a news story, No Progress on Better Chemicals for Oil Disaster Cleanup, reporter Brandon Keim wrote, "BP argued that Corexit was far better studied than the alternatives, which is true — but the role of former BP executive Rodney Chase as a director of Nalco, Corexit’s manufacturer, raised suspicions."
A CNN financial news reporter Shelley DuBois wrote in her news story, Who Is Nalco?, how BP made mistakes with the Gulf oil spill. In reference to mistakes, she also wrote, "Scientists and members of congress have questioned whether choosing Nalco was another."
In Who is Nalco?, it says, "Dispersants might not be the best way to clean. They don’t get rid of oil, they dissolve it into smaller particles that sink to lower depths in the ocean." Interestingly, this news story also reveals that Nalco’s typical annual sales of Corexit are roughly $2 million. This year, sales are expected to have reached $40 million.
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Also at the Clean Gulf conference, a new containment system was unveiled by Exxon Mobil's Lloyd Guillory. The cap and suction technique was developed by a coalition of oil companies led by Exxon Mobil.Story here
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The Deepwater Horizon spill teaching other nation's to be more proactive:
The Indian Coast Guard conducts mock oil spill clean up response more here.
Coast Guard ship Vishwast, along with Coast Guard vessels Sarang and Jijabai, took part in the drill, which simulated the collision of two ships, and subsequent clean-up. The two-day programme began with a workshop on oil spill containment, preparation of shoreline clean-up contingency plan, oil spill response options besides sensitivity mapping, involved 40 delegates from ports, State Pollution Control Boards and oil handling agencies of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal took part.
Yasu
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And of the coast of Singapore a similar exercise this past Friday Yasu
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All this is good, because there never seems to be a lack of oil leaking or spilling into the oceans. Off the coast of the Philippines a ship marooned since January and caught in a legal dispute over ownership has leaked approximately 6,000 liters of combined fuels near coral reefs. Story here Yasu
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==== ROV Feeds =====
20876/21507 - Development Driller II's ROV 1
32900/49178 - Development Driller II's ROV 2
39168/39169 - Chouest Holiday's ROV 1
40492/40493 - Chouest Holiday's ROV 2
58406/21750 - Iron Horse ROV 1 (Original feed which is still active)
23211/23803 - Iron Horse ROV 1 (New feed designations)
22070/22936 - Iron Horse ROV 2 (New feed designations)
24301/24309 - West Sirius' ROV 1 (New feed)
The Development Driller 3 moved off from Relief Well #1's wellhead area at about 1:00 AM a week ago Saturday. She joined the Discoverer Enterprise, who's been stationary for the past month or so, approximately six miles northwest of the Development Driller 2. The Discoverer Enterprise is a dredger, and has been accompanied for some time by anti-pollution vessels, generally the Virginia Responder and the Mississippi Responder. The move by DD3 has not been reported in any news we've seen, but it's the first she's moved off the Macondo site since arriving to drill the relief wells with her sister ship, DD2.
In the meantime, the West Sirius (photos and descriptions and here and here), a semi-submersible driller, has replaced the DD3 beside DD2. Cargo ships, skimmers, and various other ships have been seen coming and going from the area of both Development Drillers on a regular basis.
That's a lot of action for the waters around a well that was supposed to be plugged and abandoned a long time ago.
==Multiple stream feeds (hard on browser/bandwidth)==
German multiple feed site that updates once a minute—Does not crash browsers and loads really fast.
Belgian multi-feed site, Mozaiek Webcam – BP Olielek Olieramp Deepwater Horizon
BP videos All the available directly feeds from BP.
Bobo's lightweight ROV Multi-feed: is the only additional up to date multiple feed site.
See this thread for more info on using video feeds and on linking to video feeds.
Previous Gulf Watcher diaries:
Gulf Watchers Sunday - NOAA, FDA Lower Standards So Gulf Seafood Will Pass - BP Catastrophe AUV #417 - Yasuragi
Gulf Watchers Friday: GOTV-All Politics is Local: Kamala Harris/CA-AG: BP Catastrophe AUV#416 - ArthurPoet
Gulf Watchers Wednesday - EPA Whistleblower Crucifies BP on Safety - BP Catastrophe AUV #415 - peraspera
Gulf Watchers Monday Edition - Reparations, Repair, Responsibility - BP Catastrophe AUV #414 - shanesnana
Gulf Watchers Sunday Edition - Will New Lawsuit Revive the Moratorium? - BP Catastrophe AUV #413 - Yasuragi
Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #412 - gchaucer2
Gulf Watchers Wednesday Edition - 6 Months of Gulf Sorrow - BP Catastrophe AUV #411 - peraspera
Gulf Watchers Monday Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #410 - shanesnana
Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #409 - Lorinda Pike
Gulf Watchers Monday Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #408 - peraspera
Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #407 - shanesnana
Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #406 - Sunday Wrap - Lorinda Pike
Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #405 - bleeding heart
Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #404 - peraspera
Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #403 - Darryl House
Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #402 - Yasuragi
Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #401 - Lorinda Pike
Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #400 - Yasuragi
Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #399 - Gulf Watchers/peraspera/story/
Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #398 - Gulf Watchers/peraspera/story/
Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #397 - Gulf Watchers/peraspera
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #396 - Gulf Watchers/peraspera
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #395 - Condition: transition - BP's Gulf Castastrophe - David PA
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #394 - Transitions - BP's Gulf Castastrophe - Lorinda Pike
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #393 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Lorinda Pike
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #392 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - When Can we Share a Soda? - khowell
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #391 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Talking about Change - khowell
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #390 - Drips Redux - Lorinda Pike
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #389 - Night of the Living Drips - Lorinda Pike
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #388 - Sittin' Up With the Dead - khowell
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #387 - Time for a Wake? - khowell
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #386 - The Coroner Won't Pronounce - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Yasuragi
Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #385 - Is it Dead? - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - Lorinda Pike
The last Mothership has links to reference material.
Previous motherships and ROV's from this extensive live blog effort may be found here.
Again, to keep bandwidth down, please do not post images or videos.