A bit of good news: yesterday evening, technicians were able to place the containment cap back on BP's leaking well thirteen hours after it became dislodged.
Adm. Thad W. Allen of the Coast Guard, at a briefing in Washington, said a remote-controlled submersible operating a mile beneath the surface had most likely bumped a vent and compromised the system. Live video from the sea floor showed oil and gas storming out of the well unrestricted.
By evening, the cap was back on, nestled in place on the eighth try after about 90 minutes of effort. Live video showed remote-controlled submersibles frequently moving hoses out of the way so that the cap could be lowered over the spewing oil.
The company said the funneling of oil and gas through a pipe to the drill ship Discoverer Enterprise began shortly after the cap was properly positioned. John Curry, a BP spokesman, said collection would return to full capacity “as conditions permit.”
Another system, connected to a drill rig, the Q4000, continued to operate throughout the day, siphoning oil through a separate pipe near the seabed.
Despite the good news that the cap is back in place, oil continued to cause damage throughout the gulf. In Florida, nearly ten miles of beach were soiled yesterday in the Pensacola Beach area. A local resident described the scene:
"I jumped in my car this morning, drove out here and immediately the smell hits you in the face. It's like you're pulling up to a gas station to get gas," said Pensacola resident Gary Deshazo.
"There are sheetrock-size balls of oil in the surf out there and they're still coming in."
In other news, a growing chorus of experts is urging ramped up efforts to monitor potential health impacts of the spill -- including mental health, after the suicide of a cruise ship operator involved in the response efforts. Gulf coast residents are also raising questions, with the topic dominating discussions at a New Orleans open house on the spill at which local residents had an opportunity to query officials from BP and the Coast Guard.
Finally, the DOJ has now formally filed its appeal of Judge Martin Feldman's ruling blocking the imposition of the deepwater drilling moratorium.