Wednesday, June 30, 2010

“Attempting to reverse 15 years of federal subsidies for offshore drilling, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation Monday that would repeal "royalty relief" programs and other incentives to explore for oil and gas in the deep waters off U.S. coasts.”

Readout of the President’s Meeting with a Bipartisan Group of Senators to Discuss Passing Comprehensive Energy and Climate Legislation

http://blog.taragana.com/politics/2010/06/29/readout-of-the-president%E2%80%99s-meeting-with-a-bipartisan-group-of-senators-to-discuss-passing-comprehensive-energy-and-climate-legislation-46105/

Also see: Democrats, Obama willing to scale back energy and climate change bill

The Energy Transition Is Already Underway

http://scitizen.com/future-energies/the-energy-transition-is-already-underway_a-14-3527.html

Beyond Oil (Sierra Club)

http://letsmovebeyondoil.org/

“Today, veterans, union leaders and environmentalists gathered in the shadow of the Washington Monument to call on President Obama to end America’s dependence on oil. Starting as an online campaign planting 50,000 virtual flags, volunteers began last night planting 10,000 actual American flags on the National Mall spelling out “FREEDOM FROM OIL” to represent those asking the President to respond to the BP disaster in the Gulf with a bold plan to move America off of oil and into a clean energy future.” (from Sierra Club press release)

THE MORATORIUM

Salazar May Give Congress More Details on Deep-Water Drill Ban

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-30/salazar-may-provide-more-details-on-new-drill-ban-at-congressional-session.html

“A new ban, Salazar said in congressional testimony on June 23, might take into consideration the differences between developmental drilling in reservoirs where pressures are known and exploratory drilling into formations “where you don’t know as a company what it is you are drilling in.” Only five of the 33 wells affected by the original ban are exploratory wells, Feldman said. The judge also noted that the agency’s own safety report preceding the moratorium defined “deep-water” as 1,000 feet or more, double the 500-foot trigger favored by Salazar.”

Court Grants Speedy Hearing for U.S. on Drill Ban

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-29/court-grants-speedy-hearing-for-u-s-on-drill-ban.html

OPEC hopes US reconsiders offshore drilling ban

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9GK8OOO0.htm

U.S. Chamber calls for lifting ban on Gulf Oil Drilling

http://www.shreveport.thedailyyou.com/news/2010/jun/29/us-chamber-calls-lifting-ban-gulf-oil-drilling/

WILDLIFE, HUMAN AND ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS

The Animal Welfare Institute Files Suit against BP for Burning Endangered Sea Turtles Alive

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-animal-welfare-institute-files-suit-against-bp-for-burning-endangered-sea-turtles-alive-97476819.html

Thousands of Sea Turtle Eggs To Be Moved Out of Oil's Way

http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2010/06/thousands-of-sea-turtle-eggs-to-.html

“Officials are planning to dig up the approximately 700 nests on Alabama and the Florida panhandle beaches, pack the eggs in Styrofoam boxes, and fly them to a facility in eastern Florida where they can mature. Once the eggs have hatched, the young turtles will be released in darkness on Florida's Atlantic beaches into oil-free water. Translocation of nests on this scale has never been attempted before.”

Gobs of oil from Gulf of Mexico spill make first landfall in Jackson County, Mississippi

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2010/06/full_report_gobs_of_oil_from_g.html

The Oil Spill and Human Health: More Questions Than Answers

http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/health-effects-of-oil-spills-on-humans-more-questions-than-an/19530364/

Top EPA Scientist to Discuss Data from First Round of Dispersant Testing

http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/725887/

“On May 22, EPA directed BP to analyze potential alternative dispersants for toxicity and effectiveness. BP reported to EPA that they were unable to find a dispersant that is less toxic than Corexit 9500, the product currently in use. Following that, EPA began its own scientific research into eight dispersant products on the National Contingency Plan Product Schedule (NCP-PS). Anastas will discuss data from the first round of that research on the call.”

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER

Photo: Oil Slick Around Mississippi Barrier Islands

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=44466

Texas Braces for Strike from Storm

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-29/tropical-storm-alex-strengthens-in-gulf-as-center-issues-hurricane-warning.html

“The storm’s track keeps it away from a direct hit on an oil slick from the damaged BP well. Large ocean swells, though, are making their way toward the oil spill, said Brian LaMarre, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Slidell, Louisiana. BP needs about three more days to connect a new cap that will feed crude from the leaking Macondo well to the Helix Producer, a vessel that can add 20,000 to 25,000 barrels a day to the London-based company’s current containment capacity, said senior vice president Kent Wells. As the work can be completed only in flat seas, Alex could cause a seven-day delay in connecting the Helix, he said. The work was to be completed by July 7, he said yesterday. The waves may swell to as high as 12 feet in 36 hours, pushing oil into the Gulf Coast wetlands, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the U.S. government’s national incident commander, said. Allen said he doesn’t think current operations to capture spilled oil will be affected.”

Red tape keeps prized oil-fighting skimmers from Gulf, coastline

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/06/red_tape_keeps_prized_oil-figh.html

BP Document: Big Plans for Deepwater Drilling

http://www.propublica.org/ion/blog/item/bps-big-plans-for-deep-wells-deep-profits

“A BP presentation from March 2010—a month before the Deepwater Horizon disaster—spelled out the company’s “key sources of growth” beyond 2015. First on the list? “Expanding deepwater.”

Congress Pressures Oil Giants On Spill Plans

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/06/congress-pressures-spill-plans.php

Set tougher mileage standards for vehicles

http://www.freep.com/article/20100617/OPINION05/6170386/Set-tougher-mileage-standards-for-vehicles

“What is the best way to prevent future disasters in the Gulf of Mexico? Break our addiction to oil. One year ago, President Barack Obama took the biggest single step in this direction. He boosted the nation's fuel economy standard and established the first U.S. standards for greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks. As a result, new vehicles will average 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, up from the current 27.5 m.p.g. The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates this will save 1.2 million barrels of oil a day in 2020.”

Senior US energy official says 'tragic' Gulf oil spill underscores need to shift to renewables

http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-ml-abu-dhabi-oil-spill,0,1564124.story

“David Sandalow, an assistant energy secretary, said Tuesday the oil spill is a "tragic situation" that "underscores the need for a transition to a clean energy economy."

THE MORATORIUM

Oil Chiefs Leave Meeting With Interior 'Disappointed'

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201006281803dowjonesdjonline000357&title=oil-chiefs-leave-meeting-with-interior-disappointed

“Executives from oil and gas companies on Monday concluded an hour-long meeting with U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar without securing promises from the government to lift a deepwater-drilling moratorium imposed after a disastrous BP PLC (BP) oil spill. Salazar has told lawmakers Wednesday that he is considering issuing a new, scaled-back moratorium that would replace a moratorium that was struck down last week by a federal judge. The Justice Department has appealed the decision, asking a court to allow the ban to remain in place during a legal challenge.”

WILDLIFE, HUMAN AND ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS

Lawsuit Launched to Force BP and Coast Guard to Protect Turtles From Burning Alive

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/06/29-1

The Latest Wildlife Mortality Totals

www.dailydeadbirds.com

Doing nothing might have been best for oil spill

http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE65R16720100629

“Marine biology and environmental experts said they feared the aggressive cleanup operation, during which oil has been set alight and oil-dispersing chemicals have been dumped into the sea, might be more damaging than the oil itself. Christoph Gertler of Bangor University, who has been studying various potential bacterial remedies for oil spills, said reports by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggested that dispersants were "changing the nature of the oil in a very unfavorable way", making it more difficult for naturally occurring marine bacteria to break it down.

Expert measures human cost of Gulf oil leak

http://www.grist.org/article/2010-06-28-steven-picou-qa/

CALIFORNIA

Assemblymember Nava's Resolution Calling for Protection of West Coast from Offshore Oil Drilling Passed by Senate Environmental Quality Committee

“Assembly Joint Resolution (AJR) 3 states the legislature's support for Federal Legislation currently pending in the United States Congress that would protect the Pacific Coast from new offshore oil drilling. This measure would also oppose any proposed expansion of oil and gas drilling off the Pacific Coast and any federal energy policies and legislation that would weaken California's role in energy siting decisions due to those policies.”

DELAWARE

Del. must stay vigilant against shoreline oil drilling threat

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100628/OPINION03/6280310/1004/OPINION

Monday, June 28, 2010

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER

BP oil spill costs hit $100 million/day

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65R14K20100628

Satellite Images Show Oil Slicks Affecting Beaches from Gulfport, Mississippi to Destin, Florida

http://blog.skytruth.org/2010/06/bp-gulf-oil-spill-satellite-images-show.html

BP Sticks to August Plan for Plugging Leaking Oil Well, May Beat Schedule

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-27/bp-sticks-to-august-target-for-plugging-leak-may-finish-ahead-of-schedule.html

When It Comes to Spills, Size Counts, but Is Often Elusive

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704911704575327091631299342.html

BP's deadline to give facts on Gulf oil spill

http://www.energybulletin.net/53248

Ex-EPA lawyer points to BP as 'serial criminal'

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/97247929.html

Also see: BP's latest blunder fuels critics' fire

Offshore drilling loses some support

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7081482.html

Make Oil Obsolete by Turning It into Salt

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-butterfield/make-oil-obsolete-by-turn_b_626064.html

DRILLING MORATORIUM

Moratorium Needed: Deep-water drilling must stop until safety is assured

http://blog.syracuse.com/opinion/2010/06/moratorium_needed_deep-water_d.html

What would happen if we admitted to the high risk of deepwater drilling?

http://www.grist.org/article/2010-06-28-what-if-we-admitted-risk-of-deepwater-drilling/

WILDLIFE, HUMAN AND ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS

So Far, 400 Have Sought Medical Care After Visits to Escambia County Beaches

http://cryptogon.com/?p=16199

Oil spill hits Mississippi shore

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=oil-spill-hits-mississipp

“Louisiana's fragile wetlands have been hardest hit by the oil but Mississippi had escaped damage until Sunday, although some oil had tainted its barrier islands. Oil has also come ashore in Alabama and Florida's Gulf coast. Gluey gobs of brown oil and a rainbow oil sheen sloshed onto tourist beaches at Ocean Springs, Mississippi, about 10 miles east of Biloxi, and at a beach used by fisherman that is close to an inland marsh.”

NOAA Expands Fishing Closed Area in Gulf of Mexico

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100628_closure.html

“The closed area now represents 80,228 square miles, which is approximately 33.2 percent of Gulf of Mexico federal waters.”

HANDS ACROSS THE SAND

A sampling of the many articles on this:

Thousands hold hands across the sand in protest of offshore drilling

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_south_pinellas/st_pete_beach/thousands-hold-hands-across-the-sand-in-protest-of-offshore-drilling

Hand in Hand, Thousands Protest Offshore Oil Drilling

http://www.aolnews.com/gulf-oil-spill/article/hundreds-protest-offshore-oil-drilling-in-hands-across-the-sand-event/19532355

Demonstrators say no to offshore drilling

http://www.liherald.com/detail/26015.html?content_source=&category_id=5&search_filter=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=&sub_type=&town_id=

Crowds across New Jersey beaches protest offshore oil drilling after Gulf disaster

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/new_jersey/article_0e46f4da-814c-11df-ac96-001cc4c03286.html

Offshore oil drilling protested worldwide

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100627/NEWS/6270320/Offshore+oil+drilling+protested+worldwide

Hawaii joins hands to protest off-shore oil drilling

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12715862

Rallies link up to oppose offshore oil drilling

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/26/rallies-link-up-to-oppose-offshore-oil-drilling/

Hands Across the Sand Movement Makes a Bold Visual Statement Against Offshore Drilling

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zach-weisberg/hands-across-the-sand-mov_b_627413.html

Protesters join hands on Florida beaches to protest offshore drilling

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/26/1703076/hands-across-florida.html#ixzz0s4RcP4O3

Event Photos

http://www.facebook.com/HandsAcrossTheSand?v=photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/handsacrossthesand

South Beach, Miami photo (1500 people!)

Event Videos

http://www.youtube.com/user/handsacrossthesand

FLORIDA

Crist: We Need to Ban Oil Drilling Off Florida

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/28/earlyshow/main6626245.shtml

Friday, June 25, 2010

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER

Some oil spill events on Thursday, June 24, 2010

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i-yfHJzPLDeBIhG5JDEF6VbaPR8QD9GHUJG82

Press Briefing by National Incident Commander June 25, 2010

http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/712211/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

BP has blown-out well in sights

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1416392020100625

“BP said in a statement on Friday the first of two relief wells had successfully detected the MC252 well and would continue to a target intercept depth of 18,000 feet, when "kill" operations would begin.”

Also see: BP says Macondo wellbore detected by first relief well

Gulf Oil Spill - Radar Images June 22-23

http://blog.skytruth.org/2010/06/bp-gulf-oil-spill-radar-images-june-22.html

Deepwater Horizon Blowout Gallery

http://www.flickr.com/photos/skytruth/sets/72157623909364472/with/4733142029/

Advances in Oil Spill Cleanup Lag Since Valdez

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/us/25clean.html?emc=eta1

US Turns Down Offers of Assistance with Oil Spill

http://www.naturalnews.com/029067_oil_spill_Gulf_of_Mexico.html

The Gulf Oil Spill - Could A Catastrophic Spill Happen Again?

http://environmentalism.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-gulf-oil-spill--could-another-catastrophic-spill-occur

BP’s Shadow Lingers in the Gulf of Mexico

http://surfermag.com/features/onlineexclusives/sixty-six_days_later_surfers_lament_the_largest_oil_spill_in_us_history/

The GOP’s Oil Spill Vulnerability

http://www.frumforum.com/the-gops-oil-spill-vulnerability

Tropical disturbance has potential to hamper spill cleanup

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/weather-news/tropical-disturbance-has-potential-to-hamper-spill-cleanup-767818.html

Track the progress of this and other tropical storms here.

Timor Sea Oil Spill Forcing NTT Fishermen to Migrate

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/timor-sea-oil-spill-forcing-ntt-fishermen-to-migrate/382331

“Thousands of fishermen in Kupang`s Oesapa area are preparing to migrate to Bangka Belitung in Sumatra to find a new livelihood, a fishermen's spokesman said. They will migrate because their fish catches from the Timor Sea have declined drastically since the waters were polluted by an [August 21, 2009] oil spill originating in Australian territory.”

THE MORATORIUM

Editorial: Gulf oil drilling mustn't supersede safety reviews

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20100625/OPINION01/6250313/Editorial--Gulf-oil-drilling-mustn-t-supersede-safety-reviews

Lifting ban gives oil industry a pass

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/06/24/rachlinski.drill.ban/index.html?hpt=T2

Judge In Moratorium Case Sold Exxon Stock This Week

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100625-711426.html

WILDLIFE, HUMAN AND ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS

Pensacola Beach closed after oil washes ashore

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9GHSS4O3.htm

Oil spill takes toll on tourism on Gulf Coast

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2010-06-25-1Aspill25_CV_N.htm

Casualty of Gulf oil spill: Local po'boys

http://www.cdispatch.com/business/article.asp?aid=6775

HANDS ACROSS THE SAND

Find an Event Near You and Participate Tomorrow at 11 am!

http://www.handsacrossthesand.com/

"Hands Across Sand" rallies against offshore oil

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/green/2010/06/hands_across_sand_rallies_agai.html

Surfrider's Hands Across the Sand

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/sports/recreation_sports/surfing_blog/surfrider%27s-hands-across-the-sand

Join Hands to Protest Offshore Oil Drilling This Saturday, 6/26

http://www.saveourshores.org/news/join-hands-protest-offshore-oil-drilling-saturday-626

Protesters of oil spill to gather in Huntington Beach

http://www.ocregister.com/news/oil-254916-gulf-hands.html

ALASKA

Moratorium Won’t Stop Unprecedented BP Project in the Arctic

http://www.propublica.org/ion/blog/item/moratorium-wont-stop-unprecedented-bp-project-in-the-arctic

“Liberty,” [is] a project in the Arctic for which BP has built an artificial island made of gravel—which according to the company and regulators, qualifies it as “onshore,” and not subject to the offshore drilling moratorium.

FLORIDA

Oil entering Florida inland waters

http://www.news-press.com/article/20100624/GREEN/100624018/1075

Oil threatens medical research in Fla. water

http://www.ocala.com/article/20100620/ARTICLES/6201007/1402/NEWS

Gulf oil spill prompts early harvest of scallops

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/22/1693135/oil-spill-prompts-early-harvest.html#ixzz0rtLE9B4E

Say No to Offshore Drilling This Weekend!

Please join the Surfrider Foundation and our environmental partners for Hands Across the Sand this Saturday. Folks will join hands, at local beaches, for 15 minutes to say no to offshore oil drilling and yes to clean energy.

There are more than 800 grassroots 'Hands Across the Sand' events that will take place in communities across the country and around the world in response to the Gulf drilling disaster.

Tens of thousands of people who support clean energy and oppose offshore drilling are expected to participate in more than 800 Hands Across the Sand events across the country and around the world on Saturday, June 26. Events will take place in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and more than 30 countries, beginning in Auckland, New Zealand and work its way across global time zones finishing on the North Shore of Kauai, Hawaii.

NOTE: A complete list of events, all of which begin at 11 a.m. Saturday (in your own time zone), can be found at Hands Across the Sand. Click on your state for the list.

At events taking place on beaches, near waterways, and in land-locked towns, participants will join hands to form symbolic barriers against spilling oil. The events will represent the largest-yet outpouring of grassroots activism in response to the disastrous April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig and the subsequent, devastating oil damage in the Gulf of Mexico.

To join Surfrider click here or to unsubscribe click here.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Oil Drilling News - PM Supplement

GULF OIL DISASTER

BP/Gulf Oil Spill – Any Backup Containment Devices Ready?

http://blog.skytruth.org/2010/06/bp-gulf-oil-spill-any-backup.html

How Important is Gulf of Mexico Oil?

http://www.theenergywatch.com/2010/06/24/343/

Pew Research/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll, sponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management

http://www.pollingreport.com/energy.htm

DEEP WATER DRILLING MORATORIUM

Judge Won’t Stay Drilling Decision

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/us/25spill.html

Jindal keeps up push against drilling moratorium

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/24/1698486/jindal-keeps-up-push-against-drilling.html

U.S. Chamber energy chief: Lift drilling moratorium

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2010/06/21/daily40.html

WILDLIFE, HUMAN and ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS

Gulf oil leak threatens baby turtles' food

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100624/NEWS01/6240309/Gulf-oil-leak-threatens-baby-turtles-food

HANDS ACROSS THE SAND

Hope That Spill Will Bring Change (CNN video report)

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/06/24/costello.gulf.environment.cnn

Offshore Drilling Foes to Stage Global Demonstrations (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/06/24/24greenwire-offshore-drilling-foes-to-stage-global-demonst-24239.html

ALASKA

BP's Liberty Oil Well in Alaska to Face New Safety Rules

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-24/bp-s-liberty-oil-well-in-alaska-to-face-new-safety-rules.html

FLORIDA

Crist during Delray Beach visit pushes for more skimmer ships, oil drilling referendum

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/palm/blog/2010/06/crist_during_delray_beach_visit_pushes_for_more_skimmer_ships_oil_drilling_referendum.html

USF official: Oil seen near Jacksonville

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jun/24/na-usf-official-oil-seen-near-jacksonville/

"Some of the tar balls may start showing up on the east coast as far as Jacksonville," Bill Hogarth, dean of the College of Marine Science at USF, told members of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association in a telephone conference call. Satellite imagery interpreted by researchers at USF shows the oil continues to be a part of the loop current, the conveyor belt of water that dips from the Gulf and into the Florida Straits before traveling up the east coast as part of the Gulf Stream.”

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER

BP Reinstalls Cap on Gulf Oil Leak, Intercept Well on Track

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-23/bp-reinstalls-cap-on-gulf-oil-leak-intercept-well-on-track.html

BP Relied on Faulty U.S. Data

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703900004575325131111637728.html

(Article contains a graphic of the oil plume area and affected shorelines)

Deepwater Horizon: the best-case and most-likely scenarios

(includes cartoon and Daily Show film clip)

http://energybulletin.net/node/53214

“…the most-likely scenario is very, very bad for wildlife, BP, Britain, Obama, the economy of the southeastern states, indeed for the overall U.S. economy. A year from now, we will be further down the road Jeffrey Brown has mapped for us, with China and the U.S. competing a little more openly for access to oil and other resources. The most-likely scenario certainly includes lots of political dithering, grandstanding, and scapegoating over the next many weeks—all to vanishingly little practical effect. In a year’s time, nearly everyone will be convinced that U.S. energy policy is in even worse shape than they believe it to be today. And in twelve months very little will have changed in terms of national energy strategies or priorities. Which is why individuals, families, neighborhoods and communities need to be thinking about how they’re going to formulate their own energy and economic plans, starting now.”

Some thoughts and pictures from the Gulf Disaster (David Helvarg)

http://www.bluefront.org/wordpress/?p=1247

Berm Construction Halted By Feds (Video report)

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/06/23/kaye.bp.ticking.timebomb.cnn?iref=allsearch

THE MORATORIUM

Oil Drillers Won't Rush to Deep Water After Ruling

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-23/oil-drillers-won-t-rush-to-deep-water-after-ruling.html

U.S. Appeals Order Lifting Deepwater Drilling Ban

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-24/u-s-appeals-order-lifting-deepwater-drilling-ban.html

US to issue order for new Gulf oil drilling ban

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/10387830.stm

Deep-water drilling ban to be revised
One with a narrower focus may be put in place instead

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/7077249.html

“The Obama administration is revising its blanket moratorium on deep-water drilling and could replace it with a more targeted ban that lets some projects go forward, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told Congress on Wednesday.”

Also see: Drilling moratorium could be refined

WILDLIFE, HUMAN AND ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS

Dolphin washes ashore, dies in rescue

http://www.pnj.com/article/20100624/NEWS01/6240324/Dolphin-washes-ashore-dies-in-rescue

BP Is Burning Sea Turtles Alive, Gulf Captain Says

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/06/23/bp-burning-sea-turtles-alive-says-gulf-captain/

Daily Dead Wildlife Tally

http://dailydeadbirds.com/

Doctors call for help protecting Gulf oil spill workers

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/23/1697316/doctors-call-for-help-protecting.html#ixzz0rn9bmE9c

Oil blackens Pensacola beach

http://www.pnj.com/article/20100624/NEWS01/6240322/Oil-blackens-Pensacola-beach

Also see: Oil spill coats Florida Panhandle beaches with miles of sticky goo

BP spill should help make the case for bringing ecosystem services into the economy

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v465/n7301/full/465985b.html

HANDS ACROSS THE SAND

Below are just a few of the MANY articles on this event. Find a location near you at handsacrossthesand.org

700 "Hands Across the Sand" Events

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/06/23-19

Gut Check: Will BP spill help diminish our reliance on oil?

http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/24/gut-check-will-bp-spill-help-diminish-our-reliance-on-oil/

People worldwide to join Florida activists' cause in Saturday's 'Hands Across the Sand' protest against offshore drilling

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/people-worldwide-to-join-florida-activists-cause-in-765277.html

Group to join hands against offshore drilling

http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x657342598/Group-to-join-hands-against-offshore-drilling

Oil-drilling protest planned at local beaches

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20100624-NEWS-6240402

Activists Organize Peaceful Gatherings to Oppose Offshore Drilling

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stefanie-sekich/activists-organize-peacef_b_621817.html

ALASKA

BP Is Pursuing Alaska Drilling Some Call Risky

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/us/24rig.html

“BP’s project, called Liberty, has been 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.”

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Oil Drilling News - PM Supplement

GULF OIL DISASTER

BP moving containment cap back into place, spokesman says

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/23/gulf.oil.disaster/index.html?hpt=T2

Statement from Admiral Allen on Issues with Oil Collection from the Wellhead

http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/691455/

“I would tell you however though, we had an incident earlier today where they noticed that there was some kind of a gas rising through the vent that carries the warm water down that prohibits hydrates from forming. Out of abundance of caution the Discover Enterprise removed the containment cap with the riser pipe and moved away until they could assess the condition. They have indicated that the problem was a Remotely Operated Vehicle that had been around the (inaudible) package that bumped into one of those vents that allows the excess oil to come out. They actually closed it thereby creating pressure and the backflow potentially off the water vent. They are checking the containment cap right now that there are no hydrates in the containment cap. They will attempt to reinstall the containment cap and begin producing later on today. If there are hydrates they will probably have to rerun the pipeline, and that will take a considerable amount longer.”

Radar Satellite Image of Oil Plume, June 22 (Skytruth)

http://blog.skytruth.org/2010/06/bp-gulf-oil-spill-asar-image-june-22.html

NOAA Opens More Than 8,000 Square Miles of Fishing Closed Area in Gulf of Mexico

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100623_opening.html

“The most significant opening is an area due south of Mississippi which was closed Monday, June 21. Additionally, some smaller areas were opened off the Louisiana and central Florida coasts. The closed area now represents 78,597 square miles, which is approximately 32.5 percent of Gulf of Mexico federal waters.”

New Drilling Agency Will Have Investigative Arm

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/us/24interior.html?src=mv

HANDS ACROSS THE SAND

Hands across the Sand Protests Offshore Oil Drilling

http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/96921024.html

Oil-drilling protest

http://jacksonville.com/community/shorelines/2010-06-22/story/beach-shorts-oil-drilling-protest

Demonstration against offshore oil drilling Saturday (June 26) in Hilo

http://www.hawaii247.com/2010/06/23/demonstration-against-offshore-oil-drilling-saturday-june-26-in-hilo/

Coney Island Joins Protest Against Offshore Oil Drilling

http://amusingthezillion.com/2010/06/23/june-26-coney-island-joins-protest-against-offshore-oil-drilling/

FLORIDA

YouTube Video - Pensacola Beach - Oil and Tar Washing Over My Feet June 23 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F94X8W0hwF8&feature=player_embedded

Threat to Florida Keys Subsides (for now)

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/hunting/news/story?id=5319834

“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has suspended daily production of offshore Transocean/BP oil spill trajectory maps because a change in ocean currents has minimized impact risks to the Florida Keys and most of the Florida peninsula. According to Billy Causey, superintendent of the southeast region for NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries, the northern end of the Loop Current has been pinched off into a large clockwise eddy called Eddy Franklin. Thus, there is no clear path for spilled oil to enter the Loop Current from the spill source in the northern Gulf of Mexico that is about 500 miles northwest of Key West. “

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER

Oil gushing at spill site after vent damaged

Cap removed after robotic sub hits vent; two deaths in response effort

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37841204/ns/disaster_in_the_gulf/

Also see: Oil gushes into gulf following accident in containment effort

Also see: Suspension of Lower Marine Riser Package Containment Cap Operations

Also see: More Oil Gushing Into Gulf After Problem With Cap

See the Gusher

http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/incident_response/STAGING/local_assets/html/Skandi_ROV2.html

Sources: Gov't Report Says Subsea Oil a Problem

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/22/eveningnews/main6607960.shtml

“Sources say the government report will leave little doubt subsea oil is a serious problem. The subsea oil is like a sneak attack hidden unseen beneath the surface where it can travel under the boom and reach the shore. Independent scientists have been trying to sound the alarm for weeks.”

Also see: Administration’s Joint Analysis Group Releases First Scientific Report on Subsea Monitoring data from Gulf Spill

Methane in Gulf "astonishingly high"

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65L6IA20100622

Storms May Strengthen in Gulf, Hampering Oil Cleanup

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-22/tropical-storm-could-pose-formidable-threat-to-bp-oil-clean-up-in-gulf.html

Follow the latest tropical storm developments here.

Each day, another way to define worst-case for oil spill

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/22/AR2010062205391.html?hpid=topnews

CSB to Investigate Deepwater Horizon Blowout

http://ehstoday.com/fire_emergencyresponse/news/csb-investigate-deepwater-horizon-blowout-5587/

Bromwich Launches Investigative/Compliance Team to Spur Reform, Restructuring of Offshore Oil and Gas Regulation

http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Bromwich-Launches-Investigative-Compliance-Team-to-Spur-Reform-Restructuring-of-Offshore-Oil-and-Gas-Regulation.cfm

Costner's machines working "fantastic"

http://www.wwl.com/Update--Costner-s-machines-working--fantastic-/7521840

THE DEEPWATER DRILLING MORATORIUM

Judge Overturns Drilling Ban

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704853404575322942341022322.html

Martin Feldman, judge who overturned Obama Gulf drilling ban, had investments in oil: 2008 report

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/06/23/2010-06-23_martin_feldman_judge_who_overturned_obama_gulf_drilling_ban_had_investments_in_o.html#ixzz0rh7ze5YO

Legal drilling battle looms as Gulf spill spreads

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100623/india_nm/india495652

“Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said late on Tuesday he would order a new moratorium "in the coming days" to reinstate a temporary ban aimed at ensuring offshore safety after the worst oil spill in U.S. history struck at a BP operation on April 20.”

Secretary Salazar’s Statement Regarding the Moratorium on Deepwater Drilling

http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Secretary-Salazars-Statement-Regarding-the-Moratorium-on-Deepwater-Drilling.cfm

“The decision to impose a moratorium on deepwater drilling was and is the right decision. The moratorium is needed to protect the communities and the environment of the Gulf Coast, and DOJ is therefore appealing today’s court ruling.”

White House Backs Electric-Car Aid

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704853404575323112558750360.html

“The Obama administration on Tuesday backed a proposal to spend up to $6 billion more on subsidies for electric vehicles, amid renewed interest on Capitol Hill in measures to cut petroleum consumption in response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The proposals include more spending for research and development of car-battery technology, aid to utilities and homeowners to build recharging outlets, and consumer tax credits to offset the higher costs of battery-electric vehicles.”

HANDS ACROSS THE SAND

Oil Disaster Pushes Florida Event International

http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/14631-1

Massive Worldwide Mobilization Opposing Offshore Drilling to Take Place Saturday, June 26

http://yubanet.com/usa/Massive-Worldwide-Mobilization-Opposing-Offshore-Drilling-to-Take-Place-Saturday-June-26_printer.php

ALASKA

BP's Next Disaster: Drilling in the Arctic

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/120130

FLORIDA

Plans to evacuate Tampa Bay area are in place

http://www.examiner.com/x-17299-Hernando-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner~y2010m5d9-Gulf-Oil-Spill-2010-Plans-to-evacuate-Tampa-Bay-area-expected-to-be-announced

“The plans would be announced in the event of a controlled burn of surface oil in the Gulf of Mexico, or if wind or other conditions are expected to take toxic fumes through Tampa Bay.”

LOUISIANA

Louisiana officials use barges to keep oil out of key bay

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-20100620,0,907234.story