GULF OIL DISASTER
Feds, parish presidents devising Gulf recovery plan
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/29/gulf.oil.disaster/index.html?hpt=T2
“Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen laid out a three-pronged plan on Thursday he said could start once the sunken well in the Gulf is permanently sealed, and he said things are progressing as planned for that final solution, two weeks after the ruptured well was capped and stopped leaking. "We continue to make good progress towards both the static kill and the bottom relief well," Allen said. "We look to be laying the casing line into the relief well later on this evening and cementing that. That will set the stage for us to move on with the static kill, which will be pumping the mud and the cement in from the top of the well." Allen said there's a chance the static kill timeline could be accelerated, depending "on how successful they are laying the casing and moving forward," but tempered that expectation by saying, "Let's hold at Monday until we actually see if we gain any time." The relief well may be ready for the "bottom kill" effort five to seven days after the static kill.”
Gulf awash in 27,000 abandoned wells
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gz8SP1X8Y6bOR5kwCcuxUdV1XwLgD9GPVQ0G1
We posted this one about three weeks ago, but it’s worth repeating given the abandoned well that just erupted after being hit by a boat.
Majority of spilled oil in Gulf of Mexico unaccounted for in government data
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/28/AR2010072806135.html
“Up to 4 million barrels (167 million gallons), the vast majority of the spill, remains unaccounted for in government statistics. Some of it has, most likely, been cleaned up by nature. Other amounts may be gone from the water, but they could have taken on a second life as contaminants in the air, or in landfills around the Gulf Coast. And some oil is still out there -- probably mixed with chemical dispersants. Some scientists have described it floating in underwater clouds, which one compared to a toxic fog. “
WILDLIFE, HUMAN AND ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS
100 days of oil: Gulf life will never be the same
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hyxl4dbY0gbAokNHp1eXdYHkmLUwD9H869500
Experts: Health Hazards in Gulf Warrant Evacuations
This was published last week, so maybe the situation has improved, but………maybe not.
Wal-Mart stops fresh seafood sales in Florida, denies BP oil spill connection
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/wal-mart-stops-fresh-seafood-sales-in-florida-828782.html
The latest fishery closure area
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/deepwater_horizon_oil_spill.htm
Unchanged from last week. Still 57,539 sq mi (149,026 sq km), covering about 24% of the Gulf of Mexico exclusive economic zone.
CALIFORNIA
In Big Shift, Californians Oppose Offshore Oil Drilling
http://www.ppic.org/main/pressrelease.asp?p=1037
“A solid majority of the state’s residents now oppose more offshore drilling (59% oppose, 36% favor)—a 16-point increase in opposition from last year (43% oppose, 51% favor).”
NEW JERSEY
Residents Say No To Jersey Shore Drilling
http://www.monmouth.edu/polling/admin/polls/MUP34_4.pdf
“Just 31% of Garden State residents are in favor of drilling for oil or gas off the New Jersey coast, while 63% are opposed. This marks a turnaround from two years ago, when a majority of 56% favored
this energy option compared to only 36% who opposed it.”
