Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
KngmAz in all fairness BP has done a lousy job of public relations, and it's not getting any better. They need to switch
to plan "B" what ever that might be.
So what's your best guess Ninga, will we come out of the closet
next month or will we have to wait longer?
That famous fat lady is not about to sing our swan song. Thanks
for sharing this info.
Shappy - Thanks for your time and effort.
I don't know about your part of the country or in your country,
but a quick review of today's Sundy paper showed two small articles on page 30 of the Nation and World section.
The major media is doing all they can to bury the golf oil spill
story. Another thing you see very little of is information on the
highly toxic gases coming off the spill area. This is the real
bomb shell that the government,EPA, and BP are hiding from us.
I have friends and family down there and I'm worried for them.
The only other thing we can do on a personal level is spread the
word.
Thanks for sharing.
I trust one of these day's you'll say whats on your mind,LOL.
Excellent post, you've expressed the feelings I've had for somtime.
Obama and the great lie.
Why Did The U.S. Refuse International Help on The Gulf Oil Spill?
http://dianchu.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-did-us-refuse-international-help-on.html
By Dian L. Chu, Economic Forecasts & Opinions
Despite the vow by President Obama to keep the Gulf oil spill a top priority until the damage is cleaned up, 50 days after the BP rig exploded, a definitive date and meaningful solution is yet to be determined for the worst oil spill in the U.S. history.
So, you would think if someone is willing to handle the clean-up with equipment and technology not available in the U.S., and finishes the job in shorter time than the current estimate, the U.S. should jump on the offer.
But it turned out to be quite the opposite. .
U.S. Refused Help on Oil Spill
According to Foreign Policy, thirteen entities had offered the U.S. oil spill assistance within about two weeks of the Horizon rig explosion. They were the governments of Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations.
The U.S. response - Thank you, but no thank you, we've got it.
"..While there is no need right now that the U.S. cannot meet, the U.S. Coast Guard is assessing these offers of assistance to see if there will be something which we will need in the near future."
Blame It On The Jones Act?
Separately, Belgian newspaper De Standaard also reported Belgian and Dutch dredgers have technology in-house to fight the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but the Jones Act forbids them to work in the U.S.
A Belgian group--DEME-- contends it can clean up the oil in three to four months with specialty vessel and equipment, rather than an estimated nine months if done only by the U.S. The article noted there are no more than 5 or 6 of those ships in the world and the top specialist players are the two Belgian companies- DEME and De Nul - and their Dutch competitors.
The U.S. does not have the similar technology and vessel to accomplish the cleanup task because those ships would cost twice as much to build in the U.S. than in the Far East. The article further criticizes this "great technological delay" is a direct consequence of the Jones Act.
What Is The Jones Act?
The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 is a United States Federal statute that regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters and between U.S. ports. Section 27, also known as the Jones Act, deals with coastal shipping; and requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents.
The purpose of the law is to support the U.S. merchant marine industry. Critics said that the legislation results in increased costs moving cargoes between U.S. ports, and in essence, is protectionism, Supporters of the Act maintain that the legislation is of strategic economic and wartime interest to the United States. .
European Service Sector - Offshore Subsea Specialist
As discussed in my analysis of the oil service sector, the European companies typically possess the knowhow in offshore and subsea; whereas their North American counterparts excel in onshore drilling and production technologies.
So, it is more than likely that European firms do have the expertise to clean up the spill quicker and more effectively as DEME asserts.
Since the Jones Act means the Belgian ship and personnel cannot work in the Gulf, it does seem the Act has inhibited technology and knowledge exchange & development, and possibly prevented a quicker response to the oil spill.
Jones Waiver Time
On the other hand, waivers of the Jones may be granted by the Administration in cases of national emergencies or in cases of strategic interest. It would appear the U.S. government's initial refusal to foreign help most likely stemmed from a mis-calculation of the scale and deepwater technological barriers for this unprecedented disaster, and/or perhaps ..... pride.
Whatever the rationale, and if De Standarrd's claim that the Jones Act forbids the European companies to help fight the spill is true, it is high time the U.S. government grant the Jones waiver, and let this be an international collaborative effort.
It's always better late than never.
Your right on my friend. I don't expect them to make use of that
giant oil skimming ship. The question to be asked her is what's
in it for BP to drag their feet in getting this thing cleaned up ?
Well as I said last night, if my memore hasn't gone to sleep on
me, BP is one of the 3 or 4 main sponcers of Cap and Trade. So if
Obama gets his energy tax, the rich and greedy win again.
In post #2623 I included some Info- on the Worlds largest skimming
ship from Taiwan, and the question was will BP and Obama make use
of it ? Let's see if this helps.
The Jones Act, which forbids foreign ships from operating between U.S. ports, can be waived in in cases of national emergencies or in cases of strategic interest. Belgian company DEME contends that it has the specialist vessels to fix the oil leak within two to four months, technology the U.S. does not have. By taking bids on a contract to fix the oil leak from international companies, Obama could have the problem solved within a matter of weeks, but he immediately refused the help of “thirteen entities that had offered the U.S. oil spill assistance within about two weeks of the Horizon rig explosion.” This is another clear example of the government’s motivation to allow the crisis to drag on indefinitely until they can use it to ram through their environmental agenda.
The above was taken in part from an article written by Paul Watson
and Alex Jones.
LOL, you'll have to ask the White House and their point man.
Didn't Obama say the government was in in-charge ? Then why is
it that anyone who wants to help has to get past BP first ? Oh
yea, the Cost Guard did try and stop the Louisiana governor
from sending out a fleet of oil skimmers.
The following news item shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who
spends time on the internet.
Former Oil Worker Says Cleanup Just For Show
by Bill Riales
Published: Thu, June 24, 2010 - 8:16 pm CST
Last Updated: Thu, June 24, 2010 - 8:46 pm CST
32624 Views |Short URL: http://wkrg.com/899852
GULF SHORES, Alabama - 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.
Warren says she knew that when crews worked during the day, the tide and surf buried oil overnight. But they were forbidden to dig it up. She quit in disgust three weeks ago despite the $18 per hour pay.
She said she was told to only clean the surface of the sand, that this is all cosmetic. She was on a crew at Gulf State Park where tourists go. She says it has priority so as to make it look like the beaches are clean.
Warren says she believes money is being wasted on the crews and says "At some point the real clean-up will have to begin, but I'm afraid the money will be gone."
She used a shovel and dug down six, eight, maybe twelve inches into the sand to show us the layers of oil close to the shoreline.
Now this is interesting, let's see what BP,Washington and or the
Coast Guard have to say.
Huge oil-skimming ship makes Virginia stop en route to Gulf of Mexico
Published: Friday, June 25, 2010, 11:00 PM
The Associated Press
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/06/huge_oil-skimming_ship_makes_v.html
With no assurances it will be allowed to join the Gulf of Mexico oil spill cleanup, a Taiwanese-owned ship billed as the world's largest skimming vessel was preparing to sail Friday evening to the scene of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
The ship -- the length of 3 1/2 football fields and 10 stories high -- is designed to collect up to 500,000 barrels of oily water a day through 12 vents on either side of its bow. It docked in Norfolk en route to the Gulf from Portugal, where it was retrofitted to skim the seas. The ship and its crew of 32 were to leave Virginia waters Friday evening.
The owners of the "A Whale" said the ship features a new skimming approach that has never been attempted on such a large scale. They are anxious to put it to its first test in the Gulf.
"We really have to start showing people what we can do," said Bob Grantham, project coordinator for TMT Group, a Taiwan-based shipping company.
The company is still negotiating with the Coast Guard to join the cleanup and does not have a contract with BP to perform cleanup work. The company also needs environmental approval and waiver of a nearly century-old law aimed at protecting U.S. shipping interests.
Environmental Protection Agency approval is required because some of the seawater returned to the Gulf would have traces of oil.
The Coast Guard, which has received more than 2,000 cleanup proposals, said the supertanker skimmer had survived a preliminary review and was being studied further.
Capt. Ron LaBrec said that initial review involves a number of government agencies, including the EPA.
One question, he said, is: "Will a large vessel like this be able to operate this in this kind of area?"
If the ship passes the additional review, its owners could then negotiate terms with BP. He could not provide an estimated timetable for the review would be completed.
The company said it also needs a waiver of the 1920 Jones Act, which limits the activities of foreign-flagged ships in coastal U.S. waters. The A Whale is Liberian-flagged vessel.
Grantham said TMT was hopeful it could secure the necessary approvals during the ship's three-day passage to the Gulf.
The converted oil tanker has the capacity of holding 2 million barrels, but would limit its holding tanks to 1 million barrels for environmental reasons. Oil skimmed up by the tanker would be separated from seawater, then transferred to another vessel.
Its owners claim the ship could gulp oily water at a daily rate that nearly matches the skimming total to date in the Gulf.
Nobu Su, CEO and founder of TMT group, compared the massive ship to a whale scooping up small fish. He said cappuccino-colored oily water would be processed through several tanks to extract oil the color of espresso.
He said the ship was engineered to skim oil shortly after its construction in South Korea this year after he recognized the "catastrophic" oil spill would require extraordinary measures.
"I believe this spill is unprecedented and you need an unprecedented solution," said T.K. Ong, senior vice president for TMT.
The effort received the endorsement of at least one Louisiana resident.
Edward Overton, a professor emeritus from Louisiana State University, was among the visitors at the port where the A Whale was berthed. He called the current cleanup inadequate.
"We need this ship," he told TMT executives. "That oil is already contaminating our shoreline."
Steve Szkotak of The Associated Press wrote this report.
Good find 'buckiii2', you know this makes what I said in post
#2603 sound very reasonable.
"they did't want any major clean-up going until the Gulf is hit with a major storm. The devastation will be great, the people will be on their knees pleading for the government to help."
Now that's scary, I don't even want to get into what that might mean.
Your right they will never truly go broke. If my memory hasn't
fallen asleep yet. The major players behind BP are J.P Morgan,
Queen Beatrix and Queen Elizabeth.Now I would be surprised if you
would ever see either queen directly listed as a stock holder,
that's why you have a J.P. Morgan.
Outstanding post my friend. This should be mandatory reading
on all boards.
I've had this feeling ever since they picked Keven Kostners units
with a long deliver time and did nothing about putting ESPH or
EVTN's units to work now, that they did't want any major clean-up
going until the Gulf is hit with a major storm. The devastation
will be great, the people will be on their knees pleading for the
government to help.
At that point BP and the government will go into overdrive and
everything and everyone will be pushed into service. But there is
this issue of an energy tax to pay for it. There's already a lot
of speculation that BP might have to file Chapter 11. You have
to know BP never intended to pay for most of this mess.
I think early on old Tony Hayward made a passing comment that
went like "Why is this our problem" Perhaps the was a glimpse
into the world elites thought process.
The above are just my random thoughts. Please don't bet the
farm or even one cow on what I've said.
Sorry if I bored anyone.
Oil spill clean-up in Gulf of Mexico faces rough weather.
From AFP Global Edition | 2010-06-25 16:10:26
High seas and rough winds were forecast Friday for the Gulf of Mexico, posing a new threat as oil from the massive BP spill slopped ashore in Florida, closing down popular beaches at the height of the summer tourist season.
"This will be the first time and there is no playbook," Coast Guard commandant Thad Allen told CNN of the "tropical wave" moving into the southern Gulf.
"I will tell you there has been an extraordinary amount of planning being done between the folks of the national incident command and incident commanders on the ground," he said.
Meanwhile, shares in BP plummeted to a 13-year low in London after the group ramped up the costs the spill so far to 2.35 billion dollars (1.9 billion euros).
The company's share values have been cut by more than half since an April 20 explosion on the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers and unleashed the worst oil spill in US history.
The vast slick has already soiled the coastlines of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, but could spell disaster for Florida, one of the world's top tourist destinations with more than 80 million visitors a year.
"Low pressure along the wave in the Caribbean is moving NW and could possibly develop into a tropical cyclone," the Miami, Florida-based center said.
Florida Senator Bill Nelson said Thursday that the Coast Guard told him an approaching storm would force BP to stop siphoning oil billowing from the well for at least a week leaving an estimated 35,000 to 60,000 barrels a day to flow freely into a Gulf already sick with the stuff.
"That means you have 60,000 barrels a day that will gush uninterrupted and unskimmed for 10 days," said Nelson, who is urging the Navy to outfit vessels as skimmers and have them on standby.
Oil began oozing onto beaches in northwestern Florida on Thursday, prompting a swimming ban from far western Florida to the east side of Pensacola Beach through Santa Rosa Island, one of the region's most popular tourist attractions.
"There's oil both in the water and in the sand," said Warren Bielenberg, an official with the Gulf Islands National Seashore, one of the areas in northwestern Florida affected by the spill.
"It's pretty ugly, there's no question about it," said Florida Governor Charlie Crist.
The state's 1,260 miles (2,000 kilometers) of western coastline is home to scores of popular beaches as well as pristine coral reefs and an important fishing industry.
State officials have mounted an aggressive beach and coastline cleanup effort to stop the oil from reaching Florida beaches.
At a time of high unemployment in other sectors, tourism in Florida generates more than a million jobs, bringing the state 65 billion dollars in revenue in 2008.
Oil siphoning operations resumed around 7:00 pm Wednesday (0000 GMT Thursday), some 11 hours after BP removed the containment cap over the gushing well after a remotely-operated submarine robots bumped into the device.
The accident shut down a vent, forcing gas up into part of the system. The device traps spewing crude and siphons it up to two surface vessels, the Discovery Enterprise and the Q4000.
The system had been capturing some 25,000 barrels of leaking oil a day, but capacity was cut for the 24 hours between midnight Tuesday and midnight Wednesday, officials overseeing the spill response said.
The setbacks were bad news for Bob Dudley who replaced gaffe-prone British CEO Tony Hayward as BP's spill response coordinator on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Dudley and three other BP executives met with Carol Browner, President Barack Obama's assistant for Energy and Climate Change, to discuss "key issues including containment, redundancy, claims and scientific monitoring," said the White House.
Browner stressed to the BP executives Obama's "commitment... that we are not going to rest or be satisfied until the leak is stopped at the source," the White House said.
The overall amount of crude gushing from the damaged well is still unclear, with the latest government estimates ranging from 35,000 to 60,000 barrels a day.
An internal BP document released by a US lawmaker this week showed the firm had projected worst-case scenario of up to 100,000 barrels, or 4.2 million gallons, a day leaking into the sea.
America's worst previous oil spill, the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, dumped nearly 11 million gallons off the Alaskan coast, but even under the low end of current estimates, almost 100 million gallons have entered the Gulf.
The Obama administration, meanwhile, was looking for another way to impose a moratorium on deepwater drilling after a judge ruled it was "arbitrary and capricious."
The Obama administration has pledged to reissue the order, using different language to overcome legal obstacles.
Copyright 2010 AFP Global Edition
Lawsuit Seeks $19 Billion in Clean Water Act Penalties From BP
June 22, 2010
By Beth Buczynski
Many were surprised that BP agreed to set up a $20 billion escrow fund to compensate victims of the Gulf oil spill. On Monday, Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska completed legislation that would also ensure that future violators must also set up similar accounts. Not surprisingly his Republican counterpart, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, has made no move to sign it, instead drafting her own legislation that would prevent a formal oil spill compensation process from being devised.
While the Kenneth R. Feinburg and his team of lawyers and accountants get to work creating a smooth claims process for spill victims, environmental organizations are already seeking similar compensation for those without voices: the birds, fish, sea turtles, marsh grasses, and sandy beaches that may never recover from this tragedy.
In the largest citizen enforcement action ever taken under the Clean Water Act, the Center for Biological Diversity sued BP and Transocean Ltd. on Friday for illegally spewing more than 100 million gallons of oil and other toxic pollutants into the Gulf of Mexico. The suit was filed in federal court in New Orleans.
The Center is seeking the maximum possible penalty against BP. If BP’s violations are found to have been the result of gross negligence or willful misconduct, the maximum fine is $4,300 per barrel spilled. At this rate, the company is already liable for approximately $11 billion in Clean Water Act penalties. If the spill continues through August 1, 2010, BP’s liability will be approximately $19 billion.
The penalties will be paid to the U.S. treasury and will be available for Gulf Coast restoration efforts.
“The government has yet to take any criminal or civil actions against BP,” said Kierán Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity. “We filed this suit to ensure BP is held accountable for every drop of oil and pollution it has released into the Gulf of Mexico. We can’t bring back dead sea turtles, dolphins and whales, but we can ensure BP is penalized to the full extent of the law for causing the worst environmental disaster in American history.”
The Center’s lawsuit also seeks a full and honest accounting from BP of how much oil is gushing into the Gulf each day and what toxic pollutants are mixed in with the oil. In addition to the oil, the spill is also leaking hazardous chemicals including benzene, arsenic and naphthalene.
“Gulf residents, cleanup crews, wildlife officials and the American public have a right to know the magnitude and danger of this spill,” said Suckling. “The company hasn’t been forthright even in the face of public outrage. A judge’s order will change all that. Until then, we’re flying blind when it comes to protecting human health and the environment.”
Source: Center for Biological Diversity
I spent time on the net last night looking for something positive
happening in the Gulf and I came up empty, jbalish102 was right this story is getting buried. This Gulf oil spill is as big a story in it's own way as 9/11 and yet most of us by far are
more interested in reality TV or the sports page. Are we dumb or
what?
As always I've been looking for something new to report on
ESPH but I've come up dry again. So here is what I did find.
Note- Our government their agencies and big business can afford
to hire the brightest people in the room. So why is it they most
often make common rocks look more intelligent than they are?
BP Response Plan Was Based on Surface Spills
Government models weren't updated for deepwater drilling.
By Rob Quinn - June 24, 2010
(Newser) – BP's response to the Gulf spill was based on outdated government-provided models that were proven wrong by scientists before they were proven wrong by the disaster. The Minerals Management Service predictions—which didn't even address how oil would behave when spilled a mile under the surface—gave very low odds of oil from a spill even bigger than BP's reaching the Gulf of Mexico coast, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The models haven't been updated since 2004, despite recommendations that new models be prepared specifically for deep-sea drilling. One study in the late 1990s released floating objects in the Gulf of Mexico to simulate an oil spill. After 30 days, the drifting objects had taken a path 300 miles off the course that the government model predicted. Researchers, however, concluded that the discrepancy was "neither surprising nor disappointing," and "do not negate the utility" of the model.
Note. Well let's see now, 2004 would mean the that both G.W Bush and the Obama
administration are both to blame as they both turned a blind eye.
I have to agree with what your saying. I get a local and regional
paper every day and there's not much there and the same can be
said for radio and TV. Now does that mean there's a cover-up
going on, or nothing new happening ? More than likely both are
correct.
In general I agree with you "NO ONE WANTS A HURRICANE" But in politics nothing is off the table if they can reach their goal of higher taxes. I'm sure they thought it was in the bag
when we where hit with Global Warming,but then that was exposed
for what it was a lie. So what does a government do next.
I'm not saying this is the way it is for sure, but as I said in
politics nothing is off the table.
Shappy for the most part there is a lot the government can do,
it's just that there doing nothing. If you go back through the
history of BP there very arrogant and do all possible to pay a
little as possible. Our government does as little as possible
unless it's war related.
The government will use this to push for there energy tax saying
it will go to help with the clean up. History on the other hand
says most of that tax money will go to financing there third
war, that being Iran.
Thanks for that. When there's no news forthcoming from ESPH,BP,
State, Local and Federal government, there's little else to do
but spend a few hours going through 100's of web sites looking
for items of interest that are to often overlooked. In short I'm
just doing what ever I can to add a little some thing to the
board during the quiet times.
Your right, but BP and our Government are setting on their hands.
Do you think they want a hurricane to hit first ?
I thought the following video clip would be of interest to all
on this board. To many people feel that the Gulf Oil Spill is
down in the Gulf and it wont bother me. Well in the near future
it might just grab you by the wallet when you go shopping for
food.
Toxic Oil Spill Rains Warned Could Destroy North America, Gulf of Mexico
http://cache02.casttv.com/video/2agaao/toxic-oil-spill-rains-warned-could-destroy-north-america-gulf-of-mexico-video
The following sound like BP acid rain to me.
Watch Here Toxic Oil Spill Rains Warned Could Destroy North America, Gulf of Mexico
http://cache02.casttv.com/video/2agaao/toxic-oil-spill-rains-warned-could-destroy-north-america-gulf-of-mexico-video
Oil Spill Kills 2 More People!
Is the BP Clean-Up Creating A Toxic Soup in the Gulf?
http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/05/toxic-soup-gulf
Think of all the people down there working on the clean-up and
not wearing any protective gear at all or very little,because
they where told it's safe. Sounds like the Exxon Valdez and
9/11 all over again. How many of those people are now dead and
or dieing ?
Given the snails pace that clean-up in LA. has been moving at, you have to wonder if it's planed that a hurricane will hit before any real effort is put into the clean-up. If the hurricane hits first and contaminates an area 50-200 miles inland, the people will yell for government help.To do that, the government will need help in the form of a tax Call it Cap and Trade or anything you want, but we'll be hit with a tax.
I'll have to pass on this one,no HBO
Way to soon to think about that. First we need to show that we
can not only obtain a price level but also hold it.
Great opening, let's keep it going.
$1.66/share - Vol. 527,700
Good video clip in large part covering Ecpsphere
CS Sunday: Age-Old Technology? | Clean Skies
http://www.cleanskies.com/videos/cs-sunday-age-old-technology
Jun 20, 2010 ... Clean Skies Sunday talks to officials of two companies on their devices to clean up the Gulf of Mexico. They have the contract from BP.
I came across this on another board (thanks to Crackerjack) and
thought it spelled out just how screwed up things are down in
the Gulf.
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/bp-oil-spill-gov-bobby-jindals-wishes-crude/story?id=10946379
WATCH VIDEO
60 Days Into Oil Crisis, Gulf Coast Governors Say Feds Are Failing Them
By DAVID MUIR and BRADLEY BLACKBURN
June 18, 2010—
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has spent the past week and half fighting to get working barges to begin vacuuming crude oil out of his state's oil-soaked waters. By Thursday morning, against the governor's wishes, those barges still were sitting idle, even as more oil flowed toward the Louisiana shore.
"It's the most frustrating thing," the Republican governor told ABC News while visiting Buras, La. "Literally, [Wednesday] morning we found out that they were halting all of these barges."
Watch "World News" for David Muir's report from Louisiana tonight.
Sixteen barges sat stationary Thursday, although they had been sucking up thousands of gallons of BP's oil as recently as Tuesday. Workers in hazmat suits and gas masks pumped the oil out of the Louisiana waters and into steel tanks. It was a homegrown idea that seemed to be effective at collecting the thick gunk.
"These barges work. You've seen them work. You've seen them suck oil out of the water," said Jindal.
Coast Guard Orders Barges to Stop.
So why stop now?
"The Coast Guard came and shut them down," Jindal said. "You got men on the barges in the oil, and they have been told by the Coast Guard, 'Cease and desist. Stop sucking up that oil.'"
A Coast Guard representative told ABC News that it shares the same goal as the governor.
"We are all in this together. The enemy is the oil," said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Dan Lauer.
But the Coast Guard ordered the stoppage because of reasons that Jindal found frustrating. The Coast Guard needed to confirm that there were fire extinguishers and life vests on board, and then it had trouble contacting the people who built the barges.
Louisiana Governor Couldn't Overrule Coast Guard
The governor said he didn't have the authority to overrule the Coast Guard's decision, though he said he tried to reach the White House to raise his concerns.
"They promised us they were going to get it done as quickly as possible," he said. But "every time you talk to someone different at the Coast Guard, you get a different answer."
After Jindal strenuously made his case, the barges finally got the go-ahead Thursday to return to the Gulf and get back to work, after more than 24 hours of sitting idle.
Along Gulf Coast, Governors Ask, 'Who's In Charge?'
Sixty days into the crisis, it still can be tough to figure out who is in charge in Louisiana, and the problem appears to be the same in other Gulf Coast states.
In Alabama Thursday, Gov. Bob Riley said that he's had problems with the Coast Guard, too.
Riley, R-Ala., asked the Coast Guard to find ocean boom tall enough to handle strong waves and protect his shoreline.
The Coast Guard went all the way to Bahrain to find it, but when it came time to deploy it?
"It was picked up and moved to Louisiana," Riley said.
The governor said the problem is there's still no single person giving a "yes" or "no." While the Gulf Coast governors have developed plans with the Coast Guard's command center in the Gulf, things begin to shift when other agencies start weighing in, like the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"It's like this huge committee down there," Riley said, "and every decision that we try to implement, any one person on that committee has absolute veto power."
Click here to return to the "World News" page.
Yep it's all about immage.
As oil spews in Gulf, BP chief at UK yacht race
LONDON – BP chief executive Tony Hayward, often criticized for being tone-deaf to U.S. concerns about the worst oil spill in American history, took time off Saturday to attend a glitzy yacht race off England's Isle of Wight.
Spokeswoman Sheila Williams said Hayward took a break from overseeing BP efforts to stem the undersea gusher in Gulf of Mexico to watch his boat "Bob" participate in the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100619/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill
While we set around and wait for the powers to be too give us the
necessary go-ahead, I thought the following article form the UK.
might give you something to keep us entertained.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bl...
Excellent - Thanks for sharing.