Monday, July 26, 2010

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Cap on gushing well removed, oil flows freely

BP hopes to install new dome to contain Gulf leak within a few days

by TOM BREEN (AP)

NEW ORLEANS — Robotic submarines working a mile underwater removed a leaking cap from the gushing Gulf oil well Saturday, starting a painful trade-off: Millions more gallons of crude will flow freely into the sea for at least two days until a new seal can be mounted to capture all of it.

There's no guarantee for such a delicate operation almost a mile below the water's surface, officials said, and the permanent fix of plugging the well from the bottom remains slated for mid-August.

"It's not just going to be, you put the cap on, it's done. It's not like putting a cap on a tube of toothpaste," Coast Guard spokesman Capt. James McPherson said.

Robotic submarines removed the cap that had been placed on top of the leak in early June to collect the oil and send it to surface ships for collection or burning. BP aims to have the new, tighter cap in place as early as Monday and said that, as of Saturday night, the work was going according to plan.

If tests show it can withstand the pressure of the oil and is working, the Gulf region could get its most significant piece of good news since the April 20 explosion on the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig, which killed 11 workers.

"Over the next four to seven days, depending on how things go, we should get that sealing cap on. That's our plan," said Kent Wells, a BP senior vice president, of the round-the-clock operation.

It would be only a temporary solution to the catastrophe that the federal government estimates has poured between 87 million and 172 million gallons of oil into the Gulf as of Saturday. Hope for permanently plugging the leak lies with two relief wells, the first of which should be finished by mid-August.
For more go to:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38178675/ns/disaster_in_the_gulf

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



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Obama to visit groundbreaking of Michigan battery plant

Obama to visit groundbreaking of Michigan battery plant
Groundbreaking is Thursday for factory to supply electric cars
David Shepardson / The Detroit News
Washington -- President Barack Obama will make his fourth visit to Michigan since taking office, to take part Thursday in the groundbreaking of a $303 million battery plant.

The White House said Obama will attend the event for an LG Chem factory in Holland.

Obama has backed battery and electric vehicle production and has called for 1 million plug-in vehicles on the roads by 2015.

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Work on the site began early last month on the 650,000-square-foot plant, said Hank Riberas of Roncelli Co., the construction firm overseeing the project.

In March, the South Korean company and its Troy-based unit, Compact Power Inc., confirmed they would build the factory to make battery cells for electric vehicles, including General Motors Co.'s extended-range Chevrolet Volt.

The plant will be able to produce enough cells for up to 200,000 electric vehicle batteries and will create an estimated 300 jobs by 2013 -- in addition to hundreds of construction jobs to build the plant.

Half of the funding came from a $151.4 million federal grant from a $2.4 billion program announced in August to boost battery and electric vehicle research and production. Those funds do not have to be paid back.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who has been promoting the state as a center for battery, electric vehicle and other green manufacturing jobs, will attend, as will many other of the state's elected leaders and auto executives.

Last month, Granholm announced state approval of a 15-year-old refundable tax credit for the project.

"Michigan is becoming a world capital for advanced batteries," Granholm said.

While in Nevada on Friday, Obama said his administration is committed to spending money for green jobs.

"We're going to go from 2 percent of advanced battery market share to 40 percent just in the next five years," he said. "That will create thousands of jobs across the country."

The state designation of the 120-acre site as a Renaissance Zone allows a company in the zone to operate free of virtually all state and local taxes.

The first generation of the Volt will go on sale in November using battery cells imported from South Korea.

dshepardson@detnews.com


From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100710/AUTO01/7100331/1148/Obama-to-visit-groundbreaking-of-Michigan-battery-plant#ixzz0tJ2L1dN1


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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Day 71 of the oil spill

DAY 71 OF OIL WELL LEAK!

I think, it's day 71 of: "The Three Stooges try to stop the oil leak and clean up the mess." If that doesn't work, we'll send in Laurel and Hardy! They always made a bigger mess out of things. Stan Laurel scratching his head says, "What do we do now, Ollie? "This is another fine mess you got us in!", Ollie replies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSQNi2hdTZg&feature=player_embeddedIt's not funny, it's just a comparison to the inept actions and at a koala pace.

The Three Stooges "Oil's Well That Ends Well"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqAl09h7wzo&feature=player_embedded

NOW THE HURRICANE ALEX IS MAKING IT WORSE!
(I know BP dosen't want to waste a drop of oil after all the money they put into drilling it. But, it's not working.) Hey, if Red Adair was still around, he would have blown it up on day 2.

WHY DON"T THEY SEND IN THE NAVY SEALS TO BLOW THE DAMNED WELL UP!!
End of oil well leak!
GO NAVY SEALS!

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Tuesday, June 8, 2010

BP caps oil leak, IT'S STILL LEAKING!

BP caps oil well, IT'S STILL LEAKING!

We at UAEN are sad at the mess that BP has created and we regret to report the oil well is still leaking thousands of gallons of oil into the gulf of mexico.
Gobs of oil are washing onto the shores of florida and nearby states.

Oil Well Web Cam Link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp=37412412&#37412412


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Sunday, May 2, 2010

Volunteers Needed for Oil Spill Clean Up

Volunteers Needed for Oil Spill Clean Up

Blog host comment:
"When will we ever learn, when will weeee eeeeeveeeer learn?" You know the song? Dead oil covered creatures, shows our lack of intelligence.

Oil for lubrication, not for propulsion or heating,etc.

This is the 21st century, smart energy, wind power, solar power, electric vehicles, hi-tech batteries, etc.

From MSNBC:
Gulf of Mexico oil spill: How to help
Posted: Saturday, May 01, 2010 4:12 PM
Posted by Ian Sager, msnbc.com
As rough seas slow the cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico, individuals and conservation organizations are readying themselves for the fight to protect the land and wildlife that sits in the path of the sheen. Here’s how you can help.
May 2
Msnbc.com reader Corla Coles points out the efforts of Matter of Trust, a non-profit organization that invites salons, pet groomers and the abundantly coiffed to send leftover hair trimmings for use in highly absorbent hair mats and booms. According to their website, "Hair is very efficient at collecting oil out of the air, off surfaces like your skin and out of the water, even petroleum oil."
The group boasts twelve locations across region that are ready to receive human and pet hair, and hundreds of volunteers participating in "Boom B Q" parties stuffing the donated locks into recycled nylons to form booms that can be strung along beaches and marshes.
Related link: Organization combing country for spare hair to fight oil slick
May 1
To report injured or oiled wildlife, call 1-866-557-1401. To report spill-related damage, call 1-800,440-0858, and to inquire about volunteering, or to report oil on the shore, call 1-866-448-5816.
The Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board is connecting BP with fisherman looking to aid in the cleanup effort. If interested, call 281-366-5511 or e-mail, HorizonSupport@OEGLLC.com.
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is looking for volunteers to “fill a variety of needs.” Pre-veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and anyone with HAZWOPER training (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard) are “strongly encouraged” to register.
The National Audubon Society is recruiting volunteers in the fight to save “ecologically sensitive areas.” Visit their website to fill out a volunteer registration form.
OilSpillVolunteers.com also provides the opportunity sign up and assist with the cleanup.
While their website says volunteers are not yet needed, Mobile Baykeeper is urging anyone who is interested to call their office at 251-433-4229 or e-mail http://fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com/controlpanel/blogs/info@mobilebaykeeper.org.
Have we missed any opportunities that you've noticed? Leave a comment.
http://fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/05/01/2291388.aspx?CommentPosted=true#commentmessage


From tonic.com:

As Tonic readers know, millions of gallons of oil are flowing from the leak caused by BP's rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico to the coasts of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. Wildlife and conservation groups warn that the ever-widening slick could pose complete disaster for the shoreline flora and fauna, and volunteers are urgently needed to help when the time arrives, which could be in the hours or days to come. Even before the oil reaches a beach, you can get involved: environmental groups suggest removing driftwood, dry grass, seaweed and debris from areas expected to be effected before it becomes soaked in oil. If you see any wildlife covered in oil, don't capture it but call 866-557-1401. To report areas with oil ashore, call 866-448-5816.
We've compiled a list of groups who need you to sign up now. And if you help, please let us know. We'd love to hear your stories and see your pictures.
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, the National Wildlife Federation, the National Audubon Society, and the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program are registering volunteers to assist with a variety of needs — from oiled wildlife recovery to monitoring and photographing oil movement to providing a boat and driver for response activities. No specific training or experience is necessary, although you must be at least 18 years old to volunteer. Some tasks, such as food preparation, may require no training. Other tasks, such as washing oiled birds, may require specific certifications or skills. They encourage pre-veterinary students, veterinary technicians and those with HAZWOPER training to volunteer. Anyone with experience in dealing with wildlife handling, rehabilitation, or hazardous materials clean up is also strongly encouraged to register. Click here to sign up.
The National Audubon Society is seeking volunteers wishing to clean up birds. Click here to register.
The Sierra Club is mobilizing volunteers, and will connect you with opportunities to help. Please click here to sign up and for more information.
Save Our Seabirds is a Sarasota, Florida-based bird rescue group that is looking for volunteers and support as its response team prepares to help oiled wildlife. Please click here to fill out their online form or call 941-388-3010.
The site http://www.oilspillvolunteers.com/ had almost 3,000 people register in its first 24 hours of operation. Volunteers who sign up online will be contacted by organizations to assist in the clean-up of barrier islands or beaches, or to help with wildlife clean-up. Volunteers with specific skills or boats will be categorized as well to streamline matching them with volunteer needs as they are identified.
Global Green USA, a nonprofit focused on the creation of green buildings and cities, is signing up volunteers to help clean up the spill. Click here to sign up.
The Gulf Restoration Network, a New Orleans-based nonprofit committed to keeping the Gulf of Mexico clean, seeks volunteers to help with clean-up efforts. Please click here to sign up.
The Alabama Coastal Foundation, which works to improve and protect the quality of Alabama's coastal resources, is collecting contact information from volunteers for cleanup efforts along the Alabama coast if the spill reaches its shores. To register, and for the latest information on the spill, go to http://www.joinacf.org/oil_info.htmll or call the Mobile-based nonprofit at 251-990-6002.
The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program is looking for volunteers to help reduce the potential impact of the oil spill in Mobile Bay. To register, go to their website or call 251-431-6409.
The Mobile Baykeeper is another Alabama group seeking volunteers in case the oil pushes into the state's shores. If you are interested in volunteering to reduce the impacts of the oil spill to the Bay, please call their office at 251-433-4229 or e-mail info@mobilebaykeeper.org with your name, address, phone number, e-mail and available resources.
The Pascagoula River Audubon Center, part of Audobon Mississippi, is organizing training on cleaning wildlife affected by the oil spill. Volunteers may register their contact information here.
The city of Biloxi, Mississippi is signing up volunteers at www.biloxi.ms.us/Volunteer.asp in case the oil reaches its shores.
For more information on volunteer opportunities as they arise, get on Twitter and search #oilspill. On Facebook, keep checking the Louisiana Shore Cleanup group.


http://www.tonic.com/article/how-you-can-volunteer-to-clean-up-the-gulf-coast-oil-spill/

Links:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/30/deepwater-horizon-oil-spi_n_558736.html

http://www.pnj.com/article/20100502/NEWS01/100502010/1052

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2960914/volunteers_for_oil_spill_cleanup_frustrated.html?cat=3

http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2010/05/volunteers_urged_to_get_traini.html

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/30/impact.oil.spill/index.html · Cached page

http://www.pollution-control.suite101.com/article.cfm/training_for_oil_spill_volunteers · Cached page

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0501/C-mon-how-big-is-the-Gulf-of-Mexico-oil-spill-really · Cached page

http://www.oilspillvolunteers.com/ · Cached page

http://news.discovery.com/animals/oil-spill-wildlife-clean-up-process.html


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