Gulf disaster looking worse by the minute

If you like gulf seafood you may be out of luck this summer. Efforts to contain the ever growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have failed so far. Some oil has been burnt off, but just a fraction of what remains, not to mention the hundred thousands of gallons being dumped into the gulf as I write this. A lot of wildlife will perish, sadly. Drill, baby, drill...

CNN

(CNN) -- A huge oil spill oozing toward the Gulf Coast on Thursday threatens hundreds of species of wildlife, some in their prime breeding season, environmental organizations said.

The Coast Guard said Wednesday that the amount of oil spilling from an underwater well after an oil rig explosion last week has increased to as many as 5,000 barrels of oil a day, or 210,000 gallons, five times more than what was originally believed.

49 Oil Platforms Damaged by Hurricane Ike

One of the many downsides to offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is the risk of an environmental disaster when you mix drilling and hurricanes. According to today's Clarion Ledger at least 49 oil platforms were destroyed by Hurricane Ike. Three years ago Hurricane's Katrina and Rita destroyed 125 rigs, platforms and pipelines, releasing 685,000 gallons of oil into the environment.

According to the AP story in the Clarion Ledger, the extent of the damage if any environmental damage occurred is not known at this point.

The report by Interior's Minerals Management Service said the agency was conducting helicopter flyovers of the Gulf waters to investigate unconfirmed reports of oil spills and oil sheens, but that it was too early to issue any definitive findings.

"There are no reports of oil impacting the shoreline or affecting birds and wildlife from releases in the Gulf of Mexico federal waters," said the agency.

I have a hard time believing that no oil was spilled by the hurricane, but I will wait and see what they find out. However the Texas Land Commissioner has already declared that no spills occurred. Maybe he should let the Interior Department know so they can call of their flyovers.

Oil Spill costs region $275 Million per day

This oil spill has caused untold and uncountable damage to our environment and native ecosystems. One thing you can put a dollar figure on is the economic damage. I wonder how many peoples health will be impacted by this toxic spill? A lot of people fish for food in this area. Someone should be liable and pay big.

From the AFP:

New Orleans city officials promised residents that the drinking water was safe, even as a chemical odor wafted over the waterfront city and scientists set up a rescue operation for oily birds and animals.

But some people including the head of the port of New Orleans were griping that authorities were not working fast enough to get the vital waterway open to commercial traffic.

The spill's effects and the closure of the port were costing the region a massive 275 million dollars per day, the New Orleans Times-Picayune cited port president Gary LaGrange as saying Friday.

Ninety-five vessels were waiting to transit the river as of mid-day Saturday, the Coast Guard reported.

I am sure residents of New Orleans trust the government. Thank George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Brownie for destroying governmental trust in the gulf.

419,000 gallons of oil spilled into Mississippi River

While we sleeping last night a large ecological disaster happened in the Mississippi river around New Orleans. Close to a half million gallons of oil were spilled into the Big River when a barge collided with a Liberian oil tanker. CNN has the story:

The spill is much smaller than the ones that followed Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when the Coast Guard estimated that more than 7 million gallons of oil were dumped into the Mississippi and nearby waterways.

But Wilma Subra, a chemist who advises the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, said the oil could affect wildlife and work its way up the food chain into residents, many of whom fish for subsistence.

"This is a spill that occurred in a very urban area, and it can impact a very large number of people," she said.

The oil, widely used as marine fuel, is heavier than diesel but lighter than crude, and it is likely to stick to rocks, trees and wildlife, Stroh said.