A national mess, worse by the day, so where is the urgency?

May 22, 2010
Just a thought by W. Kenton

 

The Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 released an estimated 250,000 barrels (10.8 million gallons) into Prince William Sound one of the richest wild life and fishing grounds found anywhere. Today, 21 years later this once vital and rich nature wonder is just a shadow of its former self, with oil and tar still to be found. Prior to last month this was known as the largest and most devastating human-caused environmental disaster ever to occur in history (1).

 

Since the explosion and sinking on April 20 of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, BP, government, and/or media estimates have reported repeatedly that approximately 5,000 barrels a day are being released into the Gulf of Mexico (2). Since this past weekend estimates of 210,000 gallons are being extracted through an inserted pipe in the ruptured well, admittedly a very small amount of the overall leak. (3)

 

Some noise has been made in the last few days that the oil leak is much larger per day than estimated and reported. Additional multiple leaks have been reported but where is the national coverage, where is the urgency, where is the science and fact reporting? Today another story has estimated that 4 million gallons per day (95,000 barrels daily) is actually pouring into the Gulf, much of it unseen (4). If multiplied by 30 days that is 2,850,000 barrels since the explosion have poured into the surrounding ocean. Said another way, 11.4 times the Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster have been released into the Gulf in the last month alone; the equivalent of one disaster every 2.6 days.

 

Reports of oil reaching the Gulf Loop Current and oil washing up in the Keys is now a fact, and so is predicting the oil will make its way in the Atlantic Gulf Stream currents and be carried to every beach along the East Coast in the very near future.

 

I have one question, where is the national emergency and who is calling for more action? Are we completely dependent on BP to solve their disaster, or shouldn’t we be demanding much more action from everyone! Back in 1989 the response as I recall it was all over the national media and government stepped in under then President Regan. Is it me or was our response then far more aggressive, caring, and complete then what we are seeing today? The clean up in Alaska two decades again fell far short and was in itself a disaster, maybe it was all media hip I recall then, but my goodness where are we headed today with an event now calculated at many times that size?

 

Possible leak solutions have ranged from the stupid plugging it with golf balls to the scarcest using nuclear blasts (5) (6) to seal the wells nearby geology. Recent reports suggest that we could still be faced with the same leak or rate until August or more, that is 4 months, and that is if their Band-Aid attempts actually work someday. Based on performance to date it is clear regardless how difficult it may be, BP is way over their heads and only trying; they have no real solution or the talent or urgency to get it done any time soon!

 

It is high time that this national crisis be elevated to the highest levels in the most urgent manner and to get the best national talent and resources working on a solution today. It is time that BP turn over all technical data to the public, immediately start Sandia National Labs modeling solutions on their super computers, and get the Department of Defense engaged; this is a national crisis. Yes, media noise indicates that this may all be happening slowly in the background but again we cannot stand by idly; this event is killing the Gulf of Mexico for generations to come, placing the entire Gulf Coast on a countdown to destruction, and threatens the entire Atlantic Gulf Stream Region and eventually the Northern Caribbean Basin.

 

It is time to remove this solution from private industry, clearly unable to handle this growing mess, elevate this to the crisis level that it is and to mobilize all resources! Sorry BP you destroyed our ocean and national well being, once again we are paying the price for poor leadership and understanding. Call your Congressman today and demand the most immediate response and our best national talent possible be called upon. Enough is enough; we are past needing real action, get mad and get making the calls to Congress to get this stopped.
Footnotes:

1. Source Wikipedia.org
2. Source http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/us/14oil.html
3. (3) Source AP posted to: http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/worldnation/744617-227/bp-concedes-gulf-oil-spill-is-bigger.html?i=1
4. Source http://www.examiner.com/x-27431-World-News-Examiner~y2010m5d20-Second-leak-on-BP-Gulf-oil-spill-brings-total-gushing-to-4-million-gallons-per-day
5. Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100513/ts_ynews/ynews_ts2052
6. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Plowshare#Natural_gas_stimulation_experiment
7. Sources indicate these tests did not yield the results sought and actually created a geologic cap that seal off much the desired area, exactly what is needed today but nowhere near on the same scale. Russia has also used this technique with mixed results. Two down sides are clear, 1. Conventional explosive yields are not enough, 2. The oil exposed to the a nuclear blast becomes radioactive rendering unsellable, thus is the quest saving the oil or the ocean, not sure if it is that simple or even a choice still