Oil Spill Killed Hundreds Of Sea Turtles, Say Researchers

Robert Hune-Kalter - Talk Radio News Service

According to experts, the massive oil spill off the Gulf Coast has killed hundreds of sea turtles. 

“We have about 560 stranded turtles documented. Most of those stranded turtles are dead, that’s the normal course for stranded turtles,” Barbara Schroeder, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries National Sea Turtle Coordinator, said during a conference call with other researchers.  “About 60 were found alive and about 45 remain in rehabilitation.”

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Sea Turtle Coordinator Sandy MacPherson explained efforts to relocate sea turtle nests to the Atlantic Coast.

“The unified command approved plan is currently being implemented and it involves excavating sea turtle nests along Alabama and Florida panhandle beaches and carefully placing them in specially prepared boxes using sand from their own nests,” explained MacPherson. “They are then carefully tended by innovative health applications biologists in a climate controlled facility at the Kennedy Space Center.”

MacPherson said that researchers do not know if the turtles will find their way back to old nesting grounds after being released on east central Florida beaches.

“This nest translocation effort is primarily a rescue effort to prevent hatchlings from encountering oil, or oil product,” MacPherson said.

EPA Says Dispersants Less Toxic Than Oil

by Miles Wolf Tamboli - Talk Radio News Service

The Environmental Protection Agency finished its second round of toxicity testing on eight chemical dispersants and released their findings in a conference call Monday. The second round of tests on the dispersants used to combat the BP-Deepwater Horizon oil spill focused on testing the chemicals for their toxicity as compared to or combined with Sweet Louisiana Crude Oil.

Dr. Paul Anastas, the EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Research and Development, told reporters that the findings show similar toxicity levels for oil-dispersant mixtures and oil alone, and that all dispersants tested less toxic than oil-dispersant mixtures. Anastas reiterated that the crude is, “enemy number one.”

The EPA supported the administration’s efforts to curtail the use of dispersants since the EPA’s May 26th directive to BP to cut down chemical application by 75%, and stated in a press release Monday; “Dispersants prevent some oil from impacting sensitive areas along the gulf coast. EPA’s position has been that BP should use as little dispersant as necessary.”

The first round of dispersant toxicity testing set out to determine the toxicity of eight chemical dispersants and their differences. The first report released in June that, “none of the eight dispersants tested, including the product in use in the Gulf, displayed biologically significant endocrine disrupting activity.” 

Although the EPA administrator assured that the testing was thorough and appropriate, some critics have brought up questions over the EPA’s sole use of juvenile fish and shrimp, which may leave room for confounding variables like reproductive issues. Some also questioned Anastas over the fact that the tests were done at “standard” temperatures and conditions, and not conditions that would mimic the recent use of the dispersants in underwater applications and extreme temperatures and pressures. 

Static Kill Moved Back To Late Monday, Early Tuesday; Allen Defends Dispersant Regulation

by Miles Wolf Tamboli - Talk Radio News Service

National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen briefed reporters Sunday afternoon in his daily update on the BP-Deepwater Horizon oil spill, providing details about the upcoming “static kill” effort and addressing fears over dispersants.

The discovery of some forty feet of debris in a relief well stifled hopes that the joint disaster response team could have been able to begin the “static kill” Sunday or early Monday. 

“The entire casing is clean … they will start cementing the casing in place, probably about four or five hours from now. Following that, we will be in a position to start with the static kill as early as [Monday] night or into Tuesday,” said the administration’s point man on the spill response.

Allen continued that the “bottom kill” will begin five to seven days “minimum” after this attempt. The former Coast Guard official sent a reminder that, “the static kill is not the end-all be-all.” Although the well has not leaked a significant amount of oil in some two weeks, Admiral Allen will not consider the leak plugged until the “bottom kill” has been completed.

The US Coast Guard has been attracting criticism recently over their regulation of BP’s use of chemical dispersants in the Gulf over the past three months.  Although the Coast Guard had promised to cut back dispersant use by 75% and heavily regulate their use to extreme circumstances, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass) released a letter Friday, claiming that the Coast Guard had granted BP permission to use high levels of dispersants 64 times in a 48-day period.

“These exemptions are in no way a ‘rare’ occurrence,” said Markey in a letter to Allen on July 30th. The Representative questioned, “whether the Coast Guard made sufficient efforts to verify the information BP provided in support of its requests, and whether it exercised appropriate oversight surrounding the use of these toxic chemicals.”

Allen responded to criticism with a statement that decisions to allow the use of chemical dispersants are made by the Federal On Scene Coordinator, and are “closely supervised.”

“Sometimes there is no other way to attack the oil - they had to use dispersants,” said Allen; “I’m satisfied that we only use them when they’re needed”

Thad Allen Meets With Gulf Leaders

By Miles Wolf Tamboli - Talk Radio News Service

National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen spent Thursday morning with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Parish presidents from the Gulf region.

Speaking with reporters, the former Coast Guard official explained that the leaders had discussed and agreed upon three major issues: “to assess how we can move forward from response to recovery,” and to refine the team’s hurricane preparedness plans following Tropical Storm Bonnie in such a way that the command will be able to respond to more varied degrees of storm systems, and to develop a “joint vessel of opportunity employment plan,” said Allen.

“Vessels of opportunity” are generally local commercial boats that have been put out of work by the spill, and subsequently employed by the response team, explained Allen.  Unfortunately, the joint command will need to move to employing more specialized contractors in the near future, leaving many of these vessels out of work yet again.

The meeting also provided leaders the opportunity to voice their concerns over the large amount of boom that has yet to be deployed, which could end up further harming marshlands if not removed before any intense storm, explained Allen.

Allen further reported that BP’s next attempt to stop the leak, known as the “static kill,” may be implemented sooner than Monday, as authorities had initially expected. The static kill is similar to the top kill method, which BP had attempted but failed to implement earlier in the leak, but has a better chance of success, say authorities, due to the reduced pressure of the leak and the engineering of the “stacking cap” that is now keeping the leak contained.

Spill Response Team Preparing For Tropical Storm

by Miles Wolf Tamboli

Tropical storm Bonnie is currently approaching the Gulf of Mexico, at about 18 miles per hour, and according to experts, seems to be headed straight toward the Northernmost region of the Gulf, which has been most affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  Although the storm is not expected to grow in intensity, it will be nearing the Macondo well in the next two days, and  the Deepwater Horizon Response Joint Command is readying operations in the Gulf.

Incident Commander Admiral for the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill Thad Allen held a briefing in New Orleans Friday to provide an update on the preparations currently being made.

“The intention right now is to put the vessels in a safe place so they can return as quickly as possible to resume their operations,” said Allen.  The two rigs drilling the relief wells, which could bring a conclusive end to the spill in the near future, have been detached from their drill sites and will soon be moved out of harm’s way.

Allen described that although the Joint Command is unsure, as of yet, whether they will need to leave the site, crucial surveillance and safety technology will continue monitoring the area for any anomalies, and added, “if we have to evacuate the scene we’re probably looking at a very limited window, something around 48 hours.”

Many question the effect a storm could have on the surface oil in the Gulf, and the former Coast Guard official remarked that the storm may, in fact, “help as the emulsification of the oil and the, and the distribution and biodegradation of the oil,” due to increased surface activity.  

“On the other hand, you have the chance to have a storm surge drive that up into beach and marsh areas where it would not have been driven otherwise,” Allen continued, adding that the response team is prepared to step up its cleanup efforts.

“We would like to get back on team and restart the activity as soon as we can,” Allen added.