BP/Gulf Oil Gusher

Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill, August 13, 2010


Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–August 13, 2010.

PAST 24 HOURS

Admiral Allen Provides an Update on the BP Oil Spill Response

National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen provided a briefing to inform the American public and answer questions on the administration-wide response to the BP oil spill.

Admiral Allen reported on the results of the ambient pressure test and the meeting held today with Louisiana Parish Presidents. Based on the results of the pressure test, he stated clearly the administration’s commitment to complete the relief well to permanently seal the well.

“Relief well will be finished and that is the end result. How it gets finished will be determined on risk mitigation and the way forward that’s being discussed right now, the relief well will be finished. We will kill the well,” said Admiral Allen.

“The question is how to evaluate the conditions that we’ve encountered, how to assess the risks associated with that, develop courses of action moving forward and make the best possible decision,” he said. “I am the National Incident Commander. I will issue the order when we decide exactly how we’re going to proceed and it will be based on my determination on what it will take to kill this well and we will make the determination on when the well is dead.”
Cleanup Crews Respond Quickly to Oil Impacts Following Recent Severe Weather

Cleanup crews responded immediately to oily material deposited by the recent storm surge on a 1,000-foot long by 10-foot wide area of Gulf State Park in Alabama. The presence of oily debris on the beaches is a result of rough surf. Storms expose oil that would otherwise be difficult to locate and contain with appropriate cleanup resources.

“Isolated and sporadic shoreline impacts may continue as oil that remains in the Gulf of Mexico continues to break down and biodegrade,” said Coast Guard Capt. Steven Poulin, Mobile Incident Commander. “We remain fully committed to this response and will remove any oily material from beaches as quickly as possible so that people can continue to enjoy the beauty of the Gulf Coast.”

The presence of mousse oil (oil in an emulsified state) mixed with oily seaweed and trash was reported late in the afternoon, and cleanup crews were immediately dispatched to the impacted area. Thorough assessments of beaches and back bays in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi are underway to locate any additional oily material that may have been washed up by the storm.

The Mobile ICP and the U.S. Coast Guard are also conducting over flights of the area.

The public is asked to report any oil sightings by calling (866) 448-5816. Assessments are underway to identify the source of the oily material.
FWS Personnel Continue Wildlife Rescue and Recovery Missions Across the Region

From the Houma, La., Incident Command Post, 269 field personnel, 84 vessels, four helicopters and one float plane participated in reconnaissance and wildlife rescue and recovery missions. While adverse weather conditions shut down all ground based operations around the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex and southwest refuges, from the Mobile, Ala., Incident Command Post, 27 two-person teams, 19 vessels and one helicopter continued the search for oil impacts and injured or oiled wildlife. To report oiled wildlife, call (866) 557-1401.

Approved SBA Economic Injury Assistance Loans Surpass $20.4 Million

SBA has approved 242 economic injury assistance loans to date, totaling more than $21 million for small businesses in the Gulf Coast impacted by the BP oil spill. Additionally, the agency has granted deferments on 818 existing SBA disaster loans in the region, totaling more than $4.5 million per month in payments. For information on assistance loans for affected businesses, visit the SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance, call (800) 659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), or email [email protected].  

Administration Continues to Oversee BP’s Claims Process

The administration will continue to hold the responsible parties accountable for repairing the damage, and repaying Americans who have suffered a financial loss as a result of the BP oil spill. To date, 148,981 claims have been opened, from which more than $351 million have been disbursed. No claims have been denied to date. There are 1,246 claims adjusters on the ground. To file a claim, visit www.bp.com/claims or call BP’s helpline at 1-800-440-0858. Those who have already pursued the BP claims process and are not satisfied with BP’s resolution can call the Coast Guard at (800) 280-7118. Additional information about the BP claims process and all available avenues of assistance can be found at www.disasterassistance.gov.

By the Numbers to Date:

  • The administration has authorized the deployment of 17,500 National Guard troops from Gulf Coast states to respond to this crisis; currently, 1,395 are active.
  • More than 14,300* personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife and cleanup vital coastlines.
  • More than 3,800* vessels are currently responding on site, including skimmers, tugs, barges, and recovery vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts—in addition to dozens of aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units.
  • Approximately 2.35 million feet of containment boom** and 8.76 million feet of sorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill—and approximately 1.26 million feet of containment boom and 3.33 million feet of sorbent boom are available.
  • More than 34.7 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.
  • Approximately 1.84 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied—1.07 million on the surface and 771,000 sub-sea. Approximately 577,000 gallons are available.
  • 411 controlled burns have been conducted, efficiently removing a total of more than 11.14 million gallons of oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife. Because calculations on the volume of oil burned can take more than 48 hours, the reported total volume may not reflect the most recent controlled burns.
  • 17 staging areas are in place to protect sensitive shorelines.
  • Approximately 672 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled—approximately 382 miles in Louisiana, 117 miles in Mississippi, 73 miles in Alabama, and 100 miles in Florida. These numbers reflect a daily snapshot of shoreline currently experiencing impacts from oil so that planning and field operations can more quickly respond to new impacts; they do not include cumulative impacts to date, or shoreline that has already been cleared.
  • Approximately 52,395 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters remain closed to fishing in order to balance economic and public health concerns. Approximately 78 percent remains open. Details can be found at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/.
  • To date, the administration has leveraged assets and skills from numerous foreign countries and international organizations as part of this historic, all-hands-on-deck response, including Argentina, Belgium, Canada, China, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization, the European Union’s Monitoring and Information Centre, and the European Maritime Safety Agency.

*The decreases in personnel and equipment are a result of the temporary suspension of some response operations due to severe weather.

**The decrease in boom numbers is due to the continued recovery of displaced boom. Once recovered, this boom must be decontaminated, repaired, inspected, and certified before being staged or redeployed. New boom is being deployed in some areas.

 

Source: deepwaterhorizonresponse.com


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