I keep hearing different versions of who’s in charge of the clean up and what’s being accomplished to clean up the oil and restore the Gulf. Yet, the situation is getting worse. With the resources of the world at our beck and call, why aren’t we working towards a solution? Who’s lying and who’s not?
In the movie, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, Willy Wonka remarks “Suspense is terrible. I hope it lasts”. That’s exactly the atmosphere of today… the suspense is terrible, and it’s not going away. Each day of conflicting reports, incomplete news and talks of more problems creates a suspense among Americans that doesn’t seem to be waning.
The Deep Horizon Oil rig exploded on April 20 killing 11 workers. It was owned by Transocean and operated by British Petroleum or BP.
President Obama has repeatedly said that he and his administration have ”… been fully engaged on the Gulf Coast oil spill since Day One”, assuring that he was “bringing every resource to bear and able to ensure without question that taxpayers will be protected.”
So why, then, has Obama refused help from around the world and attempted a moratorium on drilling that would ‘destroy’ the Gulf economy? Over the last two months, the Federal government has consistently refused help from companies and locals. Along the Gulf, health of its residents, ocean and marsh marine life and the economic lifeline of the region is suffering.
http://http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/05/04/gulf-disaster-obama-day-maybe/
On May 24, BP CEO Tony Hayward announced during a press conference on Fourchon Beach, Lousiana, where cleanup efforts were under way, ”We’re going to clear every drop of oil off the shore. We will remediate any environmental damage, and we will put the Gulf Coast right and back to normality as fast as we can.” Maybe I didn’t get the memo, but I see no progress.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/24/oil.spill.main/index.html
On June 29, Mississippi Governor. Haley Barbour slammed the federal government and BP “for failing to capture the crude offshore.” Neither BP nor the federal government is giving them the resources to effectively stop the oil from coming ashore.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-20100629,0,1497067.story
Residents of the Gulf are not only losing jobs and income, they’re getting sick. More than 1 million gallons of the toxic dispersant Corexit have been dumped into the ocean or sprayed on beaches and marshes. The effects of the toxic dispersants and oil are clealy documented by the safety data sheets of Nalco, who manufactures the dispersant, Corexit9527, banned by the UK and Sweden. Most dispersants are designed for open ocean use and should NEVER be used on sensitive marshes. According to residents, they’re being sprayed on marshes.
According to Nalco’s proprietary SAFETY DATA SHEET on Corexit EC9527A, Corexit has ‘acute health risks, with excessive exposure causing central nervous system effects,nausea,vomiting, and can harm the kidneys or liver.’ This is written by the manufacturer, yet BP refuses to pay any claims or acknowledge the effects of the dispersant it is dumping into the Gulf.
When fishermen and other residents complained of illness, the CDC released the following bizarre statement, on their website, indicating they could find not a connection between the dispersants and the illnesses. “Based on its investigation of a separate incident, NIOSH concludes it was unlikely that dispersants were the cause of headaches, upper respiratory irritation, nausea, and other symptoms among seven fishermen who were hospitalized on May 26, 2010.”
They also sent a letter with their findings to Fred Tremmel, Health Specialist working at BP’ Command Center in Louisiana.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/
I’m hearing promises of help from the government and BP, but seeing no attempts at a resolution. So who’s lying about the Gulf crisis and why?
I look forward to receiving your comments.