BP and the US Coast Guard are backing off from the Deep Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico because of a Tropical Depression in the eastern gulf. Currently, it has sustained winds of 35 mph and a pressure of 1006 mb. The most recent reconnaissance shows no strengthening.
Tropical Depression Three is located north of Cuba and south of the Bahamas. It looks like it will threaten Florida and possibly the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana and Mississippi. If it were to sing east instead it would go into the Atlantic or skirt along Florida's east coast and the Georgian coast. That is if...
The cap which they have been testing will have to come off. With BP and the Coast Guard vacating the area for 10-14 days, there will be more oil in the gulf again.
We can only watch and pray. Again.
Showing posts with label Gulf Oil Spill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gulf Oil Spill. Show all posts
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Some hit by Oil Spill may not get paid
The new head of the Gulf Coast disaster's claims fund says his first two priorities will be to cut bigger checks and send them out faster to the oil spill's economic victims.
What about tourism dollars lost because people don't want to go places they think will be coated in oil?, asked Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., the committee's chairwoman.
In his first appearance before Congress since taking on the job, Kenneth Feinberg on Wednesday criticized BP's process for compensating those who have lost their livelihoods in the spill's wake. The oil company has paid out almost $130 million so far on 41,000 claims -- but more than 80,000 claims have been submitted.
"It is not sufficiently efficient. It is not paying all that many small business claims," Feinberg said in testimony before the House Committee on Small Business. Instead of the month-to-month emergency checks going out now, Feinberg plans to have his new entity, the Gulf Spill Independent Claims Fund, send out six-month lump sum payments "to give small businesses more certainty."
The former special master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Feinberg has experience with the bureaucratic and political complexities of managing disaster payments. Dozens of Congressional representatives pressed him with questions about how claims will be paid out and to whom.
Exactly what constitutes a "legitimate" claim is still being determined, but Feinberg said that he envisions limits.
What about tourism dollars lost because people don't want to go places they think will be coated in oil?, asked Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., the committee's chairwoman."If there's no physical damage to the beaches and it's a public perception, I venture to say that it is not compensable," Feinberg answered. "How we deal with that problem is something I've got to address. That's in this area where some discretion's going to have to exercised."
Real estate claims will be another gray area. Already-depressed real estate values will fall even more for properties physically damaged by the oil or located near beaches clogged with tar balls -- but home values in some areas might fall because of simple wariness.
"I'm on the beach, but there's no oil at all there. It's just the public perception that drives the values down. I mean, on the one hand, those people are suffering. They -- they deserve some help," Feinberg admitted. "On the other hand, there's not enough money in the world to pay every homeowner, wherever they live in the Gulf Coast, who says, 'My property is down because of the oil spill.'"
Feinberg made two more pledges about his still-evolving claims process: It will be transparent, and it will be locally staffed. Appeals will be fielded by local officials who have credibility with Gulf residents, he said. And Feinberg himself plans to be a frequent presence in the Gulf.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Alex now a Hurricane
At about 9.45 this evening, the NHC upgraded Tropical Storm Alex to a category one hurricane.
10:00 PM CDT Tue Jun 29
Location: 23.1°N 94.8°W
Max sustained: 75 mph
Moving: W at 9 mph
Min pressure: 973 mb
It is the first Hurricane of the 2010 season. It is also the first June Hurricane since 1995. That was Hurricane Allison which was a hurricane on June 2nd. The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1st.
The hurricane is projected to make landfall further south. At this time it is moving due west to the Mexican coast.
Texas will still get hit by the dirty side of the hurricane. The Dirty Side is commonly the westerly or northernly part of the hurricane. In the rotation, it is the portion that brings wind and water onto shore.
Winds will blow in a counter-clockwise spin into marshes of Louisiana. The oil slick may be brought onto shore.
From NOAA
10:00 PM CDT Tue Jun 29
Location: 23.1°N 94.8°W
Max sustained: 75 mph
Moving: W at 9 mph
Min pressure: 973 mb
It is the first Hurricane of the 2010 season. It is also the first June Hurricane since 1995. That was Hurricane Allison which was a hurricane on June 2nd. The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1st.
The hurricane is projected to make landfall further south. At this time it is moving due west to the Mexican coast.
Texas will still get hit by the dirty side of the hurricane. The Dirty Side is commonly the westerly or northernly part of the hurricane. In the rotation, it is the portion that brings wind and water onto shore.
Winds will blow in a counter-clockwise spin into marshes of Louisiana. The oil slick may be brought onto shore.
From NOAA
WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY...
NONE.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE COAST OF TEXAS SOUTH OF BAFFIN BAY TO THE MOUTH OF THE RIO
GRANDE
* THE COAST OF MEXICO FROM THE MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE TO LA CRUZ
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE COAST OF TEXAS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT OCONNOR
* THE COAST OF MEXICO SOUTH OF LA CRUZ TO CABO ROJO
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED
STATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE
MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE
UNITED STATES...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL
METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tropical Storm Alex headed for Texas
Hurricane Watch:- Mexico: The Mexican Gulf coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande southward to La Cruz
- United States: The Texas coast from Baffin Bay southward to the mouth of the Rio Grande
On June 12, a tropical wave emerged off Western Africa, and eventually traveled along the Intertropical Convergence Zone. It was first noted by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) on June 20, while it was crossing the Windward Islands. The next day, it organized, and the NHC assessed a 50% chance of development into a tropical depression within next 2 days. It became less organized the next day; however, conditions were still favorable for development.
On June 24, it began to reestablish south of Jamaica, although it was poorly organized. Later that day, shower activity increased, and pressures began to fall.
Hurricane Hunters flew inside it the next day and found a well defined circulation, and based on that data, the NHC began issuing advisories on Tropical Depression One, the first tropical depression of the season. Early on the June 26, the NHC upgraded the depression to a tropical storm and named it Alex.Tropical Storm Alex as he stands 1 PM CDT June 28:
Location: 20.3°N 91.7°W
Max sustained: 60 mph
Moving: NNW at 5 mph
Min pressure: 990 mb
Currently, the storm is in the Bay of Campeche. The current trajectory and speed creates a model that looks like this:
Tropical Storm Alex is expected to strengthen into a hurricane but is heading away from the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said Monday. "Some strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days and Alex is expected to become a hurricane on Tuesday," the Hurricane Center said in its 10 AM ET forecast.
The storm could become a major hurricane and could make landfall anywhere from Port Lavaca, Texas to Tampico, Mexico, the Hurricane Center said Monday. The Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch Monday for the Texas coast from south of Baffin Bay to the mouth of the Rio Grande.
And the Mexican government issued a hurricane watch for the coast of Mexico from the mouth of the Rio Grande to La Cruz, Mexico. That means that hurricane conditions are possible within those areas.
A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated arrival of tropical-storm-force winds. Forecasting models suggest that Alex could make landfall in northeastern Mexico, probably on Thursday.The storm appears headed away from the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Alex could become a Category 3 hurricane, the Hurricane Center said.
Its winds were blowing at 60 miles an hour as of 10 AM ET Monday. "We will know much more as this storm continues to intensify today and tomorrow," the Hurricane Center said in a statement.
"We think the storm is going to stay on a more southern track. That would be good news because it would avoid the area near the oil spill," said Todd Kimberlain of the Hurricane Center.
However, forecasters have not ruled out an easterly shift in Alex's path. "We all know the weather is unpredictable, and we could have a sudden last-minute change," said Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the federal government's response manager.
Information from the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Agency (NOAA).Friday, June 25, 2010
Captain commits Suicide; Gulf Oil Spill suspected
Allen Kruse was not a rookie though that was the name of his boat. The 26-year veteren took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head on Wednesday morning. He was discovered in his boat's cabin by deck hands.
The 55-year-old has long made the Gulf of Mexico his workplace. Friends and family say he loved the waters. They also say that everything may have become too much for him but they may never know his real reasons. He left no note indicating why ultimately he took his own life.
Before the April spill, Kruse was able to make $5-6K a month with chartered boat trips and fishing snapper and amberjack. When the spill happened, his business opportunities evaporated.
BP called Kruse and his boat a "vessel of opportunity". He was employed by the Oil Company to brag booms and skim oil off his beloved waters. He had worked two weeks and had yet to be paid.
In Orange Beach, Alabama, hos hometown, the community is reeling. The Mayor, Tony Kennon said "There's a lot of people on the edge. We feel hopeless. We feel helpless. We don't feel like there's an advocate out there."
Marc and Frank Kruse said their brother would still be alive today if he had believed he was making an impact against the oil that was threatening the waters he loved. For Kruse and other Gulf Coast fishermen, the oil disaster was the latest blow in a series of setbacks, friends said.
"This has been a long-term situation. This started in 2004, with a direct hit from Hurricane Ivan, then the next year was Katrina, then skyrocketing fuel prices, fishing regulations, then an oil spill," Capt. Ben Fairey said. "This has been six years that this area has really suffered a lot of stress."
On Thursday evening, Kruse's boat Rookie returned to Orange Beach without it's Captain and with a wreath on deck as a memorial.
The 55-year-old has long made the Gulf of Mexico his workplace. Friends and family say he loved the waters. They also say that everything may have become too much for him but they may never know his real reasons. He left no note indicating why ultimately he took his own life.Before the April spill, Kruse was able to make $5-6K a month with chartered boat trips and fishing snapper and amberjack. When the spill happened, his business opportunities evaporated.
BP called Kruse and his boat a "vessel of opportunity". He was employed by the Oil Company to brag booms and skim oil off his beloved waters. He had worked two weeks and had yet to be paid.
In Orange Beach, Alabama, hos hometown, the community is reeling. The Mayor, Tony Kennon said "There's a lot of people on the edge. We feel hopeless. We feel helpless. We don't feel like there's an advocate out there."
Marc and Frank Kruse said their brother would still be alive today if he had believed he was making an impact against the oil that was threatening the waters he loved. For Kruse and other Gulf Coast fishermen, the oil disaster was the latest blow in a series of setbacks, friends said.
"This has been a long-term situation. This started in 2004, with a direct hit from Hurricane Ivan, then the next year was Katrina, then skyrocketing fuel prices, fishing regulations, then an oil spill," Capt. Ben Fairey said. "This has been six years that this area has really suffered a lot of stress."
On Thursday evening, Kruse's boat Rookie returned to Orange Beach without it's Captain and with a wreath on deck as a memorial.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
PCNAA is censorship & fascist
Been gone long time. Who cares?
I am a little fired up today. And it's not because of the Oil Spill in the Gulf. After 8 weeks and only some progress being made while BP looks worse than some of the sea turtles they've killed.... there's not much I can do to upstage Heyward and Svanberg. They're doing just fine making things worse on their own!
No, I want to blog about something that everyone - EVERYONE - needs to pay attention to. Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) has introduced legislation that would give the President the power to shut down parts of the internet in so-called emergency situations.
This bill, S.3480, would "amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and other laws to enhance the security and resiliency of the cyber and communications infrastructure of the United States." This bill has currently been referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Ostensibly, the bill would be for stopping cyber attacks on important and vital government infrastructure. Watch Transformers. Ya know, the part where they're like "shut it down!" and they unplug a server (which makes me laugh... like it would be so easily available and easy to do...) and they all scramble because of DoD information that the Decepticons could get? That may be the situation that is forseen by this bill.
But the reality is, it would probably be used to shut down people who are talking about things the government doesn't like. So this slippery slop brings me to the most cherished piece of government documents: The 1st amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
I consider what I do in the blogosphere to be amateur journalism. I consider what many of my friends who write about conspiracies, vast or otherwise, ludicrous or otherwise, to be amateur journalists. In other words, we study, research and analyze subjects, events, ideas and people but we don't get paid what Anderson Cooper gets paid. We get paid nothing.
I as a Libertarian, find myself at odds often with both parties. So I don't get much love. The government would probably find me dangerous if I owned more guns. But there are always individuals and then there are groups whom the government can deem threats to national security. And for some businesses that require the internet to conduct business, this could be used to destroy them.
So read the bill and decide for yourself in good amateur journalist fashion whether this bill is constitutional or not. Then write someone on the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Here's a list of all of them.
I am a little fired up today. And it's not because of the Oil Spill in the Gulf. After 8 weeks and only some progress being made while BP looks worse than some of the sea turtles they've killed.... there's not much I can do to upstage Heyward and Svanberg. They're doing just fine making things worse on their own!
No, I want to blog about something that everyone - EVERYONE - needs to pay attention to. Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) has introduced legislation that would give the President the power to shut down parts of the internet in so-called emergency situations.
This bill, S.3480, would "amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and other laws to enhance the security and resiliency of the cyber and communications infrastructure of the United States." This bill has currently been referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Ostensibly, the bill would be for stopping cyber attacks on important and vital government infrastructure. Watch Transformers. Ya know, the part where they're like "shut it down!" and they unplug a server (which makes me laugh... like it would be so easily available and easy to do...) and they all scramble because of DoD information that the Decepticons could get? That may be the situation that is forseen by this bill.
But the reality is, it would probably be used to shut down people who are talking about things the government doesn't like. So this slippery slop brings me to the most cherished piece of government documents: The 1st amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
I consider what I do in the blogosphere to be amateur journalism. I consider what many of my friends who write about conspiracies, vast or otherwise, ludicrous or otherwise, to be amateur journalists. In other words, we study, research and analyze subjects, events, ideas and people but we don't get paid what Anderson Cooper gets paid. We get paid nothing.I as a Libertarian, find myself at odds often with both parties. So I don't get much love. The government would probably find me dangerous if I owned more guns. But there are always individuals and then there are groups whom the government can deem threats to national security. And for some businesses that require the internet to conduct business, this could be used to destroy them.
So read the bill and decide for yourself in good amateur journalist fashion whether this bill is constitutional or not. Then write someone on the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Here's a list of all of them.
- Joe Lieberman, Connecticut, Chairman
- Carl Levin, Michigan
- Daniel Akaka, Hawaii
- Thomas R. Carper, Delaware
- Mark Pryor, Arkansas
- Mary Landrieu, Louisiana
- Claire McCaskill, Missouri
- Jon Tester, Montana
- Roland Burris, Illinois
- Ted Kaufman, Delaware
- Susan Collins, Maine, Ranking Member
- Tom Coburn, Oklahoma
- Scott Brown, Massachusetts
- John McCain, Arizona
- George Voinovich, Ohio
- John Ensign, Nevada
- Lindsey Graham, South Carolina
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