America's Coast~Dirty Coast ~Due to the arrogance of industry we are left with an ever growing invasion of our Gulf Coast, our way of life, our family’s health and our economy. The Gulf Coast will never be the same and it is important to remember that this is not a regional issue, but a national one. This isn’t the problem of small coastal communities, but a problem the entire country needs to address. This oil is your oil. Corps denies Jefferson Parish's requests to use rocks to block oil from Barataria Bay
{UPDATE~BP/Unified Command has attacked this journalist on her post's comments in a feat of unethical Astro-Turfing! They come on as a Petty Officer from the Coast Guard and have toslink away the paid PR employee ha! Now Incident Command is saying their wrongly laid boom has been VANDALIZED? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!} ~British Petroleum Suspends First Amendment ~A $40,000 fine and a Class D Felony for taking pictures of oil-soaked wildlife? ~WE ARE NOT THE ENEMY HERE!~Anderson Cooper ~Hat Tip~American Pendulum ~ GodLikeProductions
~A speckled crab is almost completely encased in a thick layer of oil just offshore of the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge in Baldwin County, Ala. Discarded items, such as this American flag, are similarly encrusted with the thick, goopy oil found hugging the seafloor in several locations along the Gulf of Mexico beach. Press-Register photo/Ben Raines ~More Alabama oil impact from the Mobile Press Register
Spike Lee talks New Orleans, five years after Katrina ~Kimberly Grant ~“I found that, five years later, people still thought a hurricane caused all of that devastation,” Lee, 53, said about the general public’s view of the disaster in New Orleans, Louisiana. “But, it was the breach of the levees.” According to Lee, the 40 years that went into building and sustaining the levees that walled New Orleans were spent “cutting corners,” which is what led to the breach and subsequent flood of the city, especially the Lower Ninth Ward. ~Hat Tip~Sandy Rosenthal
Commentary from our Poet Ladderate Horatio Algeranon ~Editilla notellas~ liked this one yesterday so much we hung it out today. ~Some of the information in the article Dispersants' effects on wildlife vary little among brands, EPA finds is inacurate/misleading. Namely, the statement: [EPA's assistant administrator for research and development Paul] "Anastas said that while the use of dispersants was a tough call, it was the right one, and that the dispersants are clearly less toxic than the oil. It's important to remember that oil is enemy number one in this crisis," he said. The blanket statement that "the dispersants are clearly less toxic than the oil" is simply not true.
Dr. John Nyman (LSU), who has done studies of the effects of dispersants on wetlands over time (see OVERVIEW OF FOUR EXPERIMENTS INVOLVING SOUTH LOUISIANA CRUDE OR COREXIT 9500) A few of his findings: ~~"In a six-month study using common Louisiana fresh marsh soils... we observed that the dispersant alone initially was more toxic than un-dispersed oil alone, and that dispersed South Louisiana Crude was more toxic than un-dispersed South Louisiana Crude throughout the 6 month study except when when survival was 0% in both dispersed and un-dispersed South Louisiana Crude" (Bhattacharyya et al. 2003). ~and~ ~"In a six-month laboratory experiment using common salt marsh soils, disappearance (biodegradation and evaporation) was accelerated by fertilizer (to the point of being non-detectable), but slowed by COREXIT 9500 (56% of initial concentrations) relative to no additives (13% of initial concentrations) (Nyman and McGinnis 1999). "
Editilla, If I might make a suggestion: {But of course, Dear Gentle'rillas!:} ~Underneath that article "Dispersants' effects on wildlife vary little among brands, EPA finds" (and every time EPA releases new data -- certainly every time they claim "the dispersants are clearly less toxic than the oil" ) you might want to post a link to the great interviews that Dirty Cajuns did with John Nyman:Effects of COREXIT, Real People & the President ...just to keep EPA honest. ~@:> One has to keep the context at the forefront: ~Their studies were VERY limited -- in both scope and duration: EPA Releases First Round of Toxicity Testing Data for Eight Oil Dispersants "EPA tested these eight products for endocrine disrupting activity and potential impacts on small fish and mysid shrimp. The testing found: ~None of the eight dispersants tested displayed biologically significant endocrine disrupting activity.~While all eight dispersants alone – not mixed with oil – showed roughly the same effects, JD-2000 and Corexit 9500 proved to be the least toxic to small fish, and JD-2000 and SAF-RON GOLD were the least toxic to the mysid shrimp." EPA made their decision to let BP continue using Corexit when they almost certainly KNEW of the studies of Nyman et al (or at least should have known because he has been telling everyone and his brother about them from day one!) And they made that decision BEFORE they had done any of their own recent studies -- which have NOT yet gone through the NORMAL scientific publication process (EPA claims the studies were "peer reviewed", but publication allows all scientists to assess the results) . Finally, last but certainly not least, where is the evidence that EPA is considering the possible effects of corexit 9500 use on HUMANS (eg, on cleanup workers and others who work and live along the coast) in this decision-making process?
BP spill nears somber record ~Vents designed to collect oily water, bottom right, are seen on the port side near the bow of the "A Whale" skimmer, billed as the world's largest oil skimming vessel, which is anchored on the Mississippi River in Boothville on Wednesday.
The steering committee of the Green Collaborative, a group of over 65 organizations and businesses has agreed on the attached Declaration of Energy Independence. This statement represents widely held views on the energy and conservation issues, but it calls for much greater urgency in pursuing renewable energy sources and technology. As urgent as the need to clean up the Gulf, get our fishers, oil industry and other members of our economy and community working again, we feel this is a moment of opportunity not to be missed in urging our nation forward towards the true energy independence that is essential to maintaining the fundamental rights upon which our founding fathers built this nation. ~Click to enlarge. We have planned a public announcement of the Declaration on Friday, July 2nd at 12pm, at the City Park Casino on the second floor. This space, used often for citizens' meetings, has plenty of easy parking around it, and will serve as a perfect, green background for our event. (It is the building where you have been going for ice cream and hot dogs for years.)
Please let us know as soon as possible if you and, or your organization will sign the Declaration, and if you can attend the announcement event. If you cannot attend, we ask you to write your signature, and note your organizational affiliation if there is one, on a white piece of paper, scan it, and send it to us electronically. Alternatively, you may drop off your signature for our artist at 2326 Esplanade Avenue, between Rocheblave and Tonti Streets. (Two story white house with a balcony, palms and sculptures in front.)
We look forward to working with you on seeking additional signatores as we approach, and after the announcement. Please feel free to circulate the Declaration to your members, or other citizens or organizations that may want to join us in this call for speeding our pursuit of renewable energy sources and technology.
If you have any questions regarding the Declaration, please feel free to contact our office at 504.525.2121, or email: energydeclaration@gmail.com.
BP quickly contains lawsuits ~The New Orleans Levee ~The growing slick of lawsuits seeping toward BP since “that whole Deepwater Horizon thing” is being effectively contained, a company spokesperson insists. A 560,000-foot boom of BP lawyers quickly surrounded the company’s headquarters after the disaster began in a desperate effort to protect the company’s fiscal environment, BP spokesperson Cassius McFarlow assured reporters.
WAVCIS ~Wave-Current-Surge Information System for Coastal Louisiana
Manager of BP oil fund says not all claimants will be paid Corps delivers overdue Category 5 hurricane protection study to Congress~Sheila Grissett ~More than two years late, the Army Corps of Engineers is Wednesday delivering its report on the potential for "high level" hurricane protection in southeast Louisiana, a voluminous document that has been roundly panned for excluding the very thing that Congress is said to have most wanted. Despite its heft, critics said the report of almost 8,000 pages fails to reach critical mass mostly because it doesn't recommend specific projects capable of best protecting New Orleans and other coastal communities from the ravages of major hurricanes, generally referred to as Category 5 storms. ~Scientists believe this is what the Louisiana coast could look like by 2100 if coastal areas are not restored and elevated as the sea level rises. Editilla can only say, Goddamn the Pusherman! Cafe Hope~Ian McNulty
Hurricane Alex, landfall ~9PM CDT~The center of Alex's eye has made landfall according to NHC. They state that 9PM CDT, Alex's center crossed the shoreline in the municipality of Soto La Marina, MX, which is 110 miles south of Brownsville. At the time of landfall, Alex had wind speeds of 105 mph, making it a Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale
An effective oil spill response will pay off worldwide, panelists say ~John Pope~Given these grim possibilities, everyone in government and industry needs to take time to ensure the repairs are done properly, said Robert Bea, an engineering professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-director of the Marine Technology and Management Group and the Center for Risk Mitigation. "My prayer," he said, "is that we take this as an opportunity to make (offshore drilling) better, not badder. ... We're not rushing to judgment. We're trying to get understanding so we don't run off and do a lot of dumb things." Bea was one of nine panelists -- a group that included industry veterans, university experts and lawmakers -- who addressed an invitation-only audience of about 30 people at Tulane's A.B. Freeman School of Business. Oil Spill Crisis Puts Jindal Back On Center Stage ~NPR ~The situation between Jindal and the Obama White House resembles what Len Bahr, former head of the state Office of Coastal Activities, calls "the Katrina dynamic." Bahr is referring to the ineffective working relationship between then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat, and Republican President George W. Bush in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. "It's to the governor's political interests to make the president look ineffectual, by stalling on permits," Bahr says. "No matter what he hears, he's gung-ho to do this at all costs, and I think that's just a totally unfortunate situation."
Flood risk in Des Moines spawns dam dispute ~Water in Saylorville Lake is expected to pour over the dam’s spillway today. (right) If that happens, it will cause a surge downstream, which could crumple levees and damage property in Des Moines. The Army Corps of Engineers could have done a better job of dropping water levels at Saylorville Lake during the spring so the reservoir could handle more rainwater and prevent summertime flooding in the city, Des Moines' public works director said Tuesday. "I have the perception, and certainly the residents that I work for here have the perception, that this could have been and should have been avoided," Bill Stowe, the director, said of imminent flooding in Des Moines. ~Editilla gotta Axe~ Where have we heard THAT before and are we yet angry enough for having to ask this question of the Corps AGAIN AND AGAIN? Demand The 8/29 Review!
MS Governor Haley Babar is now trying to pull his head out of his ass after denying Oil Gusher! ~He now blames the Coast Guard, the National Television Media, hell probably even his own pet's potty training, for his abject denial of the scale of this disaster. What a slow-talking, lying, dumbass presidential candidate. Remember This! Remember Babar's television commercial urging everyone to come down here and get poisoned! Ha! Can it be this cartoon elephant made a deal with BP for $upport? Otherwise, who could possibly be this goddamn stupid? Obama. Are we yet sick enough of our elected officials covering for BP? Here it comes, you idiot Washington lobbyist boot-licker. ~This high-resolution image shows Petit Bois Island (top right) and the eastern end of Horn Island (top left) on June 26.
RADARSAT Images, Trouble With Alex ~SkyTruth ~Alex is now causing problems - cleanup operations were suspended today because of the rough weather. Even the radar satellite images are getting messed up by gusty thunderstorms spawned by Alex and sweeping through the area. We may not get any good satellite imagery of the oil spill again until Alex has exited the Gulf later this week.
You have got to be kidding me! OK, lets get this off the evidence, off the PERPs and onto Ambiguous Psychology! And Oh Snap, look! All your comments tweeting this erroneous spin! Sounds like you are covering investments rather than what is in this Dispersant. I find your Bourgeois Naivete repugnant. You look far too young to know about Bhopal. Read'em and weep: ~MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET: COREXIT® 9500 Hazardous Substance(s) CAS NO % (w/w) -Distillates, petroleum, hydrotreated light 64742-47-8 10.0 - 30.0 -Propylene Glycol 57-55-6 1.0 - 5.0 -Organic sulfonic acid salt Proprietary 10.0 - 30.0 ~SAFETY DATA SHEET: COREXIT® EC9527A Hazardous Substance(s) CAS NO % (w/w) -2-Butoxyethanol 111-76-2 30.0 - 60.0 -Organic sulfonic acid salt Proprietary 10.0 - 30.0 -Propylene Glycol 57-55-6 1.0 - 5.0
'Play with music' highlights racial problems around great flood of 1927 in 'On The Levee' Worries mount in Des Moines' over Corps of Engineers levees ~Julie Niffenegger could only laugh as she and her husband, Jerry, repacked household items from their house on East Holcomb Avenue that had been unpacked for less than three months, since the flood scare in March. "I'm hoping the flood comes through and just takes the whole house so we can move somewhere else," she said. "I've talked to numerous neighbors and they've said, 'Heck with it.' They just are hoping the whole thing floods." ~Editilla gotta axe~2 YEARS after the Corps flooded Iowa, will American taxpayers wake up and see that the Corps of Engineers doesn't even have their own genitalia in hand let alone our Flood Protection?!? Yet, We The People continue to pay dearly for their hubris, not just in taxes but also lost livelihoods. New Orleans is not alone as most of the country is vulnerable. (And under the "Oh for God's Sakes!" category) ~The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to use the coal ash -- residue from coal combustion at power plants -- to fortify levees along a 200-mile stretch of the river between Alton and Gale in southern Illinois, the Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat reported. The newspaper noted coal ash, sometimes called fly ash, contains toxins including arsenic and mercury and has been linked in numerous studies to cancer.
BP Oil Spill: Biden, Jindal, Alex At War With Disaster ~Bayou Buzz~"The Corps of Engineers refuses to beneficially use the millions of cubic yards of material they dredge annually from our rivers and navigation channels – and this was one of the federal agencies that shut us down." ~Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal
EPA plane sanctioned to spot oil in MS waters ~Anita Lee ~After persevering into a third day, U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor got a commitment from the Coast Guard command Monday afternoon to deploy a specially equipped Environmental Protection Agency plane that will spot oil in the Mississippi Sound and relay coordinates for cleanup. Taylor, D-Miss., worked through the weekend to win permission for the specially equipped plane to fly over Mississippi waters as oil from the Deepwater Horizon streamed onshore along Jackson and Harrison County beaches. Infrared equipment on the plane located masses and streams of oil in the Mississippi Sound on Monday morning and over the weekend. Meet Judge Helen “Ginger” Berrigan. Another Louisiana Eastern District Judge with a recusal problem ~slabbed
BP bankruptcy is a real fear ~Mark Moseley, The Lens ~Editilla doesn't believe it for 1 Cockney Second. Such an idea smells rotten like a can of Valdez Herring redder than the Queen's Petticoat. When is the last time anyone had a can of Valdez Herring? Not since Exxon destroyed the catch! Cha'Ching! Is Exxon Bankrupt? Nooooo. We believe it behooves BP to grossly Overstate their costs in this Drilling Failure. It serves them on a number of levels, the least being Settlements/Fines/Penalties based on barrels spilled, number of animals killed and miles of coastline impacted. They have "barrels spilled" under control with the use of Dispersant, to wit: who knows now as they grossly understated the Flow Rate from the beginning. They have the "number of animals killed" under control because their crews are burning them and even collecting them off of beaches. "Miles of coastline impacted" is fairly under control with the Dispersant, Coast Guard Collusion and PR Advertising. BP says now they have spent $2.5 B on this Eruption, yet not one reporter has asked them: "Oh yeah? Where?" This will not be a bankruptcy but a Short Change. These Assholes just want to "Walk on their Tab" after trashing the bar. Click to Enlarge ~Special thanks~Infrastructurist ~BP US Pipelines and Logistics ~Pipeline Assets BP, Bayous and Byways: Dispatches from the Gulf Coast ~Facing South BP Oil Gusher has changed everything, residents say James Carville-Beyond Rogue ~Gambit
Top New Orleans chef sues BP over seafood losses~Susan Spicer, one of New Orleans' most prominent and highly regarded chefs, has sued BP Plc for damages to restaurants that have lost normal seafood supplies because of the runaway BP Oil Gusher. Spicer, who runs the restaurant Bayona in New Orleans' French Quarter, is seeking class-action status on behalf of restaurants and others in the seafood industry that have suffered damage since the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.
~Due to the arrogance of industry we are left with an ever growing invasion of our Gulf Coast, our way of life, our family’s health and our economy. The Gulf Coast will never be the same and it is important to remember that this is not a regional issue, but a national one. This isn’t the problem of small coastal communities, but a problem the entire country needs to address. This oil is your oil.
