OFFSHORE DRILLING IS SAFE UNTIL IT ISN’T

Oil spill could have broad impact on Gulf Coast
Rick Jervis and Brian Winter (w/David Jackson), April 29, 2010 (USA Today)

[John Tesvich, eth generation oyster farmer, Louisiana Gulf Coast:] "It's just like what we saw with Hurricane Katrina…At first, it was just another storm, just like this was just another oil spill. But by the time they realize how bad it really is, it's too late…Why is the response taking so long? Why can't they stop this?"

"More than a week after the oil rig Deepwater Horizon exploded off the Louisiana coast, the Delaware-sized oil slick could make landfall [anytime and]…the oil eventually could affect a wide stretch of coastline from Texas to Florida…The spill threatens to have far-reaching consequences."

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"It could cause widespread damage to wildlife in an area of highly sensitive marshes, wetlands and estuaries that produce one-quarter of the seafood consumed in the USA…[B]illions of dollars' worth of coastal restoration projects undertaken after hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit in 2005 are at risk. The disaster also could affect a pillar of [President] Obama's energy plan — an initiative announced a month ago that could open up new areas off the Atlantic Coast and elsewhere to offshore drilling…

"The growing magnitude of the disaster prompted comparisons with…the 1989 accident involving the Exxon Valdez oil tanker, which spilled almost 11 million gallons of crude into Alaska's Prince William Sound, killing at least 250,000 sea birds and leaving many others bathed in thick, black sludge…For now, the Gulf spill is smaller — spewing an estimated 210,000 gallons a day…Yet BP says it still has not determined the cause of the April 20 explosion — which means BP and government officials are uncertain how to plug the leaks that are nearly a mile underwater and out of reach of most equipment…BP officials initially underestimated the size of the spill, saying earlier…the leak was releasing about 42,000 gallons a day…[U]nless the leaks are plugged within the next two to four weeks, the amount of oil spilled could equal that of the Valdez."

From kumarwarren via YouTube

"In Venice, La., near the mouth of the Mississippi River, workers were unfurling hundreds of feet of oil-catching booms and loading them into supply boats, which motored to nearby bayous and barrier islands. Cleanup materials, such as giant ‘socks’ that soak up oil and skimming drums, were being brought to local staging areas, Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Robert Birdwell said…Sally Brice-O'Hara, a Coast Guard rear admiral, said in Washington that officials were mobilizing to prevent ‘an Exxon Valdez-type of case.’

"Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., sent Obama a letter saying he would file legislation calling for a temporary halt to the president's plans to expand offshore drilling...Obama says that more drilling is part of a comprehensive plan to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. He also has announced investments in renewable energies…power and tougher emissions standards for cars…Offshore drilling in the USA accounts for about 7% of what the nation consumes each day — which is why environmental advocates…say it's not worth the environmental risks…However, about 60% of the undiscovered oil within the USA is thought to be offshore…"

Bonus Video: Burn the oil or beach it - the choices that come from offshore oil drilling. From Newsydotcom via YouTube