Gulf Oil Spill Reaches Loop Current, Wellhead Still Gushing

Submitted by ecofactory on Thu, 2010-05-20 11:51
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Gulf Oil Spill Reaches Loop Current, Wellhead Still Gushing

ROBERT, Louisiana, May 19, 2010 (ENS) - Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill has reached the Loop Current in the form of light to very light sheens, according to observers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA. This means the oil eventually could be carried around Florida and into the Atlantic Ocean.

EPA Expands Public Database by 6,300 Chemicals and 3,800 Facilities

Submitted by ecofactory on Wed, 2010-05-19 11:48
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EPA Expands Public Database by 6,300 Chemicals and 3,800 Facilities

WASHINGTON, DC, May 19, 2010 (ENS) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has added more than 6,300 chemicals and 3,800 chemical facilities regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act to a public database called Envirofacts.

"The addition to Envirofacts will provide the American people with unprecedented access to information about chemicals that are manufactured in their communities," said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.

Ohio Coal-Fired Power Plant Shuttered in $16 Million Settlement

Submitted by ecofactory on Wed, 2010-05-19 11:47
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Ohio Coal-Fired Power Plant Shuttered in $16 Million Settlement

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 19, 2010 (ENS) - American Municipal Power, an Ohio nonprofit utility, will permanently retire its Richard H. Gorsuch Station coal-fired power plant near Marietta, Ohio under a settlement to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act.

BP Draw Pipe Begins Siphoning Thousands of Barrels from Leaking Line

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Tue, 2010-05-18 17:59
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BP Draw Pipe Begins Siphoning Thousands of Barrels from Leaking Line

BP announced a level of success in their attempts to stem the leak of the Deepwater Horizon rig today after announcing that their siphon-pipe technique is preventing thousands of barrels of oil from reaching seawater.
A plane spraying dispersant on the Deepwater Horizon slick

A months after an explosion sunk the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and triggered a massive leak of crude into the Gulf of Mexico, BP announced that it has made a significant step forward in stemming the flow of environmental damage. A siphon tube inserted into the cracked wellhead is reportedly siphoning thousands of barrels of oil out of the cracked riser pipe before it can enter ocean waters, a measure of success that BP says they cannot guarantee will continue due to the hostile undersea conditions. As of Tuesday morning, tar balls have been washing up in Key West.

Oil Spill: NOAA Doubles Gulf Fisheries Closure Area

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2010-05-18 14:03
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Oil Spill: NOAA Doubles Gulf Fisheries Closure Area

ROBERT, Louisiana, May 18, 2010 (ENS) - Effective tonight, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is nearly doubling the size of the area closed to fishing in the Gulf of Mexico due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco told reporters by teleconference today that the area closed to fishing will total 45,728 square miles and represents 19 percent of the entire Gulf of Mexico federal waters. Currently, about 10 percent of the gulf is closed to fishing.

Presidential Commission to Scrutinize BP Oil Spill, Senators Seek Criminal Probe

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2010-05-18 11:09
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Presidential Commission to Scrutinize BP Oil Spill, Senators Seek Criminal Probe

WASHINGTON, DC, May 18, 2010 (ENS) - President Barack Obama will establish an independent commission to investigate the cause of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the response to it as early as Tuesday, according to statements of elected representatives and media reports.

BP leased the oil rig, which exploded and sank in April, 50 miles off the Louisiana coast, leaving the broken wellhead gushing oil into gulf waters for the past 27 days. The oil slick now covers at least 7,500 square miles.

"Petropolis" Documentary Provides Bird's-Eye View of Tar Sands

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Mon, 2010-05-17 18:59
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"Petropolis" Documentary Provides Bird's-Eye View of Tar Sands

"Petropolis" uses helicopter-mounted cameras to display the grand scale of the environmental destruction associated with Canada's oil sands.
Oil sands, with a Syncrude upgrader in the distance.

Filmmaker Peter Mettler recently released a new documentary that gives viewers an aerial perspective of Canada's oil sands operations in Alberta. Called Petropolis, the documentary looks at the impact Alberta's oil sand extraction program and its effect on the land, water, and wildlife of Canada. Greenpeace Canada is helping to promote Mettler's documentary. Canadian government groups and oil companies have criticized the film for omitting footage that would show closed areas where industrial sites are being reclaimed by natural forest.

Gulf Gusher Dwarfs Previous Estimates, BP Will Inject Junk to Plug It

Submitted by ecofactory on Fri, 2010-05-14 12:55
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Gulf Gusher Dwarfs Previous Estimates, BP Will Inject Junk to Plug It

HOUSTON, Texas, May 14, 2010 (ENS) - Scientific analysis of a new video released Wednesday by BP shows oil and gas spilling from the broken Deepwater Horizon wellhead on the the Gulf of Mexico seafloor at a much higher rate than previously estimated.

Senators Propose Permanent Ban on Pacific Coast Oil Drilling

Submitted by ecofactory on Fri, 2010-05-14 12:55
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Senators Propose Permanent Ban on Pacific Coast Oil Drilling

WASHINGTON, DC, May 14, 2010 (ENS) - In view of the ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Democratic lawmakers Thursday introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate to permanently ban offshore drilling in all federal waters off the Pacific coast.

The West Coast Ocean Protection Act was introduced at a news conference this morning by Senator Maria Cantwell, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein of California and Jeff Merkley of Oregon. The bill is also sponsored by Senators Patty Murray of Washington and Ron Wyden of Oregon.

Pennsylvania Governor Minimizes Gas Drilling in State Forests

Submitted by ecofactory on Thu, 2010-05-13 14:47
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Pennsylvania Governor Minimizes Gas Drilling in State Forests

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, May 13, 2010 (ENS) - The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has finalized a natural gas lease agreement by which the state will meet its need for revenue from drilling next year, while protecting state forests, Governor Edward Rendell said Tuesday.

Under the agreement, Anadarko Petroleum Corp. has paid Pennsylvania $120 million to access 32,896 acres that are surrounded by lands for which drilling companies already hold lease agreements.