Political India: Engaging America

From The Hindu

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill response faced a temporary setback heading into the weekend, as operations were halted due to the expected approach of tropical storm Bonnie.

In an update, the Gulf Unified Area Command Centre said it was tracking tropical weather near the Bahamas very closely and was constantly engaged in discussions with the National Hurricane Centre, the National Oceanic and the Atmospheric Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure the safety of more than 40,000 people currently assisting in the oil spill response and recovery efforts.

Admiral Thad Allen, National Incident Commander overseeing the disaster response said, "Due to the risk that Tropical Storm Bonnie poses... many of the vessels and rigs will be preparing to move out of harm's way beginning tonight. Some of the vessels may be able to remain on site, but we will err on the side of safety." He added that the rig drilling the relief well — which it is hoped will ultimately kill the well — as well as other vessels needed for containment will also be moved from the areas at risk from the storm.

The Unified Command Centre further noted that boom was being removed from marsh areas where oil was not threatening the shore to prevent damage from the heavy equipment getting pushed into the delicate area by strong winds and high tides.

Underscoring his firm handling of BP’s role in the mop-up, Admiral Allen said that he had directed BP to "continue with the well shut-in procedure while the work to kill the well is temporarily suspended". He added he had insisted that BP take measures to ensure the vessels operating the remotely operated undersea vehicles were the last to leave the site and the first to return in order to maximise monitoring of the well. Monitoring of the site during the well integrity test remained one of the government's highest priorities, he said.

The administration said that while this latest response to avoid Bonnie would delay the effort to kill the well for several days, they were staging skimming vessels and other assets in a manner that would ensure that oil mitigation efforts were promptly re-started as soon as the storm passed and the safety of personnel was assured.

Biden visits again

Meanwhile Vice President Joe Biden made his second trip to the Gulf Coast since the oil spill began, on this occasion, meeting with Admiral Allen and other response personnel, inspecting boom and participating in a roundtable discussion with fishermen and small business owners.

In a statement after his visit, Mr. Biden said, "We’re not going to stop until this area, all the entire Gulf, has recovered; until the economy of the Gulf is revitalised and literally a way of life is restored. Because we’re not just talking about a natural ecosystem that’s in danger down here, we’re talking about an economic ecosystem. We’re also talking about a cultural ecosystem, a whole way of life," he said. "Whatever it takes to make this Gulf right, we’re going to make it right."

As per the administration’s data, to date 123,457 claims have been opened, from Americans who have suffered a financial loss as a result of the BP oil spill. Of this, the administration said, more than $234.9 million has been disbursed and no claims have been denied to date.

Labels: BP oil spill, tropical Storm Bonnie