Study by NOAA and Partners Shows Some Gulf Dolphins Severely Ill

"Bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, are showing signs of severe ill health, according to NOAA marine mammal biologists and their local, state, federal and other research partners.

Barataria Bay, located in the northern Gulf of Mexico, received heavy and prolonged exposure to oil during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill..."

NOAA researchers release study on emissions from BP/Deepwater Horizon controlled burns

"During the 2010 BP/Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill, an estimated one of every 20 barrels of spilled oil was deliberately burned off to reduce the size of surface oil slicks and minimize impacts of oil on sensitive shoreline ecosystems and marine life. In response to the spill, NOAA quickly redirected its WP-3D research aircraft to survey the atmosphere above the spill site in June. During a flight through one of the black plumes, scientists used sophisticated instrumentation on board, including NOAA's single-particle soot photometer, to characterize individual black carbon particles..."

NOAA — Deepwater Horizon: A Preliminary Bibliography of Published Research and Expert Commentary
"This bibliography attempts to list all of the published research and expert commentary that has resulted from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It includes peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, technical reports released by scientific agencies and institutions, and editorials published in peer-reviewed journals. The peer-reviewed publications and technical reports in this bibliography are sorted into three subject categories: natural, medical, and social sciences. Data sets, fact sheets, maps, and news items not published in peer-reviewed journals are outside the scope of this bibliography. Suggestions of articles not listed in this bibliography may be emailed to Chris Belter. This bibliography will be updated regularly as new articles and
reports are published..."

EPA Releases Reports on Dioxin Emitted During Deepwater Horizon BP Spill
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released two peer reviewed reports concerning dioxins emitted during the controlled burns of oil during the Deepwater Horizon BP spill. Dioxins describe a group of hundreds of potentially cancer-causing chemicals that can be formed during combustion or burning. The reports found that while small amounts of dioxins were created by the burns, the levels that workers and residents would have been exposed to were below EPA’s levels of concern.

Controlled burning of oil on the surface of the ocean (also called in situ burning) was one method used by the Unified Command during the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill, to reduce the spread of oil and environmental impacts at the shoreline. A total of 411 controlled burn events occurred of which 410 could be quantified, resulting in the combustion of an estimated 222,000 to 313,000 barrels of oil (or 9.3 to 13.1 million gallons).

With support from the U.S. Coast Guard, EPA conducted sampling of emissions at the source of the controlled burns in the Gulf of Mexico to determine if dioxins were present. The sampling was conducted to identify potential dioxin exposures and determine the potential risks from inhalation to workers in the vicinity of the fires, risks from inhalation to the general population and risks to the general population from consuming fish caught in the area..."

The 2010 Oil Spill: Natural Resource Damage Assessment Under the Oil Pollution Act
"The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill leaked an estimated 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf
of Mexico, damaging the waters, shores, and marshes, and the fish and wildlife that live there.
The Oil Pollution Act (OPA) establishes a process for assessing the damages to those natural
resources and assigning responsibility for restoration to the parties responsible. BP was named the responsible party for the spill. The Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) process
allows Trustees of affected states and the federal government (and Indian tribes and foreign
governments, if applicable) to determine the levels of harm and the appropriate remedies.

The types of damages that are recoverable include the cost of replacing or restoring the lost
resource, the lost value of those resources if or until they are recovered, and any costs incurred in assessing the harm. Claims by individuals or businesses are not allowed, as all injuries are to the resources managed by state, federal, tribal, or foreign governments. OPA allows recovery from
the responsible parties for harm resulting from response efforts, which in this case could include
in situ burning, use of dispersants, and vehicle traffic on shores and marshes. The $20 billion
escrow fund set up by BP in June 2010 is not for government NRDA claims, but it can be used to
reimburse individual losses of subsistence use of natural resources, primarily lost fishing
opportunities, which are covered by OPA..."

Federal Science Report Details Fate of Oil from BP Spill
"The vast majority of the oil from the BP oil spill has either evaporated or been burned, skimmed, recovered from the wellhead or dispersed much of which is in the process of being degraded. A significant amount of this is the direct result of the robust federal response efforts.

A third (33 percent) of the total amount of oil released in the Deepwater Horizon/BP spill was captured or mitigated by the Unified Command recovery operations, including burning, skimming, chemical dispersion and direct recovery from the wellhead, according to a federal science report released today.

An additional 25 percent of the total oil naturally evaporated or dissolved, and 16 percent was dispersed naturally into microscopic droplets. The residual amount, just over one quarter (26 percent), is either on or just below the surface as residue and weathered tarballs, has washed ashore or been collected from the shore, or is buried in sand and sediments. Dispersed and residual oil remain in the system until they degrade through a number of natural processes. Early indications are that the oil is degrading quickly..."

EPA Releases First Round of Toxicity Testing Data for Eight Oil Dispersants
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released peer reviewed results from the first round of its own independent toxicity testing on eight oil dispersants. EPA conducted testing to ensure that decisions about ongoing dispersant use in the Gulf of Mexico continue to be grounded in the best available science.

EPA’s results indicated that none of the eight dispersants tested, including the product in use in the gulf, displayed biologically significant endocrine disrupting activity. While the dispersant products alone – not mixed with oil - have roughly the same impact on aquatic life, JD-2000 and Corexit 9500 were generally less toxic to small fish and JD-2000 and SAF-RON GOLD were least toxic to mysid shrimp. While this is important information to have, additional testing is needed to further inform the use of dispersants.

"EPA is performing independent tests to determine the potential impacts of various dispersants. We will continue to conduct additional research before providing a final recommendation, " said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "We want to ensure that every tool is available to mitigate the impact of the BP spill and protect our fragile wetlands. But we continue to direct BP to use dispersants responsibly and in as limited an amount as possible.".."

Hurricanes and the Oil Spill
"What will happen to a hurricane that runs through this oil slick?
•
Most hurricanes span an enormous area of the ocean (200-300 miles) — far wider than the current size of the spill.
•
If the slick remains small in comparison to a typical hurricane’s general environment and size, the anticipated impact on the hurricane would be minimal.
•
The oil is not expected to appreciably affect either the intensity or the track of a fully developed tropical storm or hurricane.
•
The oil slick would have little effect on the storm surge or near-shore wave heights..."

Administration’s Joint Analysis Group Releases First Scientific Report on Subsea Monitoring data from Gulf Spill
"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) today released the first peer reviewed, analytical summary report about the subsea monitoring in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon wellhead. The report contains analysis of samples taken by the R/V Brooks McCall, a research vessel conducting water sampling from half a mile to nine miles of the wellhead. These data have been used on an ongoing basis to help guide the Government’s decisions about the continued use of subsea dispersant.

The report comes from the Joint Analysis Group (JAG), which was established to facilitate cooperation and coordination among the best scientific minds across the government and provide a coordinated analysis of information related to subsea monitoring in the Gulf of Mexico. This comprehensive analysis helps define the characteristics of the water and presence of oil below the surface in the area close to the well-head from May 8-25..."

FTC Urges Consumers to Watch Out for Scams Related to Gulf Oil Spill
"As the nation follows news of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, so do scammers. The Federal Trade Commission issued an alert urging consumers and businesses to watch out for con artists trying to take advantage of the oil spill in the gulf and to report their experiences to federal and state authorities.

In a new consumer alert, FTC Warns of Oil Spill Scams, the agency said scammers will likely use e-mails, websites, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings and telephone calls to solicit money by claiming they’re raising money for environmental causes or offering fraudulent services related to the oil spill. In reality, many could be trying to get inside consumers’ homes or get access to their personal information. The consumer alert advises consumers to check with the Better Business Bureau to get information on businesses and charities, and offers tips on how to avoid these scams."

IncidentNews: DeepWater Horizon Incident
"A fire and explosion occurred at approximately 11:00 PM CDT, April 20, 2010 on the DEEPWATER HORIZON, a semisubmersible drilling platform, with more than 120 crew aboard. The DEEPWATER HORIZON is located some 50 miles SE of the Mississippi Delta and contained an estimated 700,000 gallons of #2 Fuel Oil or Marine Diesel Fuel."

Note: Documents are posted chronologically and early reports likely contain factual errors. These errors may be corrected in a later report."

Remarks by the President on Oil Spill
"THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. First let me say a few words about the incident in New York City. I want to commend the work of the NYPD, the New York Fire Department, and the FBI, which responded swiftly and aggressively to a dangerous situation. And I also want to commend the vigilant citizens who noticed this suspicious activity and reported it to the authorities.

I just got off the phone on the way down here with Mayor Bloomberg to make sure that state and federal officials are coordinating effectively. Since last night my national security team has been taking every step necessary to ensure that our state and local partners have the full support and cooperation of the federal government. We're going to do what's necessary to protect the American people, to determine who is behind this potentially deadly act, and to see that justice is done. And I'm going to continue to monitor the situation closely and do what it takes at home and abroad to safeguard the security of the American people.

Now, we just finished a meeting with Admiral Thad Allen, our National Incident Commander for this spill, as well as Coast Guard personnel who are leading the response to this crisis. And they gave me an update on our efforts to stop the BP oil spill and mitigate the damage.

By the way, I just want to point out, I was told there was drizzling out here -- (laughter) -- is this Louisiana drizzle right here? (Laughter.)

They gave me a sense of how this spill is moving. It is now about nine miles off the coast of southeastern Louisiana. And by the way, we had the Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, as well as parish presidents who were taking part in this meeting, because we want to emphasize the importance of coordinating between local, state, and federal officials throughout this process.

Now, I think the American people are now aware, certainly the folks down in the Gulf are aware, that we're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster. The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states and it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home..."