Updates on the BP Oil Spill
BP has officially capped the main leak, although reports say that the oil is still seeping two miles away from the leak. The seep is occurring at another well site and, fortunately, are not a risk to the cap. In what was hopeful news, the relief well will reach the busted well by the end of this week which means that they can start pumping cement and mud into the well shutting it off permanently.
Unfortunately, a new tropical storm depression is brewing in the gulf halting all relief well drilling operations. The depression which formed in the Bahamas is headed straight for the well and will pass over it within a few days.
Tropical Storm Alex
Tropical Storm Alex (briefly Hurricane Alex) inaugurates the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Forming on June 25th, it developed from a tropical wave to a tropical storm in the Caribbean, sruck Belize, and moved into the Gulf of Mexico. On June 30th, it was upgraded to a Category 2 Hurricane as it made landfall in northeastern Mexico. As it traveled over rough Mexican terrain, it has been downgraded back to Tropical Storm Alex. Alex is the first hurricane to strike in June since 1995 with Hurricane Alice. And only 11 hurricanes have struck in June since 1944.
Dead Sperm Whale in the Gulf Coast
The AP reports that the first dead sperm whale has been found drifting 77 miles out of the gulf spill. The whale's condition suggests that it may have been dead for up to a week. Scientists are currently running tests on the whale to see if its death was caused by the oil spill. Sperm whales are highly endangered in the Gulf of Mexico with only 1400-1600 left. One scientist noted that sperm whales could go exinct if only three were to die a year from unnatural causes.
For the full article, click here.
Oiled birds found in Texas
On June 6th, oiled dead birds washed ashore on the Texas coast.According to a wildlife report, two birds with visible oil and 36 dead birds without visible oil were found along the coast although the report does not mention where.
For the article, click here.
For a history of the BP oil spill, click here.
Failed Attempts at the BP Oil Spill
Forty-three days after the leak was created, almost a third of the Gulf of Mexico has been declared a no-fishing zone by the US. All attempts to stop the leak have failed. In case you’ve lost track, here’s a recounting of the failed attempts:
Newest BP Solution
Shredded tires and golf balls! The containment dome has officially failed and BP plans on building a smaller one to cap the oil spilling out of the well. In addition, BP plans on shooting debris - "tires and golf balls and things like that" - at very high pressure into the well to clog it up. Like the containment dome, this method called a "blow out" has been successful at shallow depths but never attempted at a mile underwater. Due to the depth, there are obvious challenges, but BP engineers are trying anything as long as it causes less damage than it solves.
For the full article:
Reinstating the National Flood Insurance Program
On April 19th, Congress reinstated the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The 18-day lapse caused NFIP office closures and left hundreds of home buyers in limbo. Senator Byron Dorgan (ND-D) estimated that 1,400 prospective homebuyers a day were put on hold while NFIP shut down.
Even though it is back, the program is in $18 billion in debt, and the Government Accountability Office has reported that it is not "actuarially sound" and suffers from operational issues to boot. FEMA, which operates the program, has made improvements including creating an NFIP Reform Working Group, update on the nation's flood insurance rate maps, and community awareness and participation projects.
Stalemate of the National Flood Insurance Program
Tomorrow, the US Senate will vote on a broad bill that includes an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program. Partisan fighting over other aspects of the bill including an extension of unemployment benefits and a provision of subsidies for COBRA health insurance premiums have stalemated the passing of the bill.
Because the National Flood Insurance Program was not renewed, it had not been able to issue new polices since March 28th. Therefore, "[i]nsurance agents have not been able to provide new or renewal flood insurance policies, which are required by lenders to close on some real estate sales" (Insurance Journal).
Hurricane Predictions for Texas
Still many months away, a few private weather forecasters have started thinking ahead to the warmer months. As Paul Yeager reports, "WSI, a private forecasting company, and the Tropical Meteorology Project of Colorado State University (CSU) have both issued early season projections of more storms than last year -- and more storms than an average tropical season."
The Latest on Hurricane Ike Recovery
Although Hurricane Ike struck over a year ago, the recovery has not been fast enough for some. Around 20,000 cases of Hurricane Ike survivors have not been looked at. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee from Houston requested that FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) extend housing and case management assistance programs for Hurricane Ike. Craig Fugate, FEMA Administrator, has yet to respond, but has visited Houston recently at the request of Representative Lee. The Houston Chronicle reports.
