Updates for today:
"Dark clouds of smoke and fire emerge as oil burns during a controlled fire in the Gulf of Mexico"
"May 7, 2010 Operations:
The Unified Area Command continues to work closely together with the Responsible Party and Federal, State, local and tribal partners in anticipating requirements, identifying response options, and rapidly providing response support.
The following is a synopsis of our daily response efforts:
Total Vessels (including tugs and skimmers): 256
Boom deployed: 788,085 feet
Boom available: 1,287,764 feet
Oil and Water Mix - Recovered: Approximately 1.89 million gallons
Dispersant Used : 267,195 gallons
Dispersant available: 317,591 gallons
Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV): 4
Overall Personnel Responding: 8,497
In addition to the overall personnel responding, more than 2,500 volunteers have been trained to assist in the response effort.
10 staging areas are in place and ready to protect sensitive shorelines. These areas include:
Biloxi, Miss.
Pensacola, Fla.
Venice, La.
Pascagoula, Miss.
Port Sulphur, La.
Port Fourchon, La.
Gulfport, Miss.
Dauphin Island, Ala.
Shell Beach, La.
Slidell, La.
Weather conditions for May 7: Winds from the southeast at 10 knots, 1-3 foot seas, light chop in protected waters."
"Containment Dome Nearly in Place
GIANT STRUCTURE BEING LOWERED OVER BLOWN-OUT WELL
(AP) – The big dome is nearly there. With the guidance of undersea robots, crews in the Gulf of Mexico are gingerly lowering the 100-ton concrete-and-steel box over a blown-out well on the ocean floor this morning. If all goes well—and we won't know until Sunday when it's fully operational—it will collect 85% of the oil spewing into the Gulf and funnel it up to a tanker.
The box was lowered into the oily water shortly after 10pm last night to begin its descent into position over the gusher. Underwater robots have been clearing pieces of pipe and other debris near where the box will be placed to avoid complications. "We haven't done this before," said a BP spokesman. "It's very complex and we can't guarantee it." The quest took on added urgency as oil yesterday reached several barrier islands off the Louisiana coast that are fragile animal habitats. "
Continued at:
http://www.newser.com/story/88061/co...-in-place.html
The mobile offshore drilling unit Q4000 lowers a pollution containment chamber May 6, 2010. The chamber was designed to cap the oil discharge that was a result of the Deepwater Horizon incident.
"NOAA Expands Commercial and Recreational Fishing Closure in Oil-Affected Portion of Gulf of Mexico
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse....c/2931/541659/
A pod of Bottle Nose dolphins swim under the oily water of Chandeleur Sound, La., Thursday.
Photos from:
http://www.newser.com/story/88061/co...-in-place.html