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Photo credit: usepagov on Flickr.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/ usepagov/4666451470/

Photo credit:  usepagov on Flickr.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/usepagov/ 4682437251/in/photostream/

In addition to tragically losing the lives of 11 workers, The Deepwater Horizon oil spill off the coast of Louisiana is gearing up to be one of the largest ecological disasters of our lives.  We started this feature article in the May edition of Sustainable Environments, and have provided updates in each edition since then.  To view these articles, click on the Previous Newsletters link at the top of the newsletter on the main page. 

As of August 15, 2010, approximately 17,500 National Guard troops have been authorized (1,376 are active), 28,277 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline/wildlife and cleanup the coastlines, over 4,254 vessels are responding, 2.29 million feet of containment boom and 8.77 million feet of sorbent boom have been deployed, nearly 34.7 million gallons of oil-water mixture have been recovered, approximately 1.84 million gallons of dispersant have been deployed (1.07 million on surface and 771,000 subsea), over 411 controlled burns have been conducted, and 17 staging areas have been set up to protect vital shoreline. Approximately 672 miles of the Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled (375 miles in Louisiana, 117 miles in Mississippi, 72 miles in Alabama, and 108 miles in Florida.  Approximately 52,395 square miles of federal waters are closed to fishing, with 78 percent open.

CONTACT INFO

Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center
(985) 902-5231 and (985) 902-5240

Report oiled shoreline or request volunteer information:
(866)-448-5816

Submit alternative response technology, services or products:
(281) 366-5511

Submit your vessel as a vessel of opportunity skimming system:
(281) 366-5511

Submit a claim for damages:
(800) 440-0858

Report oiled wildlife:
(866) 557-1401

Gulf Response Involvement Team (G.R.I.T.):  Volunteers Interested in Assisting in Oil Clean-Up in Louisiana Should Sign Up and Stand By
http://gulfresponse.org/

Volunteer Florida:
www.volunteerflorida.org.

Florida Gulf Recovery Jobs:
www.floridagulfrecoveryjobs.com or 1-877-362-5034. 

INFORMATION SOURCES 

The BP website provides detailed information on their response, including press releases, fact sheets, photos, maps and more.
http://www.bp.com/productlanding.do?categoryId=40&contentId=7061696
To file a claim with BP, visit www.bp.com/claims or call 800-440-0858. 
In addition, www.disasterassistance.gov has been enhanced to provide a one-stop shop for information on how to file a claim with BP and access additional assistance—available in English and Spanish.

New Online Tools for BP Spill Response Updates
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has improved their BP Spill website with the online tools Google Earth and Socrata which provide interactive ways to track and share information on the EPA’s response to the BP oil spill.  Users can download air, water and sediment data, explore an interactive online table, view sampling locations, track boom progress, and create your own database.
EPA News Release, July 23, 2010
http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/

Restore the Gulf.gov, a new federal website, provides information and resources related to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and recovery. This website will replace the existing Deepwater Horizon Response Website.
http://www.restorethegulf.gov/

The Deepwater Horizon Response website provides information on the response from the U.S. Coast Guard and other responding agencies.
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/site/2931/

The White House Deepwater BP Oil Spill Website
http://www.whitehouse.gov/deepwater-bp-oil-spill/

The National Park Service provides updates about park closures, resources at risk, and NPS actions to protect parks and wildlife.
http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm

The Fish and Wildlife Service provides updates about response and the status of national wildlife refuges.
http://www.fws.gov/home/dhoilspill/

Mapping the Response to BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
This website offers the latest data on the oil spill’s trajectory with fishery area closures, wildlife data, locations of oiled shoreline, locations of deployed research ships in an interactive map.  It was developed by NOAA with the EPA, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Interior.  It contains data from Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, the Fish and Wildlife Service, EPA, NASA, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Gulf states.
http://www.geoplatform.gov/gulfresponse/

NASA Satellite Imagery: Keeping Eye on the Gulf Spill provides satellite imagery of the oil spill.
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/oil-creep.html

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website provides up-to-date information, fact sheets, trajectory maps, and more.
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/topic_subtopic_entry.php?RECORD_KEY%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=entry_id,subtopic_id,topic_id&entry_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=809&subtopic_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=2&topic_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=1
For daily updates on fishing closures, visit http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.
NOAA has launched this federal website with data and information http://www.geoplatform.gov/gulfresponse/

Mapping the Response to BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
The GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse is a new online tool that provides information about the Deepwater Horizon response effort.  This site provides an interactive map that combines the latest data from federal responders with fishery closures, wildlife data, oiled shoreline locations, deployed research ship locations, and more.  The site utilizes the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA), which is a web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) platform.
http://www.geoplatform.gov/gulfresponse/index.html

BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Budget: What Happened To the Oil?
Deepwater Horizon Response Website
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/posted/2931/Oil_Budget_description_8_3_FINAL.844091.pdf

Smart Sponge – Oil Removal Technology
AbTech’s Smart Sponge encapsulates recovered oil, and prevents absorbed oil from leaching.  It can remove low levels of oil from water, known as sheen.  It is buoyant in calm or agitated water.  It transforms pollutants into a stable solid to be recycled. 
http://www.abtechindustries.com/index.asp?mid2=169 

Map:  Tracking Oil Washing Ashore on Beaches
Natural Resources Defense Council
http://www.nrdc.org/energy/gulfspill/beaches.asp

NEWS ARTICLES

Here are some interesting articles detailing the tragedy and efforts to date to correct the problem.  They are arranged chronologically.

Health Impacts of Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster on Coastal Louisiana Residents
By Matthew R. Lee Troy C. Blanchard, Department of Sociology, Louisiana State University, July 2010
http://www.lsu.edu/pa/mediacenter/tipsheets/spill/publichealthreport_2.pdf?id=329 

The Air Near the BP Oil Spill
By Andy Soos, Environmental News Network, July 22, 2010
http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/41571

Second Federal Analysis Gives Further Clues about Location and Movement of Subsurface Oil
Deepwater Horizon Response Website, July 23, 2010
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/819511/

International News and Analysis on Marine Protected Areas
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: The Experiences of MPA Managers So Far, and What Lessons Can Be Learned
MPA News, July/August 2010, Volume 12, No. 1
http://depts.washington.edu/mpanews/MPA115.pdf 

NOAA: Gulf’s Surface Oil Not a Threat to Southern Florida, Keys, and East Coast
Deepwater Horizon Response, July 30, 2010
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/835719/

BP Prepares to Plug Gulf Oil Well for Good
By Bruce Nichols and Deborah Zabarenko, Reuters, August 1, 2010
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65O5TA20100801?type=domesticNews

BP Oil Well Gushed 4.9 Million Barrels: US
AFP, August 2, 2010
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hS0rVqxQpJlZQ7z5EU9buNed-9rQ

U.S. Scientific Teams Refine Estimates of Oil Flow from BP’s Well Prior to Capping
Deepwater Horizon Response Website, August 2, 2010
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/840475/

Gulf of Mexico "Dead Zone" Overlaps BP Spill Zone
Reuters, August 2, 2010
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6713YZ20100802

BP Readies Killer Punch for World's Worst Oil Spill
By Kristen Hays, Reuters, August 3, 2010
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65O5TA20100803

BP Oil Spill Mostly Cleaned Up, says US White House says 75% of Oil Captured, Burned Off, Evaporated or Broken Down as 'Static Kill' Operation Shows Signs of Working
By Adam Gabbatt and agencies, guardian.co.uk, August 4, 2010
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/04/bp-static-kill-successful

Federal Science Report Details Fate of Oil from BP Spill
Deepwater Horizon Response Website, August 4, 2010
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/2931/844299/

President says the 'long battle' over spill 'finally close to coming to an end'
By Sam Youngman, The Hill/E2 Wire Blog, August 4, 2010
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/112631-obama-the-long-battle-over-spill-close-to-an-end

BP permanently plugs well with cement: 'This will virtually assure us that there will be no oil leaking into the environment'
CBC News/The Associated Press, August 5, 2010
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/08/05/bp-gulf-cement-well.html

AP Enterprise: Scientists think Gulf can recover
By Seth Borenstein and Cain Burdeau, The Associated Press, August 5, 2010
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g-YHHIG0I-xMcUk7giysQdrjs4uwD9HDLVB80

PRESS RELEASE: Administration Sends Fifth Bill to BP
RestoretheGulf.gov Website, August 11, 2010

http://app.restorethegulf.gov/go/doc/2931/857435/

Cleanup Crews Respond Immediately to Clean Up Oil Reported Following Wednesday’s Storm Surge
RestoretheGulf.gov Website, August 12, 2010
http://app.restorethegulf.gov/go/doc/2931/859215/

Admiral Thad Allen Issues Directive to BP on Procedures Required Prior to Completion of Relief Well and Bottom Kill
RestoretheGulf.gov Website, August 14, 2010
http://app.restorethegulf.gov/go/doc/2931/861455/

DISPERSANTS

Oil dispersants are chemicals that break down oil into small drops.  This is used to prevent the oil from reaching the surface of the water or the shoreline.  Though dispersants are toxic, they are generally less toxic than oil and biodegrade more quickly. 

On May 15, 2010, the Coast Guard and EPA approved the use of dispersants underwater, at the source of the Deepwater Horizon leak.  The EPA’s Dispersant Monitoring and Assessment Directive for Subsurface Dispersant Application (issued May 10) required BP to implement a monitoring and assessment plan for the use of dispersants.  Addendum 1 (issued May 14) required a more thorough oil analysis to determine whether the plume is toxic to aquatic life.  Addendum 2 (issued May 20) required BP to use a less toxic and more effective dispersant.  The EPA is posting results from ongoing monitoring of BP’s use of underwater dispersants at http://www.epa.gov/bpspill.

For more information on dispersants, the EPA directive, and BP’s response to the directive, visit EPA’s website at http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/dispersants/

Gulf Oil Dispersants Unlikely to Be Endocrine Disruptors and Have Relatively Low Cell Toxicity, Tests Find
ScienceDaily, July 22, 2010
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100721133217.htm

Deception by Dispersal; the Great Gulf Oil Tragedy
Rocky Kistner’s blog, NRDC Switchboard, July 30, 2010
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rkistner/the_pictures_below_were_all.html

EPA Releases Second Phase of Toxicity Testing Data for Eight Oil Dispersants
EPA News Release, August 2, 2010
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/196E9F13F264ED1C85257773005F7D9B

PHOTOS

Pictures: Baby Gulf Turtles Released Into Atlantic
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/07/photogalleries/100722-nation-bp-gulf-oil-spill-sea-turtles-pictures/#sea-turtles-relocated-oil-spill-digging_23816_600x450.jpg

Video: Sea Turtles Hatching
http://www.arkive.org/news/20100706-rescue-plan-for-endangered-sea-turtles-in-the-gulf-of-mexico.html

Slideshow:  The Gulf: Out on the Water
Audio and Photos by Bridgete Besaw
http://www.nature.org/popups/features/art31988.html

RestoretheGulf.gov Photo and Video Releases
http://www.restorethegulf.gov/multimedia.shtm

PLANTS AND WILDLIFE

Restore the Gulf.gov http://app.restorethegulf.gov/go/doc/2931/862327/

The oil spill will negatively impact the plants, wildlife and ecosystems in its path.  The Gulf of Mexico is home to 10 species of threatened sharks, 6 species of endangered turtles, manatees, whales and fish within its deeper waters.  Dozens of species of fish and shellfish also lay their eggs on the surface of the water.  Oil spills affect the smallest and largest marine life, and threaten life up and down the food chain.  For more detailed information, read the articles below.

Oiled birds being sent to treatment facilities are examined for blood values, weight, and the extent of oiling.  Many are dehydrated when they arrive.  They are allowed to rest and recover until they are stable enough to withstand the washing process.  It can take about 45 minutes to an hour to wash a bird.  They use about 300 gallons of water and Dawn detergent.  The wastewater has to be disposed of in accordance with regulations.  Cleaned birds recover until they are waterproof and able to be released.  Federal bird identification bands are attached and the birds are released in a safe location. 

Consolidated Fish and Wildlife Collection Report
This report provides information on fish and wildlife collected in the Deepwater Horizon/BP incident impact area.  It is updated each day at noon.
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doctype/2931/55963

Sea Turtles & the Oil Spill Disaster
This website provides a wealth of information about sea turtles and the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, including news articles, resources, and up-to-date statistics on the effects to sea turtles.
http://conserveturtles.org/florida.php?page=GulfOfMexicoOilSpill

2010 Gulf Oil Spill Effect on Wetlands Webpage
The Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM) is providing this new webpage on the 2010 Gulf Oil spill's effect on wetlands. It provides recent projections, media coverage, blogs, legislative action, resources, and maps.
To view the webpage, visit
http://aswm.org/science/oil_spill/index.htm

Rescue Plan for Endangered Sea Turtles in the Gulf of Mexico
Arkive, July 7, 2010
http://www.arkive.org/news/20100706-rescue-plan-for-endangered-sea-turtles-in-the-gulf-of-mexico.html

Sea Turtles Rescued from Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Released
Brian Skoloff, Associated Press, July 15, 2010
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/07/sea_turtles_rescued_from_gulf.html 

NOAA to Re-open One-Third of Closed Gulf Fishing Area
Deepwater Horizon Response Website, July 22, 2010
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/802739/

Oil Devastation Found at Major Gulf Breeding Site
ScienceDaily, July 22, 2010
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100722160455.htm 

Transcript - Press Briefing by NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco on the Re-Opening of Closed Fishing Areas
Deepwater Horizon Response Website, July 22, 2010
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/818775/

Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Nest Relocated from Gulf Islands National Seashore: First Excavation of Endangered Sea Turtle Eggs from National Park Unit
Deepwater Horizon Response Website, July 23, 2010
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/818855/

DOI Sensitive Lands Branch Ensures Gulf Cleanup Does Not Harm Environment, Wildlife
Deepwater Horizon Response, July 30, 2010
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/836803/

BP, Feds Comb Wetlands To Assess Spill Damage
by Elizabeth Shogren, NPR, August 3, 2010
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128952049

PRESS RELEASE: NOAA Reopens More than 5,000 Square Miles of Closed Gulf Fishing Area
RestoretheGulf.gov Website, August 10, 2010
http://app.restorethegulf.gov/go/doc/2931/855051/