We made that oil spill our

[DarrinS]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...pinion/columns

When I was a junior officer fresh out of the Coast Guard Academy in 1971, a crusty old warrant officer told me that an idea of mine was in the "too hard to" do locker. The implication was that some problems are unsolvable and thus get banished to innovation purgatory. I invoked that line last May at the memorial services for retired Chief Warrant Officer Bernie Webber, who almost five decades ago accomplished what is regarded as the greatest small-boat rescue in Coast Guard history. In February 1952 Webber and his three crewmen maneuvered a surf rescue boat over the Chatham Bar on Cape Cod in gale-force winds. They rescued 33 crew members from the stern of a tanker that had broken in half in a storm. Bernie taught us all that day how to create the art of the possible where none appears to exist, and gave 33 people back their lives. He had opened the "too hard to" locker.

Our country encountered this sort of seemingly impossible-to-open locker on April 20. The explosion, subsequent fire and ultimate sinking of the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon led to the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. Eleven lives were lost. This summer, we watched the uncontrolled discharge of tens of thousands of barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico every day. The disaster caused economic deprivation and put at risk an entire way of life.

A "fail-safe" system had failed; there was no human access to the source of the oil. Despite the mobilization of countless resources from the start, the response was criticized by some as inadequate and feeble. Much as Tip O'Neill told us about politics, it turns out that all oil spills are local.

Yet four months later, the landscape and seascape have changed. We now know that 53,000 barrels were likely escaping each day from the well, but the well was capped on July 15. And while nearly 5 million barrels were released into the gulf, we are beginning to understand what happened to it.

We also know we mobilized the largest public- and private-sector disaster response in this nation's history. This summer we did things that have never been done before: We employed 7,000 vessels of opportunity, a waterborne militia that has no precedent. We took control of the air space in the Gulf of Mexico to improve flight safety and more effectively employ air surveillance from the same base that defends North America from air attack. We mobilized the largest number of oil skimmers and deployed more containment boom than ever before in our country. In the process, emergency regulations authorizing the relocation of response equipment from across the country were issued in a matter of days.

It was more than just marshaling forces on the water and on the shore. Nearly every agency of the government was involved, and not only the ones you would expect, such as the Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but also the Defense Department, the U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and others.

We stood up a special science team, led by Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who oversaw every technical aspect of the well-kill efforts. The science team also got us a precise flow rate and an oil budget that estimates where the oil went.

Led by the president, the first lady and the vice president, administration officials have made more than 75 trips to the region; all had responsibility for some portion of our response.

We responded with government effort at all levels that moved beyond the tactical issue of oil on the water to address socioeconomic effects, public health, long-term environmental impact, and responsive near-term emergency services and support. Again, we have done things on a scale with no precedent. Did we learn things along the way? Absolutely. We should have done some things sooner, like taking control of the airspace and transitioning from boom to skimmers.

Is there more work to do? Certainly. Our estimates suggest a quarter of the oil that leaked could still be in the water. What's left is breaking down, but that doesn't mean it isn't a threat, and we won't stop going after it until it's gone. Do laws and regulations need to be revised? Of course. Do we have all the answers to long-term effects to the environment from the oil spilled or dispersants used? Not yet, and we should not add to the cost of this spill by failing to learn these things.

It hasn't always been pretty, but we have opened the "too hard to" locker. We are poised to finish this response and move to long-term recovery. It has been one of the more consequential exercises in adapting the elements of national power together with local government and the private sector to deal with problems of unprecedented complexity. No one is claiming victory or "mission accomplished" at this point, nor should we. We should, however, recognize what has been done.

[Parker2112]

Is there more work to do? Certainly. Our estimates suggest a quarter of the oil that leaked could still be in the water.

bull . company line. election time politics. 60-80% remains, minimum.

[CosmicCowboy]

bull . company line. election time politics. 60-80% remains, minimum.

So you pour a teaspoon of oil into an olympic sized swimming pool. It eventually disperses and dilutes into the water. Even if 100% still remains it's just not that big of a deal.

[boutons_deux]

blatant self-promotion.

The capping was available from the very start, was not creative, nothing to develop, to test, design, JUST DO IT. But the govt let BP footsy around.

Anybody wanna bet that the Fed doesn't fine BP $21B based on the number of barrels spilled?

Anybody wanna bet that BP ever pays the $20B into the compensation fund? There's no legal basis for it, and BP's lawyers will fight it.

Three strikes and you're out only applies to individuals.

Egg producers, BigPharma, any big corps, etc can stay at bat no matter how many screw-ups nor how bad they screw up, no matter how many people they kill and maim. Too Big To Fail, Too Big To Jail.

[Parker2112]

So you pour a teaspoon of oil into an olympic sized swimming pool. It eventually disperses and dilutes into the water. Even if 100% still remains it's just not that big of a deal.

horse . the public perception alone is going to kill gulf fishing regardless of whether we can trust CC's good ol' fashion common-sense scientific analysis or not. people dont trust fed gov. people dont trust the seafood from the coast. besides that, the supply is bound to dwindle, making it that much worse.

and last, this spill has long term effects that are immeasurable.

the valdez spill killed that community, and remind me how much bigger this one is?

[Parker2112]

funny how people get when big oil/big corps/big gov start ing around with their food...so much for improving consumer confidence in a down economy...

[CosmicCowboy]

Funny how some people just don't get that happens sometimes. I guarantee BP didn't intend to have an oil spill.

The only way you can be perfect is to never do anything so you can't possibly make a mistake or have an accident.

[boutons_deux]

" happens sometimes"

no

Gov Perry said it was an Act of God.

In BP's case, happens a whole of a lot. OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN

[Parker2112]

Funny how some people just don't get that happens sometimes. I guarantee BP didn't intend to have an oil spill.

The only way you can be perfect is to never do anything so you can't possibly make a mistake or have an accident.

CC, back when you were a boy, the world population was about 1/3 what it is now. So, the environment had a greater capacity to accomodate man's footprint. Back then, when your value system was being handed to you, it served it #1 purpose: economic development and resource utilization. That philosophy built the american dream.

In the late 70's I experienced some very pristine peices of mother nature while growing up. One of those was the Gulf. I have pictures with my Grandpa at Port Isabell where the water was CRYSTAL BLUE.

Over the years, those places have been devloped, trashed, polluted and spoiled by the same philosophy.

One thing I'm sure of: my boy and my girl will never experience the things my father or I did when we were young, and thats ok.

But you cant tell me I need to stand by and watch while any mf'er with a plan and the gumption spoils whats left. There are too many stupid SOB's out there that know how to run a bulldozer AND back-door a permit.

I dont trust the mentality that we cant spoil what mother nature gave us. That is the mentality that gets spread by those whose only aim is to continue the raid on resources. But we just cant accomodate it like we used to.

In my adulthood, I have almost pricked my heel on medical waste needles in galveston. Ive come out of the water in Corpus and felt like I had bugs crawling n my skin. I have seen white bass catches back home go from boatloads to a handful over the last 30 years, as a result of unlicensed outlaw netting at spawning time. I have seen pristine mountains all over the West (Oregon, WA, CA, MT, ID) with smog rising out of the valleys so bad you couldnt see the other side. Ive seen crystal clear water pouring down a mountain stream in back road wilderness areas with warning signs, alerting people of contamination.

You cant tell me to turn the other way. maybe you need to accomodate the new mentality, which is that we need to take care of what we got.
Cuz If you long enough in your back yard, eventually your kids cant play back there.

[Parker2112]

Funny how some people just don't get that happens sometimes. I guarantee BP didn't intend to have an oil spill.

The only way you can be perfect is to never do anything so you can't possibly make a mistake or have an accident.

FACT: you can damn sure do a better job than those criminally negligent bas s at BP.

[leemajors]

Funny how some people just don't get that happens sometimes. I guarantee BP didn't intend to have an oil spill.

The only way you can be perfect is to never do anything so you can't possibly make a mistake or have an accident.

When you constantly cut corners and cut alarms/warning systems out entirely, you're begging for it.

[Parker2112]

BP is the one operating at massive profits. BP is the one undertaking to drill for oil. the burden is on them, not the public, to do their job competently and diligently.
They didnt do either.

They should have felt that duty right about the time they advised their people that the rig would not stop drilling, even with warning signs all around.

[rjv]

" happens sometimes"

no

Gov Perry said it was an Act of God.

In BP's case, happens a whole of a lot. OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN

perry is probably not even being a right wing christian nut here. he is probably just lobbying for an out for BP, using the term "act of God" in actuarial terms that is.

[Parker2112]

perry is probably not even being a right wing christian nut here. he is probably just lobbying for an out for BP, using the term "act of God" in actuarial terms that is.

Look between the lines...
he is lobbying for a job after White kicks his ass out of the Gov office

[admiralsnackbar]

Look between the lines...
he is lobbying for a job after White kicks his ass out of the Gov office

As unpopular as Perry is, I have a hard time believing White stands a chance after DeLay's gerrymandering.

[MannyIsGod]

The le made me think of Ricky Bobby writing the article.

[DarrinS]

The le made me think of Ricky Bobby writing the article.

Dear 8 pounds 6 ounces... new born infant jesus, don't even know a word yet.

[Yonivore]

Where is all the oil?

Most of the problems experienced by "Gulf Oil Spill Victims" were caused by the Obama administration.

[ChumpDumper]

Where is all the oil?

In the Gulf of Mexico.

Any other questions, genius?

[LnGrrrR]

So, two things I thought of while reading that:

DarrinS, given the facts presented in the article, would you say that President Obama handled this disaster well?

Second, why were so many enviornmental scientists seemingly wrong about this issue? I mean, are they as bad as economists?

[LnGrrrR]

Dear 8 pounds 6 ounces... new born infant jesus, don't even know a word yet.

That's how heavy my kid was born... holy crap! I gave birth to Jesus!

[Wild Cobra]

horse . the public perception alone is going to kill gulf fishing regardless of whether we can trust CC's good ol' fashion common-sense scientific analysis or not. people dont trust fed gov. people dont trust the seafood from the coast. besides that, the supply is bound to dwindle, making it that much worse.

and last, this spill has long term effects that are immeasurable.

the valdez spill killed that community, and remind me how much bigger this one is?

We have been getting tainted seafood off and on for decades.

Nothing new to see here.

[Wild Cobra]

horse . the public perception alone is going to kill gulf fishing regardless of whether we can trust CC's good ol' fashion common-sense scientific analysis or not. people dont trust fed gov. people dont trust the seafood from the coast. besides that, the supply is bound to dwindle, making it that much worse.

That's only because the media hypes stories for gullible people like yourself.

News sells... Disasters sell more news stories...

The more you hype a story, the more people by the papers, magazines, and tabloids.

and last, this spill has long term effects that are immeasurable.

True... a teaspoon in a minimum depth Olympic sized pool would be 19.7 parts per trillion...

Practically immeasurable!

the valdez spill killed that community, and remind me how much bigger this one is?

There is simply no comparison. God, I hate seeing how stupid you young people are, being indoctrinated by the Department of Education's policies...

1) It was close to shore

2) Much or most of it washed up on shore.

3) Chemical reactions take far longer in cold water

4) Oil eating bacteria lives in warm water, not cold.

5) A very small percentage of the Gulf oil spill washed up on shore.

[Wild Cobra]

That's how heavy my kid was born... holy crap! I gave birth to Jesus!

I didn't know you were a woman...

[leemajors]

True... a teaspoon in a minimum depth Olympic sized pool would be 19.7 parts per trillion...

Practically immeasurable!

Whew. Glad it's not a finely balanced ecosystem.