What can the President/Government do about the oil spill?

Seriously, what can we do? Do we hire independent experts and hope they can correct the problem somehow? If we do, who assumes liability for any and all oil that continues to spew into the ocean while we fiddle around trying to fix this disaster? I fear that if the Government steps in, we'll end up with a he said/she said and BP will do everything they can to prevent paying for this calamity. I just don't see a way out of this aside from allowing BP to continue their futile attempts to clean up their frikken mess. However, I'm open to ideas. Anyone?

:shrug:

NOAA’s Oil Spill Response Effort in the Gulf of Mexico



As the nation’s leading scientific resource for oil spills, NOAA has been on the scene of the BP spill from the start, providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services to federal, state and local organizations.

We have mobilized experts from across the agency to help contain the spreading oil spill and protect the Gulf of Mexico’s many marine mammals, sea turtles, fish, shellfish and other endangered marine life.

NOAA spill specialists are advising the U.S. Coast Guard on cleanup options as well as advising all affected federal, state and local partners on sensitive marine resources at risk in this area of the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally:


NOAA is predicting the oil spill’s trajectory and the path of the layers of oil floating on the surface. OR&R experts are conducting aerial surveys to update trajectory maps and visually track the movement of the spill.

NOAA’s National Weather Service is providing regular weather forecasts to a joint federal command center in Louisiana to facilitate operations planning and response efforts.

Experienced marine mammal spotters from NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center are participating in surveillance flights flown by the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations to assess the species and populations that may come in contact with the spill.

NOAA also is using experimental satellite data from our Satellite Analysis Branch to survey the extent of spill-related marine pollution.
As a major partner in the federal response to this evolving incident, NOAA will continue to provide the necessary coastal and marine expertise required for sound, timely decision-making and help protect the affected Gulf Coast communities and coastal marine environment.


Line Office Contributions

NOAA is a vital part of the massive response effort on the Deepwater Horizon incident. Many personnel are on-scene and many more are engaged remotely, as follows:

Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R)


Scientific support to the U.S. Coast Guard and Unified Command

Emergency Response Division (ERD)

Predict where the oil is going and its effects

Overflight observations and mapping

Identify resources at risk

Predict fate (chemical changes) of oil

Recommend appropriate clean-up methods

Manage data and information

Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD)

Plan for assessment of injuries to natural resources

Coordinate with state and federal trustees

Implement sampling plans

http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/topic_subtopic_entry.php?RECORD_KEY(entry_subtopic_topic)=entry_id,subtopic_id,topic_id&entry_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=811&subtopic_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=2&topic_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=1

currently, yes.

and they're right in the middle of everything. I would imagine that the government is doing everything that they can, short of sending in the military. Even then, we have submarines that could take sonar profiles of the oil, but I don't think that they have any different mini-subs than are currently in use.

Where are people like the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute? Where are the people that have these deep-diving submarines? Can we leverage the Japanese sub that went down to the Marianas Trench to get readings?

there must be something secret down there! Maybe BP is hiding nuclear warheads :evilgrin:

...so accurate coverage of the situation could commence...

a lot. What we can do is monitor the spill and direct action to areas that need it. That process is still in the early stages, but is accelerating.

The technology is in the hands of industry. Nothing will happen overnight. Of that much, at least, I'm certain.

I do wish the media would point out that we're unfortunately at the mercy of the very industry that caused the ongoing catastrophe. :(

Second, start criminal AND civil prosecutions of BP.

Third, stop BP from taking actions that make things worse.

Fourth, pray that a relief well works, and devote all profits from such a well to support cleanup efforts.

Fifth, probably nothing.

I fear that's what would happen if we did the first. I appreciate your ideas. I just think it's a very complex issue.

If I spilled a quart of oil into the gulf in front of a cop I'd be arrested. BP's 30 year record of negligence and lies about oil containment are signs their actions were premeditated negligence. But I would be arrested, while BP is running free.

bankruptcy regardless. So your solution may be the end result. I agree "arrest BP" ... or something like that. ;)

and

A show ... That makes sense! Now, we just need to set the dancing Obama to some music. Hope you don't mind my borrowing him for a while while I snap my fingers to some BB King? ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0fTMRX6MLA

he's all yours - I can't remember where I found him, but he's cute :D

n/t

I remember that we damned him for not doing anything for New Orleans, but now that the shoe's on the other foot, we have no problem with Obama not doing anything???

Obama could have sent in troops (National Guard) very early on to help build sand berms that may have protected the marsh ecosystem from the oil that has now crept it. Obama could also have ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to permit Louisiana to dredge sand from nearby areas to build temporary barrier islands to protect said same marsh ecosystem. The ACoE has dragged their feet granting the permits to allow LA to build these sand berms, but Obama had no problem allowing Salazar to permit drilling contracts without proper licenses and emergency protocol.

That would have been a good start.

he also showed dinners thrown in other people's honor.....

Screw appearances, he should have forced the Army Corps to allow the sand berm

between Katrina and this disaster, no matter how much Republicans wish it were so.

You know, rescue efforts. Also, how the heck does the national guard stop oil? How long does it take to build barriers that you say are being delayed?

Every day there are a few posts like this. Place BP in receivership.

where you've given an answer? Thanks.

I've not seen several threads like this one, personally.

and we need that desperately. Desperately.

Which is a hard enough job without a bunch of people second guessing and undermining him.

What a crock of shit. The only fucking reason this problem isn't solved yet is because the people in charge of solving it are either politically or financially dependent on the outcome.

You want to solve this crisis? Get rid of the politics and money. You remove any financial and political considerations and this could have been dealt with already. There are many experts in the world who have not been called in because it's not politically expedient or affordable.

reinstate regulations dismantled under Cheney/Bush prior to such a disaster.

I'm joking, but that seems to be the sentiment of many here. I think they're probably doing everything they possibly can, under the circumstances.

:(

And BP remains liable for all the expense. It's not that complicated. The water on how that works is being muddied to allow BP to continue to sandbag on an effective cleanup to save money.

Or will there be a long, costly, protracted court fight? I just read that they're considering bankruptcy, that ought to help. :crazy:

But I'm sure they appreciate any support they can get in resisting bringing in the guys who can get the cleanup moving. They are likely to bankrupt no matter what happens. Perhaps I should add seizing their assets to the list of what needs to be done.

Nada. I like the idea of seizing assets, but that would involve cooperation from the courts here and in the UK I'd imagine?

space for the oil it's getting from the new pipe and says a 2nd tanker cannot be brought in until mid-June.

O should also ensure that boom be monitored and fixed when it's no longer working! Or BP will be fined extra for not adhering to its permit.

We need to get the super tankers in and hand the bill to BP.

than anything given the amount of oil. :shrug:

... from insuring a more accurate, trustworthy estimate of the rate and accumulation of spillage, to a much improved cleanup operation. And the Coast Guard should be embedding journalists in their operation to make sure we're getting as much information as possible. Right now, it just seems like the feds are an arm of BP's PR operation, assisting in the stifling of the information flow.

Here's one person's (profane) view on the booming operation to date... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrOYoE-Hrp4