Oil spill releasing toxic chemical

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=134113§ionid=3510203



New data show more than twenty percent of oil spill responders in the Gulf of Mexico are exposed to a hazardous chemical.

"The Valdez-linked chemical 2-butoxyethanol was detected at levels up to 10 parts per million (ppm) in more than 20 percent of offshore responders and 15 percent of those near shore," new test results released by BP have shown, The New York Times reported on Friday.

However, the ceiling set by the United States' National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for the chemical, which created chronic health problems for those who worked on ExxonMobil's Valdez oil clean-up effort in 1989, is five parts per million.

The Valdez oil spill occurred in Alaska's Prince William Sound when the oil tanker Exxon Valdez hit a reef and spilled an estimated 250,000 barrels of crude oil into the sea. Nearly 7,000 of the 11,000 cleanup workers became sick after the incident, some of whom are still suffering health problems 21 years later.

As the new data were released, public health advocates pointed out that BP is "playing with these numbers."

"It suggests to me that there is still, clearly, a serious air-quality concern… [Gulf] air quality, if anything, seems to be deteriorating," Gina Solomon, the senior scientist of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said about 2-butoxyethanol detection.

Meanwhile, efforts are underway to place a new containment cap over the gushing oil well, raising the prospect that 60,000 to 80,000 barrels of oil could be collected daily as early as Monday.

The operation is the latest attempt to contain the spill, which was caused by an oil rig explosion on April 20.

US court rejects halt to drilling

Companies won a temporary reprieve to drill after citing economic losses if the ban stays [AFP]



Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/07/2010793461173536.html


A US appeals court in New Orleans, Louisiana, has rejected a bid by the federal government to stop offshore deepwater oil exploration.

In the ruling on Thursday, which upheld a lower court's decision last month, the court said the government failed to show it would suffer "irreparable injury'' if the ban was lifted.

It said that the administration also "made no showing that there is any likelihood that drilling activities will be resumed pending appeal".

The decision offers a temporary reprieve for 33 oil and natural gas service companies to resume deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

The same appeals court is expected to hear arguments on the merits of the government's moratorium case in late August.

Temporary ban

The government had imposed on new deepwater drilling projects a six-month ban in the wake of the massive BP oil spill in April.

It argued that the order, which bans drilling below 152.5 metres, need to be reinstated in order to investigate the cause of the BP well blowout and ensure other rigs were operating safely.

Companies challenged the ban in court citing financial and economic grounds, and saying there will be thousands of job cuts if the moratorium remains.

Al Jazeera's John Terrett, reporting from Louisiana, said the ruling came dealt a blow to the federal government.

It came as a real surprise and shock for journalists in court when the judges wrapped up the matter less than two hours after final submission, he said.

"[But] this is a temporary victory for Louisiana because the proper appeal begins in August, and this hearing has been about keeping the moratorium open until the appeals process could be heard," our correspondent said.

"In the meantime Ken Salazar, the interior secretary, is busy writing up a second moratorium which he hopes will be watertight and not have the holes picked in it."

The moratorium was first rejected on June 22 by Martin Feldman, a US district judge.

Appeal process

The interior department appealed, asking the appeals court to let the temporary ban stand until it ruled on the merits of the case.

After the moratorium was overturned, Salazar announced he will issue a new, refined moratorium that reflects offshore conditions.

"We continue to believe that it is not appropriate to drill new deepwater wells in the Gulf until we can be assured that future drilling activity can be conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible manner," Kendra Barkoff, an interior department spokeswoman, said after Thursday's ruling.

Catherine Wannamaker, a lawyer for several environmental groups that support the moratorium, said she was disappointed by the ruling but expressed confidence that the Obama administration ultimately will win its appeal.

Wannamaker said it is unclear whether any offshore companies would resume drilling because Thursday's ruling does not resolve the case.

"Clearly, it's legally allowed," she said. "The question is, practically speaking, will anybody do it given the uncertainty? It's hard to know what will happen."

Analysts said the ongoing battle over the ban had produced gridlock for the oil drilling companies.

"Effectively the government's getting what they want by default," Dan Pickering, head of research at Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co, told the Reuters news agency.

"It's too risky for companies to start up the deepwater drilling process when you know the rug could be pulled out from underneath you."