tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29592562909858328042024-03-18T06:07:58.020-07:00Not the AnswerA Surfrider Foundation blog to keep you informed about efforts to lift the federal moratorium on offshore oil drilling.Chad Nelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17020103336319370855noreply@blogger.comBlogger395125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-38331814787357841162012-04-16T15:32:00.001-07:002012-04-16T15:34:09.373-07:00Not the Answer has moved!<a href="http://www.nottheanswer.org/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 144px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qwewtX9x3K4/TbijjiJ37II/AAAAAAAAAWg/nWtcnQZIMIc/s220/NTA_moved.png" alt="" border="0" /></a>Mark Rauscherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13994197014362874603noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-65891598938312734512011-08-05T10:06:00.000-07:002011-08-05T10:15:28.083-07:00Senate Says, "More Oil Please"On July 21, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed S.916, a bill to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953. The stated purpose of the bill is to facilitate oil and gas development on federal lands and waters and <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWeGyW0fcCdd9k9UIz0KnLNtODGzXIPZ-Lbt5-g0ZWTlh-032JmCCYPqfKP1LNizlPhN8qV4V9l1zsx8MgC9fAeiznu4F5w85-YgNMDzBklc9zhE3oD5iMZIE1oCDmggAKOOLcJMhJOvU/s1600/Deepwater+Horizon.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWeGyW0fcCdd9k9UIz0KnLNtODGzXIPZ-Lbt5-g0ZWTlh-032JmCCYPqfKP1LNizlPhN8qV4V9l1zsx8MgC9fAeiznu4F5w85-YgNMDzBklc9zhE3oD5iMZIE1oCDmggAKOOLcJMhJOvU/s320/Deepwater+Horizon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637420912492771090" /></a>"reduce our dependence on foreign oil and gas." The bill would: 1) provide an $850 million subsidy to the oil and gas industry over the next ten years to conduct seismic surveys on the Outer Continental Shelf (“OCS”); 2) phase-out royalty relief for future leases; and 3) strengthen support for an Alaskan pipeline to carry natural gas to the lower 48 states.<br /><br />It is unclear how the government subsidy for seismic surveys will further the stated purpose of the bill. The industry has not, in the past, seemed reticent to fund and carry out the surveys themselves. There does not seem to be any reason for the government (i.e. taxpayers) to absorb costs that are willingly borne by the industry. <br /><br />Phasing out the royalty-relief program for OCS leases is a more logical policy. <a href="http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/224/royalty-relief.html">Royalty relief</a> , initiated in 1995, allows oil and gas companies to delay royalty payments on their leases until certain production quotas have been met. The program was originally designed to encourage domestic energy production at a time when oil prices were low. Although the program made little sense even then, it makes no sense now, when oil prices are at record-highs. Given the current state of the federal government’s finances, getting rid of royalty relief and pocketing the increased royalties seems like good policy. However, there are two possible downsides to this scheme that also apply to royalties generally. First, the prospect of increased revenue may make the federal government more eager to grant leases, and less concerned with its proper regulatory function. Second, the scheme makes offshore drilling a larger and steadier source of revenue for the government, and may make the government less apt to focus on renewables.<br /><br />The final major topic of the bill is a natural gas pipeline between the North Slope of Alaska and the Midwest. The bill increases the federal loan guarantee for a pipeline from $18 million to $30 million and secures a right of way through Denali National Park. Besides the obvious problems inherent in constructing a massive infrastructure project through a pristine wilderness area, there are also concerns that the pipeline will lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel, but the natural gas transported in this pipeline <a href="http://www.arcticgas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/11-06-crs-alaska-gas-pipeline.pdf">may be diverted</a> to Alberta and used to power extraction of the dirtiest fossil fuel—tar sands oil. Over its life cycle, tar sands oil leads to <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=coming-to-america-tar-sands-from-canada">10-45% more greenhouse gas emissions</a> than conventional crude.<br /><br />The same day it passed S.916, the Senate Committee failed to pass S.917, a bill originally designed to make offshore drilling safer. Disputes over S.917 arose over its revenue sharing provisions. The Committee could not come to an agreement on whether and to what extent adjoining coastal states should be entitled to OCS royalties. One potential problem with states sharing the revenue is that they would then push for more offshore drilling. Under the OCSLA, states are entitled to participate in drilling planning and policy.<br /><br />by Natasha BhushanAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13144424860511960040noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-24743331695534313832011-07-28T08:26:00.000-07:002011-07-28T08:31:08.363-07:00CNN Ireporter Coverage of Surfrider's Recent Dive for Oil off of Gulf CoastSurfrider's Emerald Coast Chapter participated in a joint effort scuba assessments on July 12th 2011. The Florida panhandle shallow seafloor sediment shows signs of the possible presence of dispersed oil.<br /><br /><br />A team of research divers scoured the Florida panhandle looking for signs of BP oil. What they did find was a desolate seafloor, with few signs of life. The sand should be tan or white and look like a desert floor with ripples and ridges of tan sand.<br /><br />Marine life should be attracted to the disturbance of bottom sediments, with small fish darting into the cloud of silt and crabs scurrying away to bury themselves in hiding. Rays and starfish should be abundant. What they filmed was a scene of dark desolate bottom sediment where dark sediment ejected from the animal burrows sat in piles of contrasting colors. Could it be due to contamination from the BP oil spill?<br /><br />One of the divers who has been researching the DWH disaster for the past year was alarmed by the lack of living things in the northwest Florida waters. Another diver, an environmental scientist, was shocked by the absence of bait fish during the 6 dives. As the dives progressed from east to west, the sediment conditions deteriorated considerably.<br /><br />The sediment samples have been sent to a certified lab for chemical analysis and results will be back within a month. That's when we will know definitely what is lurking off the shores of the Florida panhandle.<br /> <br /><br />In the meantime, ask your local representatives why BP isn't doing this kind of research to assure safety for the children and animals along the Gulf coast.<br /><br /><a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-637109">http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-637109</a><br /><br />Additional in response to this effort the USCG, FEMA and BP finally met yesterday in Pensacola, to discuss the possibility of oil hitting our shores during a hurricane or major storm.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wkrg.com/gulf_oil_spill/article/wyyyy/1208524/Jul-27-2011_11-36-pm/">http://www.wkrg.com/gulf_oil_spill/article/wyyyy/1208524/Jul-27-2011_11-36-pm/</a>Surfrider Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208605261693967386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-48002766394842239112011-04-27T10:06:00.000-07:002011-04-27T10:10:49.572-07:00Not the Answer Has Moved!<a href="http://www.nottheanswer.org">Not the Answer</a> has moved to a new Location. Please visit us at <a href="http://www.nottheanswer.org">http://www.nottheanswer.org</a> for all the latest.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nottheanswer.org"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 230px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pg6WY_yCsAo/TbhNyMCepMI/AAAAAAAAAVc/yiwTQLfCnAA/s400/NTA%2Bscreen%2Bshot.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600311661255632066" border="0" /></a>Mark Rauscherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13994197014362874603noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-78702043600813712162011-04-12T15:50:00.000-07:002011-04-12T16:04:39.219-07:00Environmental Groups Oppose Bad Offshore Drilling BillsToday Surfrider Foundation and 48 other environmental organizations submitted a letter to Chairman Doc Hastings and Member Edward Markey of the Natural Resources Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, opposing H.R.1229, the Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act; H.R.1230, the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act; and H.R.1231, the Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act. Here is the text of that letter:<br /><br />Dear Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member Markey:<br /><br />On behalf of our millions of members we are writing in opposition to H.R.1229, the Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act; H.R.1230, the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act; and H.R.1231, the Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act. At a time when Congress should be addressing the systemic failures that led to the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, these pieces of legislation irresponsibly accelerate the very processes that led to the largest environmental disaster in our nation’s history, short‐cutting environmental safeguards and putting workers and coastal communities at greater risk.<br /><br />Oil spills like the BP Gulf oil disaster not only threaten ocean and coastal ecosystems, but the economies and communities that rely on them. Hundreds of thousands of jobs in fisheries, tourism, and recreation rely on healthy coastal and marine environments. In the Gulf alone, fishing and tourism bring $57 billion in sales and support over 830,000 jobs.<br /><br />The bi‐partisan National Oil Spill Commission called for systemic reform in the oversight and environmental regulation of our oil and gas development process, saying that industry and political pressure had led to production being prioritized over protection of human health and the environment. Yet, each of these three bills irresponsibly prioritizes development and production at the cost of safety, science and the environment.<br /><br />These pieces of legislation force decisions on drilling permits on arbitrary deadlines, and further undermine regulatory oversight. They eliminate meaningful analyses of potential environmental consequences, and force decisions based on production goals, rather than on science and the careful consideration of potential risks.<br /><br />H.R. 1229 forces Secretarial consideration of drilling permits on a rushed and arbitrary timeline, and would automatically grant approval of permits if the Secretary fails to meet the deadline. H.R. 1230 denies the Department of the Interior the opportunity to conduct thorough and site specific environmental analyses and denies the public an opportunity to participate by forcing lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Coast of Virginia on a rushed timeline.<br /><br />H.R. 1231 would force Interior to offer for lease sweeping areas of the outer continental shelf off the east and west coast, in the Arctic and Bristol Bay. It would require a doubling of current production without regard for other ocean values. This would not only open up vast new areas to oil and gas drilling without proper analysis of environmental risks, but again would incentivize production over safety. HR 1231 would also force taxpayers to foot half the bill for certain oil and gas exploration costs.<br /><br />In our current fiscal climate, oil and gas companies, some of the richest corporations on the planet, do not need yet another subsidy. There are better ways to provide stability for consumers and cut our nation’s oil dependence. Despite claims to the contrary, more ocean drilling will not lead to lower gas prices. The only real solution to protect consumers from high and volatile gas prices is to reduce our oil dependency through more efficient cars and trucks, clean fuels, and transportation choices such as commuter rail.<br /><br />By 2030, efficiency and other oil savings measures can save a total of 8 times more oil than opening new areas to drilling off America’s shores or in protected sensitive areas. Furthermore, ending tax loopholes and government handouts for Big Oil, and investing one cent per dollar of oil companies profit into ultraclean vehicle research and development, could help lower oil demand and reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.<br /><br />A year after the BP Gulf oil disaster, oil is still coming ashore. There is much work to do to restore the Gulf of Mexico and ensure that the jobs and economies that depend on a healthy ecosystem are sustained. These bills not only fail to address the lessons learned from the BP disaster, they double down on the strategies and flawed approach that led to the disaster in the first place. Instead, Congress should be working to implement the recommendations of the National Oil Spill Commission; ensure full restoration of the Gulf of Mexico; and promote a clean energy strategy to reduce oil demand.Rick Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622667241503481374noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-46909101248994922182011-04-01T17:10:00.001-07:002011-04-01T17:30:56.160-07:00My Congress Went Drilling And All I Got Was A Lousy 3¢<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwcNcsuMom2ejshPTDMTsjaRmFkx30-0HcDY-tHWYBLOtKwRXHSQRbLZJaIniRwzlbZhtPX1_oXkZZECCWoUuJPn98fetI4EgbH806Vykq-WlVX1eVXXfo8Ks95J5-Y7BC58O3YIMi1Zo/s1600/3CENTS.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwcNcsuMom2ejshPTDMTsjaRmFkx30-0HcDY-tHWYBLOtKwRXHSQRbLZJaIniRwzlbZhtPX1_oXkZZECCWoUuJPn98fetI4EgbH806Vykq-WlVX1eVXXfo8Ks95J5-Y7BC58O3YIMi1Zo/s400/3CENTS.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590772149763906018" border="0" /></a><br />Summer is approaching and gas prices are climbing towards (and in some cases over) $4 per gallon. Must be time for the renewed calls for more domestic oil drilling. The problem is that domestic drilling will not reduce the price at the pump. Actually, that is a lie. It will reduce the price at the pump by $0.03 per gallon - yes, you read that right - 3¢ per gallon.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5VX0fckVeeLQQjQ6GKqZcylDt50O2Z2rSgyuVGb_ehoxgZyQ4AcyqkN79Ec8cRs0vfLfnF7C36OQKZYvpe9pWR8L3rE9HKrLGnXskyxnkS57KhwYPRJj8npH6YVrKmzuW13BAx1UGAYk/s1600/3CENTS_TEXT.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5VX0fckVeeLQQjQ6GKqZcylDt50O2Z2rSgyuVGb_ehoxgZyQ4AcyqkN79Ec8cRs0vfLfnF7C36OQKZYvpe9pWR8L3rE9HKrLGnXskyxnkS57KhwYPRJj8npH6YVrKmzuW13BAx1UGAYk/s400/3CENTS_TEXT.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590772339717775058" border="0" /></a><br />According to the US Energy Information Administration, if we drill ALL of our accessible oil in the Outer Continental Shelf, it will reduce the price at the pump by 3¢ per gallon by 2030. So in 19 years you'll reap the 3¢ per gallon benefit at the gas station. You can read the report <a href="http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/aeo/otheranalysis/aeo_2009analysispapers/aongr.html">here</a>.<br /><br />You can also read a more detailed and eloquent discussion on high oil and gasoline prices by Senator Jeff Bingaman who chairs the US Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources <a href="http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=262810b2-adf1-4929-9d3c-1376fa7f26f5&Month=3&Year=2011&Party=0">here</a>.Chad Nelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17020103336319370855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-8318113488430991512011-03-30T15:28:00.000-07:002011-03-30T15:48:25.776-07:00New Bills Introduced to Expand Offshore Drilling<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Xu9G1jw_CC9BC0-DxInTOEopah2oba1o-lmWzqYjQSVO-w2BlA7HtevfWd-R29JrJlJFK8RdZvNa80QrBuGRkyHeCdVNWVnOcxmeC1JZLyaISckQWPEgbmUnycHwMNQrP372Xfr6Z3c/s1600/oil_rig.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Xu9G1jw_CC9BC0-DxInTOEopah2oba1o-lmWzqYjQSVO-w2BlA7HtevfWd-R29JrJlJFK8RdZvNa80QrBuGRkyHeCdVNWVnOcxmeC1JZLyaISckQWPEgbmUnycHwMNQrP372Xfr6Z3c/s200/oil_rig.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590008519507010402" /></a>On March 29, three different bills were introduced in Congress by Rep. Doc Hastings (WA) that would expand offshore drilling in the United States. These include the <span style="font-style:italic;">Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act</span> which would overturn Obama's recent decision to protect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska's Bristol Bay from drilling through 2017 <br /><br />If you haven't already, please participate in Surfrider's <a href="http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3114">Action Alert</a> in support of the No New Drilling Act and forward to others in your network. This is the easiest way to communicate to your federal representative that you oppose new drilling off our coasts. <br /><br />There is also a <a href="http://ocs5yeareis.anl.gov/involve/comments/index.cfm">public comment opportunity</a> open through March 31 on the 2012-2017 OCS Oil & Gas Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) scoping process. Surfrider is submitting comments as an organization, but we encourage individuals to do so, as well. See suggested talking points below.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Suggested Talking Points</span>: <br />1. We support the Obama Administration’s recent decision to defer new offshore drilling in the Atlantic, Pacific, near Florida’s Gulf Coast, and in Alaska’s Bristol Bay until at least 2017. It’s critical we protect areas that have not been exposed to the risky practice of drilling--not only for the sake of the environment, but also to protect our economy from potential spills.<br />2. The Oil Spill Commission and the Obama administration have worked to ensure the oil industry is safer and more environmentally sensitive. We greatly appreciate these efforts, and we want to stress that the safest drilling is no drilling. We should work to protect our coasts permanently by reducing our oil dependence while transitioning to sustainable forms of energy.<br />3. Please consider not approving new leases in the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic until after Congress adopts the recommendations of the Oil Spill Commission (see above for important points). <br />4. For future oil exploration, please consider the harmful environmental impacts of seismic surveying; and equally consider alternatives to seismic testing that will exist in the near futurePete Staufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242531957398887771noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-26517393986251981232011-03-17T05:39:00.000-07:002011-03-17T05:40:48.633-07:00Top House Republican to offer drilling billBy Andrew Restuccia - 03/16/11 12:33 PM ET<br /><br />House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) said Wednesday he will introduce energy legislation to speed up oil-and-gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and open other offshore regions to drilling as well.<br /><br />Hastings held a hearing Wednesday on the Obama administration’s offshore drilling policies. It’s the first in a series of hearings on offshore drilling and gas prices -- issues that have moved up on the Capitol Hill agenda as turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa have driven up energy costs.<br /><br />“Let me state very clearly that these hearings will lead to action by this Committee,” Hastings said. “As Chairman, I intend to introduce legislation to put the Gulf of Mexico back to work – and I intend to advance that legislation through this Committee. The Obama Administration seems unmoved by thousands of lost jobs, rapidly rising gasoline prices, and the threat these high prices pose to our economy – but this Committee will not sit idly by.”<br />While Hastings' comment is light on details, it nonetheless signifies that he is readying a legislative push after spending weeks deflecting questions about his specific plans.<br /><br />To read more <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/150003-top-house-republican-to-introduce-drilling-bill">click here</a>Surfrider Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208605261693967386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-34072183425230692772011-03-15T17:20:00.000-07:002011-03-15T17:28:27.792-07:00Who Has the Oil?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87hgNswE7pEuC3kyDer1hwQcvv2CkVW84ADRSPqASk5GphWpH2nvqtKq8gpdYGyD7pNdIhFIbBOW73AV5ldB0ThHTbpmSRJA34lr6gLuVFW-6mo8eQgesYzFpSyQXGSpCAHlRlFm5Ei8/s1600/who-has-the-oil.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87hgNswE7pEuC3kyDer1hwQcvv2CkVW84ADRSPqASk5GphWpH2nvqtKq8gpdYGyD7pNdIhFIbBOW73AV5ldB0ThHTbpmSRJA34lr6gLuVFW-6mo8eQgesYzFpSyQXGSpCAHlRlFm5Ei8/s320/who-has-the-oil.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584466387087548210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This graphic (click on it to expand) is from an article <a href="http://www.frumforum.com/the-gops-oil-drilling-pipe-dream">The GOP’s Oil Drilling Pipe Dream</a> appearing in Frum Forum. The article states: "The notion that the U.S., which sits atop less than 3 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves, can drill enough oil to drive down prices if the flow is interrupted from a region with 64 percent of the world’s reserves is a pipedream."Rick Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00622667241503481374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-15508600667241585812011-03-01T12:58:00.000-08:002011-03-01T13:11:31.067-08:00Surfrider Activist Witnesses Baby Dolphin Deaths.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0SyTBWnZop3PvPjg687mHngnf6ThtzNsDJmagjIWMHTty0aMYqi2wFKT7nNjz_OwrYhE2E_3hn_MkiIcWUSG_u-NbQd2VQ0r-c4MZxBrijT3vL90KqTpmlvd0Hp6rG3_hnVFNXfAl8w/s1600/dead+dolphin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0SyTBWnZop3PvPjg687mHngnf6ThtzNsDJmagjIWMHTty0aMYqi2wFKT7nNjz_OwrYhE2E_3hn_MkiIcWUSG_u-NbQd2VQ0r-c4MZxBrijT3vL90KqTpmlvd0Hp6rG3_hnVFNXfAl8w/s1600/dead+dolphin.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Chuck Barnes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Surfrider Foundation predicted there would be long-term ecological impacts from the BP spill. We wrote an article last fall predicting what would happen, but we had no idea there would be such a high rate of mortality among marine life <i>several months after the spill. </i> By now, we have all heard about dead baby dolphins washing up along the Gulf <b>at ten times the normal rate.</b> Scientists say the gestation period for dolphins is 11 months, meaning calves born now would have been exposed to oil and dispersants during the spill and while in the womb. <br />
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Apparently the federal government is testing the dead animals to determine the cause of death, and the results will be made public in a few weeks. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/02/24/gulf.dolphins/index.html?hpt=C2">Here</a> is a video and article about the deaths. <br />
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One of our "on the ground activists", Chuck, <a href="http://whatsupwiththegulf.blogspot.com/2011/03/particularly-deadly-night-on-perdido.html">runs a blog</a> about what is happening the Gulf post spill. He recently posted some pictures he took. It is absolutely heartbreaking...however, we thank Chuck for being vigilant and documenting what is happening in the Gulf.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-1185183327781872252011-02-24T04:56:00.000-08:002011-02-24T05:08:19.970-08:00Spike in baby dolphins deaths in the Gulf<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="499" height="311" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ybFeuSNszSg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Baby dolphins, some barely three feet in length, are washing up along the Mississippi and Alabama shorelines at about 10 times the normal number for the first two months of the year, researchers are finding.<br /><br />As now February 17th, seventeen young dolphins, either aborted before they reached maturity or dead soon after birth, have been collected on the coasts of the states in the past two weeks, both on the barrier islands and mainland beaches.<br /><br />This is the first birthing season for dolphins since the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico; however, Moby Solangi, director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, said it’s too early to tell why they died.<br /><br />Today the count is up to 24 stillborn or infant calves that have washed ashore in the two states.<br /><br />What’s happening here falls under the formal designation of an Unusual Mortality Event, which requires special scrutiny by a panel of scientists and experts, and gives high priority to samples collected.<br /><br />But scientists caution about jumping to conclusions because a number of factors can cause dolphin deaths.<br /><br />We'll be keep our eye on this story as it develops. Stay tuned.<br /><br />Read more:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sunherald.com/2011/02/21/2881379/sunherald-tv-17-dead-baby-dolphins.html#ixzz1Esfah49V">17 Dead Baby Dolphins found in Gulf waters</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sunherald.com/2011/02/21/v-print/2881674/spike-reported-in-number-of-stillborn.html">Spike Reported in number of stillborn dolphins on coast</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sunherald.com/2011/02/21/v-print/2881134/baby-dolphin-deaths-spike-on-gulf.html">Fourth baby dolphin found dead on Horn Island</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sunherald.com/2011/02/23/2889379/baby-dolphin-deaths-get-feds-attention.html">Baby Dolphin Deaths get fed's attention</a>Chad Nelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17020103336319370855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-82154944532267230612011-02-23T18:56:00.000-08:002011-02-23T19:26:26.617-08:00Federal Legislation Update<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljv8iFG0uYHzZd6mV323fIF-9u3JC7O6ZaCd0O9DGLXxCwOwHubNX00GaRXGhyphenhyphenfnFCH3OIINS4fPvWeEj8yYpbPHw-0gHBsrZBkNWUET36mUS_SDbI-xye7eXjNA6bMeaEi6arX3Kfik/s1600/DC_Capitol.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljv8iFG0uYHzZd6mV323fIF-9u3JC7O6ZaCd0O9DGLXxCwOwHubNX00GaRXGhyphenhyphenfnFCH3OIINS4fPvWeEj8yYpbPHw-0gHBsrZBkNWUET36mUS_SDbI-xye7eXjNA6bMeaEi6arX3Kfik/s200/DC_Capitol.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577092195829845186" /></a>A number of bills have been introduced in Congress this session that would restrict or ban new offshore drilling or improve the regulation, safety, and oversight of drilling activities.<br /><br />The strongest of these is the <span style="font-weight:bold;">NO NEW DRILLING ACT (HR 261)</span>, which would ban all new offshore drilling in the United States. For more info on HR 261 and to participate in the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Action Alert</span>, please <a href="http://oilonthebeach.blogspot.com/2011/01/support-no-new-drilling-act.html">click here</a>.<br /><br />Some additional bills on offshore drilling are summarized below. We encourage you to <span style="font-weight:bold;">call your congressman</span> to ask him/ her to support the No New Drilling Act and other bills that will protect our coasts from offshore drilling.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">WEST COAST OCEAN PROTECTION ACT (H.R. 612)</span><br />Representative Garamendi (D-CA) introduced the West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2011 (H.R. 612) to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permanently prohibit the conduct of offshore drilling on the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OIL SPILL COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS ACT (H.R. 501)</span><br />Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) introduced H.R. 501 to provide for the implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. The bill also includes elements from the oil spill response bill that the House passed in July of 2010. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">NORTHERN CALIFORNIA OCEAN & COASTAL PROTECTION ACT (HR 204)</span><br />Congressman Mike Thompson (D-North Coast) reintroduced legislation that would permanently prohibit oil and gas drilling off the coasts of Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties to protect the unique and dynamic marine environment along the northern coast of California. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">BIG OIL BAILOUT PREVENTION ACT (HR 492)</span><br />Representative Holt (D-NJ) introduced the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act of 2011 (H.R. 492) to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to require responsible parties to pay the full cost of offshore oil spills, and for other purposes. (1/26/11). Senator Menendez (D-NJ) introduced a similar version in the Senate: Big Oil Bailout Prevention Unlimited Liability Act of 2011 (S. 214)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">BIG OIL BAILOUT PREVENTION TRUST FUND ACT (S 215)</span><br />Senator Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Trust Fund Act of 2011 (S. 215) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require oil polluters to pay the full cost of oil spills, and for other purposes. (1/27/11).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">RESOURCES OF OIL SPILL RESEARCH & PREVENTION ACT (S. 204)</span><br />Senator Begich (D-AK) introduced the Resources of Oil Spill Research and Prevention Act (S. 204) to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to permit funds in the Oil Spill Liability Trust to be used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Coast Guard, and other Federal agencies for certain research, prevention, and response capabilities with respect to discharges of oil, for environmental studies, and for grant programs to communities affected by oil spills on the outer Continental Shelf, and to provide funding for such uses and for other purposes.Pete Staufferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242531957398887771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-15169887224964264622011-02-22T11:31:00.000-08:002011-02-22T11:40:55.894-08:00Lot of Talk, Little Action in Coastal Oil Spill Cleanup<object width="420" height="236"><param name="movie" value="http://www.wkrg.com/news/video_external/lot-of-talk-little-action-in-coastal-cleanup/1204965/"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"></param><embed src="http://www.wkrg.com/news/video_external/lot-of-talk-little-action-in-coastal-cleanup/1204965/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="always" allowNetworking="all" width="420" height="236" ></embed></object><br><a href="http://www.wkrg.com/" title="Alabama Mobile News">WKRG.com News</a><br /><br />More frustration on the gulf coast tonight as we have few answers about what coastal communities see as major issues in their recovery from the BP oil spill. There were a lot of high hopes for a work session but in the end it seems like there are only more frustrations.<br /><br />Part of a tar mat taken out of the surf of West Beach lies on the front table of the council chambers in Orange Beach. It is what so many are concerned with along the gulf coast.<br /><br />Federal incident commander and Coast Guard Captain James Hanzalik has seen it before. "I've been doing oil spills for 25 years. It's not surprising that you may see something like this especially the large volume of oil that was spilled. It's historic."<br /><br />It's one of the issues that state and local leaders from Alabama and Florida hoped would be addressed during a working session with Coast Guard and BP officials according to Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon. "Tar mats, they looked at me like a deer in the headlights. They did not acknowledge there was any tar mats out there. They told me to call them if I found one."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wkrg.com/gulf_oil_spill/article/lot-of-talk-little-action-in-coastal-cleanup/1204965/Feb-21-2011_7-36-pm">Read more...</a>Chad Nelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17020103336319370855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-60060338288266290432011-02-09T12:41:00.000-08:002011-02-09T12:41:58.040-08:00The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) to Hold Hearings on New Leasing Plan.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsMaNtTAY1FiLhrL9TGvv_AstAbMIgQIHujmTfYEIRd8zLz1HBG1w-suyxPZI2YHO-8yDkzPkAxr2GgFPJcfg4lcnyeu-8FdTizqSQHN_uqP_tfBLKtjl3NrDDb1IqATgLdg_w5N_Ud4/s1600/oil+rig+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsMaNtTAY1FiLhrL9TGvv_AstAbMIgQIHujmTfYEIRd8zLz1HBG1w-suyxPZI2YHO-8yDkzPkAxr2GgFPJcfg4lcnyeu-8FdTizqSQHN_uqP_tfBLKtjl3NrDDb1IqATgLdg_w5N_Ud4/s1600/oil+rig+.jpg" /></a></div><!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoPlainText">BOEMRE (the agency responsible for making decisions about offshore oil drilling) will be holding public meetings around the country in coming weeks to take public comment on the next "5-year plan" in which they will analyze new drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Arctic Ocean.</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText">Fortunately, on Dec 1 2010, the Obama Administration announced a deferment on new offshore drilling in the Atlantic, Pacific, near Florida<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">'</span>s Gulf Coast, and in Alaska<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span>s Bristol Bay until at least 2017.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText">The upcoming meetings are chances to tell BOEMRE <i>we support the Administration's decision to defer drilling; and that no new leases for drilling </i><u><i>anywhere</i></u><i> should be granted until after the recommendations of the Oil Spill Commission are adopted by Congress. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the more important recommendations from the Commission report include:</div><div class="MsoPlainText"></div><ul><li>Requiring better emergency response plans for offshore drilling operations</li>
<li>A stronger regulatory structure is in place to avoid spills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Ensuring science is used in decision-making about offshore leasing and allowing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>chief scientists within the Interior Department to oversee leasing decisions</li>
<li>Lengthening the time for review of drilling applications to allow for more thorough assessment of the potential environmental and safety risks of the project.</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><u><b> </b></u></o:p><u><b>Below are some sample talking points you can include into your testimony:</b></u></div><div class="MsoPlainText"></div><ol><li>We support the Obama Administration<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span>s recent decision to defer new offshore drilling in the Atlantic, Pacific, near Florida<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span>s Gulf Coast, and in Alaska<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span>s Bristol Bay until at least 2017.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span>s critical we protect areas that have not been exposed to the risky practice of drilling<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--</span>not only for the sake of the environment, but also to protect our economy from potential spills.</li>
<li>The Oil Spill Commission and the Obama administration have worked to ensure the oil industry is safer and more environmentally sensitive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We greatly appreciate these efforts, and we want to stress that the safest drilling is no drilling. We should work to protect our coasts permanently by reducing our oil dependence while transitioning to sustainable forms of energy.</li>
<li>Please consider not approving new leases in the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic until after Congress adopts the recommendations of the Oil Spill Commission (see above for important points).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>For future oil exploration, please consider the harmful environmental impacts of seismic surveying; and equally consider alternatives to seismic testing that will exist in the near future.</li>
<li>We want to thank the Administration, Department of Interior, the Oil Spill Commission, and BOEMRE for working to protect our oceans and coasts from devastating impacts of offshore oil drilling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We applaud your efforts to hold the oil and gas industry to higher standards in hopes of preventing another destructive spill like we witnessed with the BP Deepwater Horizon.</li>
</ol><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText"><u><b>Below is a list of meetings near your neighborhood:</b></u></div><div class="MsoPlainText"></div><ul><li>Monday, February 14, 2011 at 7:00 pm- Kotzebue Middle-High School, 744 Third Avenue, Kotzebue, Alaska.</li>
<li>Tuesday, February 15, 2011 at 1:00 pm- Houston Airport Marriott at George Bush International, 18700 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Houston, Texas</li>
<li>Tuesday, February 15, 2011 at 7:00 pm: Point Hope School Library, Point Hope, Alaska</li>
<li>Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at 1:00 pm: New Orleans Airport Hilton, 901 Airline Dr., Kenner, Louisiana, </li>
<li>Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at 7:00 pm: Point Lay Community Center, Point Lay, Alaska</li>
<li>Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 1:00pm: Five Rivers-Alabama’s Delta Resource Center, 30945 Five Rivers Blvd., Spanish Fort, Alabama</li>
<li>Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 7:00pm: Alak School Library, Wainwright, Alaska</li>
<li>Monday, February 21, 2011 at 7:00 pm: Inupiat Heritage Center, Barrow, Alaska</li>
<li>Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 7:00 pm: Nuiqsut Community Center, Nuiqsut, Alaska</li>
<li>Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 7:00 pm: Kaktovik Community Center, Kaktovik, Alaska</li>
<li>Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 1:00 pm: Washington Dulles Airport Marriott, 45020 Aviation Dr., Dulles, Virginia.</li>
<li>Friday, February 25, 2011 at 7:00 pm: BOEMRE Alaska Region Office, 3801 Centerpoint Dr., Anchorage, Alaska</li>
</ul>If you would like additional help with talking points, please email Stefanie at: Ssekich@surfrider.org<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-83603878963559985302011-01-25T13:42:00.000-08:002011-01-25T13:57:01.021-08:00Support the No New Drilling Act!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRe8hgEf6opuW68lMum-kxT7M5tjb799oRJJhg118n_J6CC61WAm_NvSjEUiyHH8am5XiLhgUDlsPbGuRIlRp-o3yxDrmLCDWHUso__2Plk4jbKdXCRfmxfBIusgw81IfuFe5K2-xCDj4P/s1600/crowded_surfline_1_ss.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRe8hgEf6opuW68lMum-kxT7M5tjb799oRJJhg118n_J6CC61WAm_NvSjEUiyHH8am5XiLhgUDlsPbGuRIlRp-o3yxDrmLCDWHUso__2Plk4jbKdXCRfmxfBIusgw81IfuFe5K2-xCDj4P/s320/crowded_surfline_1_ss.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566245377120197730" /></a>Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ) has reintroduced the <a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-261">No New Drilling Act</a> (HR 261) which would prohibit new offshore exploration, development, or production of oil and gas. The proposed legislation is currently the ONLY bill in Congress that would ban all new offshore drilling in the United States. <br /><br />Despite the tragic lessons of the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the No New Drilling Act currently has only modest support in the House with a total of five co-sponsors. If you haven’t already, please participate in the <a href="http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3114">action alert</a> to ask your representatives to protect our oceans and coasts from drilling! Please also <a href="http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt">call your congressman</a> to ask him/ her to co-sponsor the No New Drilling Act. Calling your representative is the most effective way to have your voice heard and to help advance this legislation. <br /><br />Finally, in addition to the No New Drilling Act, there are a number of other bills proposed in Congress that would either strengthen regulations and/ or restrict new drilling activities. Please visit the forum on chapternet for more info and discussion.<br /><br />Thanks for taking action!Surfrider Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208605261693967386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-85194034706325623872011-01-11T14:52:00.000-08:002011-01-11T15:47:04.370-08:00Oil Spill Commission Report Finds Systemic Failure<a href="http://www.oilspillcommission.gov/final-report"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 279px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMC5zeweXnPHrdrFJSvMulwgfqBcJFhTXljJjUHYsJHsHeSew0eJvRj7kuZIwTZzeAa5jZdw4rPf7zxxyyFJGIofB1CBrydrZyAjrHvk2dGKlmrvL2fX95rryRYWVtiGf66ECzDO4CSkQO/s400/Screen+shot+2011-01-11+at+2.50.39+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561065322117691266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.oilspillcommission.gov/">President's Oil Spill Commission</a>, who was charged with determining the cause of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster and making recommendations to guard against future oilspills, released their report today.<br /><br />The report is a scathing indictment of the industry for failing to have adequate response plans in place for rig blow outs and of the government for decades of lax oversight. The report makes it clear that the Deepwater Horizon spill is <span style="font-weight: bold;">not an isolated incident</span>, but the result of a <span style="font-weight: bold;">systemic failure</span> of the management and oversight of the offshore oil drilling industry.<br /><br />Further, the report makes clear current practices put us in dire risk of another spill and calls for serious reform of the governments oversight of the oil industry. The report's conclusions can be summarized in three broad categories: managerial foul-ups, systemic failure and regulatory weakness. The report also suggests that the liability cap for oil spills should be dramatically increased and that most of the mitigation funding for the spill go the Gulf for restoration.<br /><br />A more thorough summary of the recommendations can be found <a href="http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/10/oil-spill-panel-to-urge-tougher-oversight-of-offshore-drilling/?scp=1&sq=oil%20spill%20commission&st=cse">here</a><br /><br />The report makes it clear that Obama's decision to prohibit leases in the continental US is a wise decision and is necessary to avoid another spill of this magnitude along our coasts.<br /><br />See the statement released by <a href="http://www.environmentamerica.org/">Environment America</a> and the Surfrider Foundation <a href="http://www.surfrider.org/files/Spill%20CommisionResponse.pdf">here</a>.<br /><br />More on the Oil Spill Commission and the full report can be found on their official site <a href="http://www.oilspillcommission.gov/">here</a>.<br /><br />More stories on the commission report:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/07/opinion/07fri1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion">Failure in the Gulf</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ogj.com/index/article-display/7741582323/articles/oil-gas-journal/general-interest-2/government/20100/01/spill-panel__more/QP129867/cmpid=EnlDailyJanuary112011.html">Oil and Gas Journal - Spill panel: More government, industry reforms needed</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/01/06/132680706/panel-spreads-blame-for-bp-oil-rig-explosion">Panel Spreads Blame For BP Oil Rig Explosion</a>Chad Nelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17020103336319370855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-41909946498762298942010-12-13T09:05:00.000-08:002010-12-13T09:14:43.699-08:00The Oil Industries Haven't Learned<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJHtSMgOfI-RS5YYOhYM4BJllxdHhvgGMh1iXSS_uYfpGgAjUP9zISmaw8SR_oyL_f0oF17tS3iYICCMsCfUTH6Dcg6r6w2cXzxsIWE1qN4Ds95ZVNT10H0iA8NxMAz38FTsUcHo3fEzp/s1600/oil-barrel.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJHtSMgOfI-RS5YYOhYM4BJllxdHhvgGMh1iXSS_uYfpGgAjUP9zISmaw8SR_oyL_f0oF17tS3iYICCMsCfUTH6Dcg6r6w2cXzxsIWE1qN4Ds95ZVNT10H0iA8NxMAz38FTsUcHo3fEzp/s400/oil-barrel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550216441139523186" border="0" /></a><br /><blockquote>The oil industry, its lobbyists and its Congressional allies are predictably furious at the Obama administration’s decision not to allow exploratory oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic coast. The decision was unquestionably the right one.<br /><br />The industry and its well-paid allies say that delaying drilling will increase America’s dependence on foreign oil. <span style="font-weight: bold;">That ignores a simple truth</span>: <span style="font-weight: bold;">A nation using one-quarter of the world’s oil while controlling only 3 percent of the world’s known reserves cannot drill its way to independence.</span> The estimated 7.5 billion barrels the eastern gulf and Atlantic coast are thought to contain are just about what this country consumes in a year.<br /></blockquote><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/13/opinion/13mon1.html?_r=1&hp">Read more from this excellent NY Times editorial. </a>Chad Nelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17020103336319370855noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-35115514596456442562010-12-12T12:52:00.000-08:002010-12-12T13:00:22.552-08:00Cartoon: Economics of the ban on drilling in VA<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://pilotonline.com/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wfizT5pxrEZvXlQVGmgMHfEWeV4bHoDsDK4vQzgWOO7DwV_dQDhMJWW3IKIwmiXB1-_v71YZJILiL8QhJ7xgKO3Q0zKeLuYkWtp3poAJJCaRnkqaZKFf8Tqhy4c94mF0FDR5dQ6YKtpE/s400/drillingcartoon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549901578614512114" border="0" /></a>Chad Nelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17020103336319370855noreply@blogger.com85tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-39837001201996138382010-12-06T15:48:00.000-08:002010-12-06T15:48:24.277-08:00Attend Stand Lands Commission Hearing and Advocate for the Protection of Santa Monica Bay.<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chevron's Marine Oil Terminal in Santa Monica Bay is up for lease renewal before State Lands Commission. Chevron is asking for a 30-year lease. Concerned citizens, and environmentalists, (including the Surfrider Foundation) have taken a reasonable stance and are advocating the lease terms be shortened from 30 years to 10 years. <b>We are also advocating that California State Lands Commission (“CSLC”) thoroughly evaluate alternatives for this project and properly identify infrastructure and oil terminal technology that would minimize risks (including a massive oil spill).</b> </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An oil spill in Santa Monica Bay is un-mitigatable and would be disastrous to the marine environment, the citizens who live and recreate on Los Angeles County beaches, our local economy and tourism, water quality, and the health of marine life. According to the DEIR, “there is a reasonable possibility that operation of the Marine Terminal offshore loading facilities during the 30-year lease period will cause an oil spill.” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Due to the large risk involved with operating a Marine Terminal in Santa Monica Bay this project and its associated EIR should research environmentally superior alternatives as “such an oil spill could significantly affect the physical and biological environments” of Santa Monica Bay. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We have already seen the catastrophic effects of an oil spill earlier this year in the Gulf of Mexico – oil spills happen frequently, and Chevron’s Marine Terminal does not have a perfect record. We cannot underscore the real risk of an oil spill in Santa Monica Bay, and how important it is for the California State Lands Commission (“CSLC”) to thoroughly evaluate alternatives for this project and properly identify infrastructure and oil terminal technology that would minimize the risks.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A shorter lease would allow Chevron to update their oil spill prevention and response plans after lessons have been learned and evaluated from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In addition, a shorter lease term would also give the CSLC, Chevron, and NOAA the opportunity to better evaluate trends in vessel calls to the Marine Terminal, as well as the environmental impact of any increase in vessel traffic at the Terminal and Santa Monica Bay, especially the impact on marine mammals. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Join us on Dec 10 in asking for a shortened lease. </u></b></span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The meeting starts at 10:00 AM and the item is #47. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.slc.ca.gov/Meeting_Summaries/12-10-10/Agenda.pdf</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">DEC 10, FRIDAY</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PORT OF SAN DIEGO </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BOARD ROOM – 1ST FLOOR </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3165 PACIFIC HIGHWAY </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92101</span></div><!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-11491513760663186572010-12-06T14:48:00.000-08:002010-12-06T14:50:12.618-08:00"All Hands on Deck" Pick up the Phone for the Gulf - Tuesday, December 7<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Congress is now back in session. But, will they act for a healthy Gulf?</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next Tuesday, December 7th, please make a call to tell Congress that the Gulf needs a Regional Citizens' Advisory Council to help prevent future disasters and that Clean Water Act fines paid by BP should go towards restoring the coast.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We need all hands on deck for Gulf Coast recovery. Pick up your phone and make a call to your legislator!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The United States Capitol switchboard (202) 224-3121</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who is your Senator?</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Go </span><a href="http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who is your Congressperson?</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Go </span><a href="http://whoismyrepresentative.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What should you say?<o:p></o:p></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ask to speak with your Representative/Senator. They should transfer you to their office, and if they are not available, just leave a message with the operator or secretary. Then you can use the talking points below.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* Hello! My name is ________________, and I'm calling to ask (Representative/Senator)_ to make a commitment to the Gulf.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* The BP Drilling Disaster spewed 180 million gallons of oil and tons of toxic dispersant into the Gulf of Mexico and much of it is still out there. This disaster is severely impacting the jobs, lives, and futures of millions of Gulf Coast residents.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* In response to the disaster, I urge you to support the creation of a local Citizen's Advisory Council that will give Gulf citizens a voice in making sure the oil industry does not repeat the mistakes that lead to BP's Drilling Disaster.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* Also, please hold BP accountable for their violation of the Clean Water Act and guarantee that the penalties are used to fund restoration efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* It will be a long road to restoration, and the government needs to stay focused on the disaster and environmental impacts that are just beginning to play out. It is the only way to ensure that the people and places affected by the disaster are made whole again. Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzAaSSUlHTY1AOx6C8zDMd48xp2DIb2bqsb3m4usVNoF0rR18IGhZhCrrZHWQHEXhFuVYZ_oMGSTtK5puukvORSPHsMTEYFrZZDYo9O-DpQ26YoXKC6zjEVF_r2G1kZXLoY2Yo8Aw6qy4/s1600/11475-workers-shovel-oil-from-the-bp-oil-spill-which-made-landfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzAaSSUlHTY1AOx6C8zDMd48xp2DIb2bqsb3m4usVNoF0rR18IGhZhCrrZHWQHEXhFuVYZ_oMGSTtK5puukvORSPHsMTEYFrZZDYo9O-DpQ26YoXKC6zjEVF_r2G1kZXLoY2Yo8Aw6qy4/s320/11475-workers-shovel-oil-from-the-bp-oil-spill-which-made-landfall.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Gulf Shores During Spill. Photo: Lyle W. Ratliff/ Reuters. </span></span></td></tr>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-58084084485193770112010-12-01T14:17:00.000-08:002010-12-01T14:19:16.001-08:00Surfrider Foundation Issues Official Statement on Offshore Drilling BanToday the Obama Administration announced that it will be banning new offshore oil drilling along the continental US for the next seven years. The Surfrider Foundation applauds this decision and holds it up as a major victory for our nation’s oceans and coastlines, and for the local communities who depend on them for their livelihoods. The Surfrider Foundation is particularly proud of their 20,000+ activists who send letters and messages to President Obama asking for the reinstatement of the executive moratorium on offshore drilling. Even as hundreds of Gulf Shore communities continue to struggle to recover from this nation’s most devastating environmental disaster, today’s decision underscores the importance of grassroots mobilization to protect our nation’s natural resources. America must permanently ban all new offshore drilling, end the harmful practice of seismic testing and continue to move towards clean and renewable energy.Vithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819734550421848197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-70464446142304860872010-12-01T13:15:00.000-08:002010-12-01T15:39:18.282-08:00Obama announces no new drilling in Pacific, Atlantic & eastern Gulf<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIKabd9hNeF7q0_5GWsbdmmMLfSHSkzwn6VJorr4f58ZkEhgDF80rhW6s3nVYnrl7svaQPa0ouaw_cfSObvMEIHOStijacijG03twMgGe9RasgO4kp6PJSJq7dJw4es8d0B76UuEiGcUg/s1600/salazar_no_new_drilling_7years.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIKabd9hNeF7q0_5GWsbdmmMLfSHSkzwn6VJorr4f58ZkEhgDF80rhW6s3nVYnrl7svaQPa0ouaw_cfSObvMEIHOStijacijG03twMgGe9RasgO4kp6PJSJq7dJw4es8d0B76UuEiGcUg/s400/salazar_no_new_drilling_7years.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545840238133734562" border="0" /></a><br />Today, the Obama administration announced that there will be no new offshore oil drilling in federal waters in the Pacific, Atlantic and Eastern Gulf for the next seven years.<br /><br />This is a major victory for all those who have fought hard (see NTA partner list) to prevent new offshore drilling since the federal and executive moratoriums were not renewed in the fall of 2008.<br /><br />Until today, the last 2 years have been full of bad news.<br /><br />At the 11th hour the Bush administration <a href="http://oilonthebeach.blogspot.com/2009/03/oil-drilling-here-there-everywhere.html">proposed opening all coasts to drilling</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8POCS1YaLVeVpIpXkYmDOZyEDqKmnzbA205y2yEWJ2ym7bvHQ_u35ycdqo5MVsePtiCUUmm-Tr3JJ7TWNQSZCuKJ4a3o5GIaC43zn5zONYO7gEzqiwYKY7bMco7vx72KeSaGKt-UjH_E/s1600/here_there_everywhere.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8POCS1YaLVeVpIpXkYmDOZyEDqKmnzbA205y2yEWJ2ym7bvHQ_u35ycdqo5MVsePtiCUUmm-Tr3JJ7TWNQSZCuKJ4a3o5GIaC43zn5zONYO7gEzqiwYKY7bMco7vx72KeSaGKt-UjH_E/s400/here_there_everywhere.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545828891763936514" border="0" /></a><br />Despite massive opposition and no real evidence domestic drilling would help solve our energy crisis, in March 2010 the Obama administration proposed open <a href="http://oilonthebeach.blogspot.com/search?q=2012+lease">vast tracts of ocean to offshore drilling</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGK1Be2UWvE_6qxTfRDkU-kcbdvO-pml0raVUhfz7V2ZS1TejxCoYPa-25MrVA9an4eY1ppfvEeEM8rS0t_GvX5LYrOBZ7qRigNKLW3zaONVAmVVyCfVXmfvU8wiC2PHrY5g8dS0KgLSC3/s1600/offshore+drilling+areas.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGK1Be2UWvE_6qxTfRDkU-kcbdvO-pml0raVUhfz7V2ZS1TejxCoYPa-25MrVA9an4eY1ppfvEeEM8rS0t_GvX5LYrOBZ7qRigNKLW3zaONVAmVVyCfVXmfvU8wiC2PHrY5g8dS0KgLSC3/s400/offshore+drilling+areas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545829444636673186" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We all know what followed... <a href="http://oilonthebeach.blogspot.com/2010/04/burning-oil-rig-sinks-in-gulf-of-mexico.html">the largest offshore oil spill in world history</a>.<br /><br />Thankfully, Salazar and Obama seemed to have learned from the Gulf oil spill, listened to the science, and the continued public opposition to new offshore drilling and have decided that there will be no new offshore drilling lease tracts opened in the Pacific, Atlantic and eastern Gulf for the next 7 years.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAOGVZ3EK4EdZdFoDGlMyCbdklinyAW6ju2ZjH3oU0yuNsUu10mddK9uORjSxd7ErER-GQ7ASGO64x3tGHG9_3HFA_hgXmkkGwVtYFEg94aG-7dwGCGpyz1tPR3Cxm6TWR8FR7PH8IB6I/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-12-01+at+11.05.53+AM.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAOGVZ3EK4EdZdFoDGlMyCbdklinyAW6ju2ZjH3oU0yuNsUu10mddK9uORjSxd7ErER-GQ7ASGO64x3tGHG9_3HFA_hgXmkkGwVtYFEg94aG-7dwGCGpyz1tPR3Cxm6TWR8FR7PH8IB6I/s400/Screen+shot+2010-12-01+at+11.05.53+AM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545830627445879250" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Although this is great news and a major step towards protecting out coasts from the threats of offshore drilling, some really critical issues remain. This recent announcement potentially opens the Atlantic to harmful <a href="http://oilonthebeach.blogspot.com/2010/04/oppose-destructive-seismic-testing-for.html">seismic testing</a> and allows for new drilling in Alaska. Further, we cannot forget that hundreds of Gulf Shore communities continue to struggle to recover from this nation’s most devastating environmental disaster.<br /><br />Read the Department of Interior's press release and supporting documents <a href="http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Salazar-Announces-Revised-OCS-Leasing-Program.cfm">here</a><br /><br />Read an ABC news story <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=12285721">here</a>.Chad Nelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17020103336319370855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-62656829162860964732010-11-29T15:26:00.000-08:002010-11-29T15:27:54.053-08:00Shrimpers Say Nets and Shrimp Covered With Oil, After Shrimping Trip Off Louisiana Coast<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://wpmi.img.entriq.net/dayportcore/dpm/DayPortPlayers.js"></script><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">DayPortPlayer.newPlayer({articleID:"274989",domain:"wpmi.web.entriq.net",playerInstanceID:"27574A89-06D1-CD92-4444-22719C5099EC",categoryID:"5",idmMarkerID:"fdfd6d2c-180c-48f1-9a29-cbfb67d674fe",isDevMode:"false",playVideoAds:"true",accSite:"wpmi",accPos:"CCTVI.NEWS.LOCAL",videoAdConDefID:"16",videoAdObjectID:"43",bannerAdConDefID:"44"});</script><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bpoilslick.blogspot.com/2010/11/bon-secour-shrimpers-say-nets-and.html">Read more...</a>Chad Nelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17020103336319370855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-46761350010222879012010-11-22T07:50:00.000-08:002010-11-22T07:53:21.986-08:00Oil Spill: BP won't put clock on beach cleanupOil remains offshore, on beaches and in Escambia County bays. However, BP and government officials won't guess how long it will take to get it cleaned up.<br /><br />"Time is a difficult thing to define. ... We don't know when it's going to be," said Michael LaTorre, a representative for BP's local shoreline assessment teams.<br /><br />BP and government officials had a public forum Thursday in Pensacola to discuss the ongoing fallout from the BP oil spill in Escambia County.<br /><br />The forum, which was held in the Escambia County Commission chambers, included local BP representatives and officials from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Coast Guard.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pnj.com/article/20101119/NEWS01/11190315/Oil-Spill-BP-won-t-put-clock-on-beach-cleanup?GID=sp29yDeWZJpC0aTgShLztYJhlxzJfGj6WZ3VmnLMPro%3D">To Read More...</a>Surfrider Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208605261693967386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959256290985832804.post-16426405702081840442010-11-17T11:38:00.000-08:002010-11-17T11:38:29.451-08:00Tar-balls Washing Ashore in FL.Chuck Barnes, Alabama Surfrider member, has been active in following the Gulf situation "post spill". <br />
<br />
<a href="http://whatsupwiththegulf.blogspot.com/">He created this blog to keep us all informed. </a><br />
<br />
Just last week, he spotted tar-balls washing ashore after a swell. As he mentions, the tar balls are soft and black, meaning there is little weathering which means the oil could be potentially as toxic as it was the day it seeped out of the well. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZtKXoBX3u5-bl0PFUrScWmAxICHvkqznVoEeBKAtK3vAsenCWZDxEFidNIglauhtKtMSjumts4DMPB_KTYxQIQ39FyuwSA790b1YMAc-35nm-1vOksJhMDBXN7LgxRrZNJfwXdbDXzM/s1600/tar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZtKXoBX3u5-bl0PFUrScWmAxICHvkqznVoEeBKAtK3vAsenCWZDxEFidNIglauhtKtMSjumts4DMPB_KTYxQIQ39FyuwSA790b1YMAc-35nm-1vOksJhMDBXN7LgxRrZNJfwXdbDXzM/s1600/tar.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2