State of the Spill - Week 8

Spill Size/Extent

Size: 62,244,000 gallons (57 days)

Note: Surfrider’s estimate of the spill volume is based on a rate of 26,000 barrels per day. The most recent estimate of the continuing rate of the oil gusher is between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels per day (1,470,000 to 2,520,000 gallons per day). If the release has been at that rate since Day 1, the total volume of oil released is now between and 84 and 144 million gallons.

NOAA’s new GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse online tool provides nearshore and offshore “spill trajectory estimates” for the current oil plume and the next two days. This view shows the current plume, the location of “beached oil” and surface water currents.

State of Efforts to Stop Flow

BP’s “top hat” containment system is collecting around 15,000 barrels of oil per day, although substantial amounts of oil are still escaping through vent valves on the containment dome. BP has been ordered to step up their efforts to capture more of the oil. Their latest response letter (also discussed here) details plans to collect 40,000-53,000 barrels per day of oil by June 30.

Meanwhile, BP continues to drill two “relief wells” that are intended to intercept the blown-out well at a depth of about 16,000 feet. Drilling mud and cement would then be pumped into the well to seal it. The wells will take at least two more months to drill. Read more.

Ecological Damage

The GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse online tool can be configured to show the confirmed dolphin and sea turtle strandings as well as the fishery closure area.

The Daily Dead Wildlife Tally shows the current number of birds, sea turtles and marine mammals that have been found dead in the oil spill area.

Volunteer Response Resources

Surfrider volunteer oil spill toolkit

Volunteer Phone numbers: (state-specific contact information below)

Deepwater Horizon Incident Volunteer Hotline: 866-448-5816
Vessel of Opportunities Program - Fishermen should phone 425-745-8017

Fact sheets related to oil spills in general and this spill:
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doctype/2931/53023/
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwaterhorizon
http://gulfseagrant.tamu.edu/oilspill/index.htm

Official Response Resources

Deepwater Horizon Response
Twitter: http://twitter.com/usnoaagov
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov
Podcasts: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast.html
NOAA Roles and Tools: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/topics/oceans/spills/
EPA: http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/

Phone numbers:

NOAA media inquiries: keeley.belva@noaa.gov or 301-713-3066
For response inquiries: Joint Information Center (JIC) at 985-902-5231 or 985-902-5240
BP Horizon Response Hotline: 281-366-5511
To report oil, or general Community and Volunteer Information: 866-448-5816
To report oiled or injured wildlife: 866-557-1401

Coast Guard officials say not to pick up any tar balls you find and to report them at
(800) 424-8802

Florida Specific Volunteer Information:

Oil spill related clean up: http://www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org/
Opportunities will be posted as they become available.

If you live in these areas and want to help:
Okaloosa County call: 850-651-7150 


Bay County call: 763-6587 


Walton County: go to http://www.waltonso.org/

Florida Palm Beach/Treasure Coast area volunteers can email Surfrider's Florida Regional Manager Ericka D'avanzo: edavanzo@surfrider.org

Florida Information Numbers and Websites:

DEP Related Media Questions: Amy Graham at 850-245-2112 or -2113
Florida Emergency Information Line: 800-342-3557
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) incident response website: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm

Resources in Other Gulf States:

Louisiana: http://www.volunteerlouisiana.gov/
Mississippi: http://www.volunteermississippi.org/1800Vol/OpenIndexAction.do
Alabama: http://www.servealabama.gov/2010/default.aspx

Also see:
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana
Galveston Bay Foundation
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources - (228) 374-5000
Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
Restore America’s Estuaries
Save Our Gulf
National Audubon Society
More Information & Call to Action

Help us track oil spill impacts at: http://oilspill.skytruth.org/

Urge Obama and Congress to ban new drilling: http://www.surfrider.org/nodrilling

Participate in the Hands Across the Sand nationwide June 26th event.

State Action Alert for Special Session (FL Only) – Our legislators are holding up Gov. Crist's request for a special session to make oil drilling a 2010 ballet item.

Walk your beaches daily to ensure no garbage or plastic debris is present. Do not disturb bird nesting areas!

Join the Surfrider Foundation: http://www.surfrider.org/join

Making Waves: Special Oil Issue

This special issue of Making Waves includes information on national and regional oil spill issues, including an update on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Read it here (~18.5 MB .pdf)

If you like this issue, you should consider joining the Surfrider Foundation through our special membership offer that includes the t-shirt on the right.

Also, check out our Week 7 State of the Spill update here.

State of the Spill - Week 7

Spill Size/Extent

Size: 54,600,000 gallons (50 days)
Continuing rate of spill: 1,092,000 gallons (26,000 barrels) per day

More details:
http://oilonthebeach.blogspot.com/2010/05/updated-oil-spill-counter-gulf-oil.html
http://blog.skytruth.org/2010/05/gulf-oil-spill-new-spill-rate.html

Skytruth reported on June 3: “Oil slicks and sheen spread across a total area of about 11,505 square miles (29,796 km2) on this image, which doesn't extend very far west of the Mississippi Delta, and doesn't cover the approach to Florida Straits where we saw possible indications of oil on May 27.” This same post also mentions “oil apparently making landfall in Alabama on the east side of Mobile Bay, in the Fort Morgan - Gulf Shores area.”

Oil has come ashore on the beaches and marshlands along the coasts of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. The beaches along Florida’s panhandle have seen some tar balls and there have also been multiple reports of hydrocarbon odors.

Government and university researchers confirmed yesterday that plumes of dispersed oil were spreading far below the ocean surface from the leaking well, raising fresh concern about the potential impact of the spill on sea life. Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said “The total amount of oil out there is likely very large, and we have yet to understand the full impact of all that hydrocarbon on the gulf ecosystem.”

State of Efforts to Stop Flow

BP’s “top hat” containment system is collecting around 15,000 barrels of oil per day, although substantial amounts of oil are still escaping through vent valves on the containment dome. The Coast Guard has ordered BP to step up their efforts to completely contain the oil being released from the blown-out well. There has been considerable discussion among scientists and in the press regarding underestimating of the spill rate by BP.

Meanwhile, BP continues to drill two “relief wells” that are intended to intercept the blown-out well at a depth of about 16,000 feet. Drilling mud and cement would then be pumped into the well to seal it. The wells will take at least two more months to drill. Read more.

Volunteer Response Resources

Surfrider volunteer oil spill toolkit

Response websites:
http://www.oilspillvolunteers.com/
http://www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org/
http://tinyurl.com/audubonvolunteer

Volunteer Phone numbers: (state-specific contact information below)
Deepwater Horizon Incident Volunteer Hotline: 866-448-5816
Vessel of Opportunities Program - Fishermen should phone 425-745-8017

Fact sheets related to oil spills in general and this spill:
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doctype/2931/53023/
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwaterhorizon
http://gulfseagrant.tamu.edu/oilspill/index.htm

Official Response Resources

Deepwater Horizon Response
Twitter: http://twitter.com/usnoaagov
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov
Podcasts: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast.html
NOAA Roles and Tools: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/topics/oceans/spills/
EPA: http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/

Phone numbers:
NOAA media inquiries: keeley.belva@noaa.gov or 301-713-3066
For response inquiries: Joint Information Center (JIC) at 985-902-5231 or 985-902-5240
BP Horizon Response Hotline: 281-366-5511
To report oil, or general Community and Volunteer Information: 866-448-5816
To report oiled or injured wildlife: 866-557-1401
Coast Guard officials say not to pick up any tar balls you find and to report them at (800) 424-8802.

Florida Specific Volunteer Information:

Oil spill related clean up: http://www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org/
Opportunities will be posted as they become available.


If you live in these areas and want to help:
Okaloosa County call: 850-651-7150 


Bay County call: 763-6587 


Walton County: go to http://www.waltonso.org/

Florida Palm Beach/Treasure Coast area volunteers can email Surfrider's Florida Regional Manager Ericka Davanzo: edavanzo@surfrider.org

Florida Information Numbers and Websites:
DEP Related Media Questions: Amy Graham at 850-245-2112 or -2113
Florida Emergency Information Line: 800-342-3557
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) incident response website: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm

Resources in Other Gulf States:

Louisiana: http://www.volunteerlouisiana.gov/
Mississippi: http://www.volunteermississippi.org/1800Vol/OpenIndexAction.do
Alabama: http://www.servealabama.gov/2010/default.aspx

Also see:
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana
Galveston Bay Foundation
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources - (228) 374-5000
Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
Restore America’s Estuaries
Save Our Gulf

Ecological Damage

Louisiana officials have reported sheets of oil soiling wetlands and seeping into marine and bird nurseries, leaving a stain of sticky crude on cane that binds the marshes together.

As of June 9, the official Deepwater Horizon Response website reported a total of 633 collected dead birds (109 visibly oiled), 272 collected dead sea turtles (5 visibly oiled), and 36 collected dead dolphins and other mammals (2 visibly oiled) from the ocean and the shores of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

NOAA’s Fisheries Service Gulf of Mexico commercial and recreational fishing closure area now measures 78,264 square miles, which is approximately 32 percent of Gulf of Mexico federal waters. Note that the closure area, by definition, does not extend into state waters or beyond the outer federal waters boundary.

More Information & Call to Action

Help us track oil spill impacts at: http://oilspill.skytruth.org/

Urge Obama and Congress to ban new drilling: http://www.surfrider.org/nodrilling

Participate in the Hands Across the Sand Nationwide June 26th event.

State Action Alert for Special Session (FL Only) – Our legislators are holding up Gov. Crist's request for a special session to make oil drilling a 2010 ballet item.

Walk your beaches daily to ensure no garbage or plastic debris is present. Do not disturb bird nesting areas!

Join the Surfrider Foundation: http://www.surfrider.org/join

State of the Spill - Week 3

Spill Size/Extent

Size: 20,748,000 gallons
Continuing rate of spill: 1,092,000 gallons per day.

More details:
http://oilonthebeach.blogspot.com/2010/05/updated-oil-spill-counter-gulf-oil.html

http://blog.skytruth.org/2010/05/gulf-oil-spill-new-spill-rate.html

Analysis of aerial photographs by Skytruth on May 9 indicated slicks and sheen covering an area of about 4,384 square miles. Oil has been reported hitting the beach at South Pass, near Port Eads, Louisiana and also on the Chandeleur Islands. Earlier reports documented oil on Dauphin Island, Alabama.

State of Efforts to Stop Flow

Today the Washington Post published an article titled "Engineers trying multiple tactics in battle to plug oil well in Gulf of Mexico" that discussed Plans 'A through F' to try to deal with the ongoing oil well blowout. Plan A was the blowout preventer valve that either did not close off or only partially closed. Plan B was the 40-foot-tall steel containment dome or 'coffer dam' that failed when gas hydrate crystals clogged the inside of the dome. Plan C is a smaller dome that may not capture as much of the flow but may be less resistant to clogging. That plan may be tried in the next few days. Plan D is a "hot tap" which would attempt to cut into the damaged riser pipe and connect another pipe to collect the oil. Plan E has been termed a "junk shot" or "top kill" which would inject a mixture of solid material, ranging from shredded tires to golf balls, to clog up the well, followed by drilling mud and cement to permanently seal it. Plan F is to drill a new well (actually two wells are being drilled simultaneously) to intercept the leaking well 3-1/2 miles below the ocean floor and inject cement to kill the well.
More info

Volunteer Response Resources

Surfrider volunteer oil spill toolkit

Response websites:
http://www.oilspillvolunteers.com/
http://www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org/
http://tinyurl.com/audubonvolunteer

Volunteer Phone numbers: (state-specific contact information below)

Deepwater Horizon Incident Volunteer Hotline: 866-448-5816
Vessel of Opportunities Program - fishermen should phone 425-745-8017

Fact sheets related to oil spills in general and this spill: http://www.piersystem.com/go/doctype/2931/53023/ http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwaterhorizon http://gulfseagrant.tamu.edu/oilspill/index.htm

Official Response Resources

United incident command
Twitter: http://twitter.com/usnoaagov
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov
Podcasts: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast.html
NOAA Roles and Tools: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/topics/oceans/spills/
EPA: http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/

Phone numbers:

NOAA media inquiries: keeley.belva@noaa.gov or 301-713-3066
For response inquiries: Joint Information Center (JIC) at 985-902-5231 or 985-902-5240
BP Horizon Response Hotline: 281-366-5511
To report oil, or general Community and Volunteer Information: 866-448-5816
To report oiled or injured wildlife: 866-557-1401

Florida Specific Volunteer Information:

Oil spill related clean up: http://www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org/
Opportunities will be posted as they become available.

If you live in these areas and want to help:
Okaloosa County call: 850-651-7150 


Bay County call: 763-6587 


Walton County: go to http://www.waltonso.org/

Florida Palm Beach/Treasure Coast area volunteers can email Surfrider's Florida Regional Manager Ericka Davanzo: edavanzo@surfrider.org

Donations Needed

Help already trained personnel prepare for animal response by giving supplies or donating. The Wildlife Sanctuary in Pensacola: www.pensacolawildlife.com/ is looking for the following donations:
--Baby blankets
--Towels
--Heating pads (w/o auto shut off if possible)
--Large Rubbermaid containers with lids
--Heating lamps
--Rubbermaid troughs (can be purchased at Tractor Supply)
--Large backyard portable pools like found at Wal-Mart

The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores is looking for volunteers and donations of the following supplies:
--Linens
--Kennels
--Towels
--Sheets
--Dawn dish detergent
--Pepto-Bismol and toothbrushes

The sanctuary is a local dropoff center for the donations at 18328 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores. It is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. See its website for details or call (727) 391-6211 for information, or e-mail jessicag@seabirdsanctuary.com.

Florida Information Numbers and Websites:

DEP Related Media Questions: Amy Graham at 850-245-2112 or -2113
Florida Emergency Information Line: 800-342-3557
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) incident response website: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm

CRCL encourages pre-veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and anyone with HAZWOPER training to volunteer. Anyone with experience in wildlife handling, rehabilitation, or hazardous materials clean up is also strongly encouraged to volunteer.

Resources in Other Gulf States:

Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources - (228) 374-5000
Galveston Bay Foundation www.galvbay.org/volunteer_oil_signup.html

Ecological Damage

Breton National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana has been closed to public entry. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has established 10 staging areas that are ready to protect sensitive shorelines (Biloxi, MS; Pensacola, FL; Venice, LA; Pascagoula, MS; Port Sulphur, LA; Port Fourchon, LA; Gulfport, MS; Dauphin Island, AL; Shell Beach, LA; Slidell, LA) . FWS has seen very few oiled birds, but they did recover 2 dead birds that were oiled (unknown species of tern and unknown species of egret). Two treated birds (northern gannet and brown pelican) have been released at the Archie Carr NWR.

NOAA’s Fisheries Service has modified the area closed to fishing in the Gulf of Mexico due to the BP oil spill, which will include federal waters seaward of Louisiana state waters in the vicinity of Timbalier Island to waters off Florida’s Choctawhatchee Bay.

More Information & Call to Action

Help us track oil spill impacts at: http://oilspill.skytruth.org/

For more information: http://www.nottheanswer.org/
Urge Obama and Congress to ban new drilling: http://www.surfrider.org/nodrilling
Join the Surfrider Foundation: http://www.surfrider.org/join

State of the Gulf Spill - Week 2

Spill Size/Extent

Size: 13,104,000 gallons
Continuing rate of spill: 1,092,000 gallons per day.

More details:
http://oilonthebeach.blogspot.com/2010/05/updated-oil-spill-counter-gulf-oil.html

http://blog.skytruth.org/2010/05/gulf-oil-spill-new-spill-rate.html

State of Efforts to Stop Flow

On Sunday the NY Times reported: “On Monday, BP hoped to install a shut-off valve on one of the three leaks. But the biggest leak, at the end of the riser pipe, which is the source of most of the spewing oil, cannot be shut off this way. The company intends to address that leak by lowering a containment dome over it and then pumping the oil to the surface. That effort is still at least six days away. Another containment dome, for the third leak, which is on the riser near the wellhead, would follow two to four days after the first.”

Crews broke ground on the sea bed shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday as work began to drill a relief well. That work will take at least two months at best to complete.

Volunteer Response Resources

Surfrider volunteer oil spill toolkit: http://oilonthebeach.blogspot.com/2010/04/oil-spill-volunteer-toolkit.html


Response websites:

http://www.oilspillvolunteers.com

http://www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org

http://tinyurl.com/audubonvolunteer

Volunteer Phone numbers:

Deepwater Horizon Incident Volunteer Hotline: 866-448-5816

Vessel of Opportunities Program. Fishermen should phone 425-745-8017

Fact sheets related to oil spills in general and this spill:

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doctype/2931/53023/

http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwaterhorizon

http://gulfseagrant.tamu.edu/oilspill/index.htm


Official Response Resources

United incident command:

www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com


Twitter:

http://twitter.com/usnoaagov


http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov


Podcasts:

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast.html

NOAA Roles and Tools:

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/topics/oceans/spills/


Phone numbers:

NOAA media inquiries: keeley.belva@noaa.gov or 301-713-3066

For response inquiries: Joint Information Center (JIC) at 985-902-5231 or 985-902-5240

BP Horizon Response Hotline: 281-366-5511

To report oil, or general Community and Volunteer Information: 866-448-5816

To report oiled or injured wildlife: 866-557-1401

Florida Specific Volunteer Information:

Oil spill related clean up; http://www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org

Opportunities will be posted as they become available.

If you live in these areas and want to help:

Okaloosa County call: 850-651-7150 



Bay County call: 763-6587 



Walton County: go to www.waltonso.org

If Florida Palm Beach/Treasure Coast area volunteers email the Florida Regional Manager: Ericka Davanzo: edavanzo@surfrider.org

Donations Needed

Help already trained personnel prepare for animal response by giving supplies or donating. The Wildlife Sanctuary in Pensacola: www.pensacolawildlife.com/ are looking for the following donations:

--Baby blankets
--Towels
--Heating pads (w/o auto shut off if possible)
--Large Rubbermaid containers with lids
--Heating lamps
--Rubbermaid troughs (can be purchased at Tractor Supply)
--Large backyard portable pools like found at Wal-Mart

The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores is looking for volunteers and donations of the following supplies:

--Linens
--Kennels
--Towels
--Sheets
--Dawn dish detergent
--Pepto-Bismol and toothbrushes

The sanctuary is a local dropoff center for the donations at 18328 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores. It is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. See its website for details or call (727) 391-6211 for information, or e-mail jessicag@seabirdsanctuary.com.

Florida Information Numbers and Websites:

DEP Related Media Questions: Amy Graham at 850-245-2112 or -2113

Florida Emergency Information Line: 800-342-3557

Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) incident response website:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm

CRCL encourages pre-veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and anyone with HAZWOPER training to volunteer. Anyone with experience in wildlife handling, rehabilitation, or hazardous materials clean up is also strongly encouraged to volunteer.

Mobile Bay National Estuary Program

Mississippi Department of Marine Resources - (228) 374-5000 www.dmr.state.ms.us

Galveston Bay Foundation www.galvbay.org/volunteer_oil_signup.html


"If the oil reaches the shore it will kill all the shrimp, all the crabs and all the oysters," Kim Vo, owner of the largest shrimp distributor in Venice, LA, Sharkco Seafoods International, told the Wall Street Journal. The oil, which will likely also devastate nesting birds and whales, is also threatening two national wildlife refuges, in addition to the tourism and fishing industries of dozens of coastal communities.

Commercial and recreational fishing in the Gulf of Mexico waters affected by the massive oil leak have been restricted for 10 days, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Sunday. The closings are from Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida's Pensacola Bay. There are fish, crabs, oyster and shrimp near the spill and officials are working to prohibit harvesting from affected areas, NOAA said. The closure will be in effect until 12:01 a.m. local time May 12, 2010, unless conditions allow NOAA Fisheries Service to terminate it sooner.

For more information: http://www.nottheanswer.org

Urge Obama and Congress to ban new drilling: http://www.surfrider.org/nodrilling

Join the Surfrider Foundation: http://www.surfrider.org/join


Link to this entire document as: http://www.surfrider.org/files/StateoftheSpill_week2.pdf"