Whale of a Skimmer Not Ready to Attack Gulf Oil After Weekend of Testing

Nola.com ^ | 7/5/2010 | Times-Picayune Staff

[Qbert]

The behemoth Taiwanese oil skimmer, A Whale, is not yet ready attack the Gulf of Mexico oil spill after a weekend of testing proved inconclusive, said a statement this morning from TMT Shipping Offshore, owner of the ship.

"After an initial 48-hour testing period, results remain inconclusive in light of the rough sea state we are encountering," said Bob Grantham, spokesman for the company. "Over this same period, very few other skimmers have even been deployed. Therefore, working in close coordination with the US Coast Guard, we will be undertaking an additional testing period to make operational and technological adjustments aimed at improving skimming effectiveness given the actual conditions we are encountering in the Gulf."

[cripplecreek]

Like every other thing this administration does, study the problem till it becomes a big enough problem to need to sieze some more money.

[Gritty]

The EPA and this entire malign Administration is either stuck on stupid, or (more likely) stuck on criminal negligence.

[FreePaul]

Did it pick up ANY oil? If so it did better than Obama and his whole crew of bureaucrats have done since April twentieth.

Of course it should have been on sight "Testing" by the end of April. That just didn't fit with the Obama administration need for a disaster.

[LibLieSlayer]

This is just more bureaucratic bullsh!t. Ask yourself this... wouldn't it be better to have this testing take place while the ship skims as it was designed to do and not just with conditions just right? I saw a film of the actual process and the thing works beautifully.

The EPA mandates 15 parts per million of oil in water output... A Whale emits 25 parts per million... this is all about 10 parts per million of oil... instead... we get 100% of what is escaping right now and it is staying in the Gulf. The only reason that they are delaying this all is because obama wants it that way. They delay and block at EVERY opportunity... not just in this case.

Ask yourself this... if Bush were President right now, would the government be an impediment to this cleanup or a partner in this endeavor... and why?

LLS

[Charlespg]

Time for a march on Washington,obama and his minions are doing this on purpose

[EmilyGeiger]

What in the world is going on with the coast guard!?!?! This bureaucratic mess is completely frustrating.

[Talisker]

This isn't EPA testing, or Coast Guard, it is testing by the company to see if the skimmer can pick up emulsified tars without clogging the openings, the filters and the ejection ports. They are likely going to attempt to keep the craft on the 'sheen' areas to avoid the tar mats which are nearly impossible to skim with a craft like this.

You are so full of it. The "company testing" is being done at the command of the EPA. And the idea that a thousand foot long ship designed to suck up a half-million gallons of spilled oil a day hasn't been thought through thoroughly by engineers, is absurd.

"Sheen areas"? "Tar mats"? "Nearly impossible to skim"? Your terms are as bogus as your implied experience and knowledge.

"A craft like this"? Biggest lie of all - "a craft like this" is DESIGNED for a problem LIKE THIS.

Go back to your government bunker and get more training.

[rfp1234]

Ask yourself this... if Bush were President right now, would the government be an impediment to this cleanup or a partner in this endeavor... and why?

No. GWB would have been on the phone with the Saudis and other countries experienced in oil cleanups, from Day One. He'd have waived the Jones Act and any other horse-manure laws and regulations that impede cleanup efforts.

[kcvl]

EPA's Lisa Jackson, ordered BP to trim down on their use of the chemicals being applied to the Gulf oil leak by 75 percent

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, EPA chief Lisa Jackson, and White House energy and climate advisor Carol Browner to lay out the company’s (BP) new long-term plans for cleaning up the disastrous spill and restoring the Gulf to pre-spill conditions

Before becoming EPA’s Administrator, (Lisa) Jackson served as Chief of Staff to New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine

Head of EPA, Lisa Jackson, to Attend LULAC 80th Annual Convention / LULAC, the oldest Hispanic organization in the U.S., and EPA are working together to protect human health and the environment

May 15 -

Jon Stewart Interviews EPA Head Lisa P. Jackson

[kcvl]

Just saw clean up operations on Pensacola Beach. Our beaches are precious. We will continue to hold BP responsible.
8:59 PM Jul 3rd via mobile web

http://twitter.com/lisapjackson

Just finished town hall on EPAs role in oil spill response w/Essence editor Angela Burt Murray. Good questions abo http://twitpic.com/21u0b7
4:28 PM Jul 2nd via Twitpic

EPA followed through on its promise to perform peer-reviewed testing on dispersants. For results and more info: http://budurl.com/pjes
1:14 PM Jul 1st via web

******

Lisa P. Jackson Yesterday, we issued a directive to BP on how the company should manage recovered oil, contaminated materials and liquid and solid wastes from cleanup operations in the Gulf. For details on our directive:Waste Management on the Gulf Coastline | EPA Response to BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico | US EPA
www.epa.gov

EPA deployed field teams to collect a small number of samples of oily debris, tar balls, mousse oil and other petroleum waste products that have washed up on the shore along the Gulf Coast. Preliminary results have only shown chemical constituents that are usually found in petroleum products and typ...
Friday at 11:46am ·

http://www.facebook.com/lisapjackson

[TigersEye]

Testing, more testing. What do we lose by letting it go out and try?

Exactly! If it doesn't work they're not going to spend the money to stay out there. This has to be deliberate obstruction of clean up efforts. The list of plans and people who have been blocked from doing or trying anything is getting quite long.

[kingu]

Go back to your government bunker and get more training.

Yes sir, I'll be sure to do that. Meanwhile, you might want to just do a google search of Bob Grantham, the company spokeshole, who stated that testing was required to configure the ship. It's only repeated on virtually every newswire. As for the rest, I defer to your considerable expertise and remain appropriately chastised.

[TigersEye]

God help us all if we should ever have another 9/11 with Obumbler and his minions in charge...

Someone posted a theory about the runaway well affecting an earthquake on the New Madrid fault. A connection between the two is crazy but what if a giant disaster like that did occur? With 0boyIwon in charge? That is a spine-chilling thought to say the least.

[Yaelle]

“God help us all if we should ever have another 9/11 with Obumbler and his minions in charge...”

Yes, he would just have all the twin towers employees get under their desks and wait.

[My Favorite Headache]

Just wait for Alex’s sister to make it into the Gomex at the end of this week and hit Teaxs/LA.

[My Favorite Headache]

How appropriate...she is on Comedy Central explaining her job...that is all this white house and government is...Comedy Central.

[cbkaty]

What in Heaven's name are they testing?

Do we think for one moment the designers built a huge ship that simply doesn't work as designed?

Do we think the owners bought this huge ship without knowing it would work?

I smell a rat in the oily dunes....Is that you....Oily "O"?

[sgtyork]

Sorry,

Followed your knowing guidance (except didn’t use lefty Google) and determined that testing is at Coast Guard, BP(corporation with $ 20 B gun at their head), and EPA direction.

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/07/giant_oil_skimmer_being_tested.html

[LibLieSlayer]

100% correct and the “why” I was seeking is because obama wants it that way.

LLS

[Psalm 144]

The guy who obstructed BAIPA is now obstructing the cleanup.

He is a sociopath, but one who effects his carnage through inaction.