Gulf spill: Worse than Exxon Valdez?

[CLANG]

Source: msnbc.com

The oil leak triggered by a deadly rig blast off the coast of Louisiana has the potential to cause more environmental damage than the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill, one of the largest ecological disasters ever recorded, some observers say.

"As it is now, it's already looking like this could be the worst oil spill since the Valdez," John Hocevar, oceans campaign director for Greenpeace USA, told msnbc.com on Thursday.

"It’s quite possible this will end up being worse than the Valdez in terms of environmental impact since it seems like BP will be unable to cap the spill for months. In terms of total quantity of oil released, it seems this will probably fall short of Exxon Valdez. But because of the habitat, the environmental impact will be worse."

"Probably the only thing comparable to this is the Kuwait fires ," Mike Miller, head of Canadian oil well fire-fighting company Safety Boss, told the BBC World Service.

"The Exxon Valdez is going to pale in comparison to this as it goes on."

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36850248/ns/us_news-environment/

[Ian David]

1. Exxon-Mobil turned a profit on the Valdez spill. n/t

[tomhayes]

2. Spill Baby Spill!

Maybe debate will re-open on offshore drilling

[texastoast]

3. Offshore drilling--BAD IDEA, OBAMA

I'm so sad for the families, the ocean, and the coast.

The technology to keep something like this from happening is just not there. And if it were, and the cost of it dipped into the shareholders' pockets, a great fuss would be raised that it wasn't necessary.

The oil business does not give a flying fuck about the environment. It's all greenwashing.

[louis-t]

5. I've got a feeling we won't be hearing drill baby drill

for awhile.

[obxhead]

8. Thats the sad part, the technology to prevent this spill was there

and is mandated by other countries. The US just failed to mandate it as well. Seems all we want to mandate here is profit, regardless of who is in power.

[texastoast]

9. Can you expound on that?

The Horizon was a state-of-the-art floating platform. What is different about those platforms in other countries?

[Baclava]

4. Get your shrimps now

[joanmj]

7. Thanks for the great map.....

and the fauna illustrations.

[Baclava]

10. they can smell the oil coming ashore now

Gulf oil spill could reach shore Thursday night

By CAIN BURDEAU (AP)

NEW ORLEANS — The edge of a massive oil spill that's become far worse than initially thought in the Gulf of Mexico was expected to reach the Louisiana shore by Thursday night while officials, the oil company, fishermen and others try to protect the fragile marshlands from an ecological disaster.

As of late Thursday morning, part of the slick was about 3 miles from the Mississippi River delta, said National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration spokesman Charles Henry said. A blown-out well a mile underwater is leaking in three places, spewing 5,000 barrels a day into the gulf, five times more than originally thought. The leaks started after a drilling rig that BP PLC was operating exploded and sank last week 50 miles off the Louisiana coast.

Those who count on the Gulf for their livelihoods fretted about the oozing oil that's heading to the coast. In Empire, La., Frank and Mitch Jurisich could smell the oil coming from just beyond the murky water where their family has harvested oysters for three generations.

"About 30 minutes ago we started smelling it," Mitch Jurisich said. "That's when you know it's getting close and it hits you right here."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g5gnWbqZ9SqBHvSYqJeE2AT5KebwD9FD060G1

[FarLeftFist]

6. Don't see the free-marketers screaming now....

About leaving BP alone to fail. Once again the federal govt will be left alone to clean up the private sectors mess. Set the ocean on fire and burn it off?! Doesn't sound safe.

[Baclava]

11. "Set the ocean on fire and burn it off?! Doesn't sound safe"

When that's your best option it pretty much already sucks.

[BeFree]

12. Worst Case?

The leak goes on for a month and the entire eastern half of the Gulf of Mexico sees a near 100% decline in bio-productivity, resulting in a collapse of 50% of the region's economy.