Gulf oil may be "impossible to remove, leaving a toxic stew lethal to fish & wildlife"

[tpsbmam]

Gulf Oil Spill: Cleaning Wetlands May Be Impossible, Scientists Say

<snip>

The gooey oil washing into the maze of marshes along the Gulf Coast could prove impossible to remove, leaving a toxic stew lethal to fish and wildlife, government officials and independent scientists said.

Officials are considering some drastic and risky solutions: They could set the wetlands on fire or flood areas in hopes of floating out the oil.

They warn an aggressive cleanup could ruin the marshes and do more harm than good. The only viable option for many impacted areas is to do nothing and let nature break down the spill.

<snip>

On Saturday, a major pelican rookery was awash in oil off Louisiana's coast. Hundreds of birds nest on the island, and an Associated Press photographer saw some birds and their eggs stained with the ooze. Nests were perched in mangroves directly above patches of crude.

<snip>

Also Saturday, BP told federal regulators it plans to continue using a contentious chemical dispersant, despite orders from the Environmental Protection Agency to look for less toxic alternatives. BP said in a letter to the EPA that Corexit 9500 "remains the best option for subsea application."

<snip>

Oil that has rolled into shoreline wetlands coats the stalks and leaves of plants such as roseau cane – the fabric that holds together an ecosystem that is essential to the region's fishing industry and a much-needed buffer against Gulf hurricanes. Soon, oil will smother those plants and choke off their supply of air and nutrients.


More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/23/gulf-oil-spill-cleaning-w_n_586240.html?igoogle=1

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Just too fucking depressing for words.


(Edited to fix typo.)

[BeFree]

1. Get used to it?

Since we all lack knowledge, and all of our efforts to get any good news have gone for naught, and we know BP won't get this thing sealed off anytime soon and the Navy and the US government in general can't do one god damned thing to stop the flow......


Best thing to do is get used to it. Get used to thousands of dead birds, ruined fisheries, a polluted body of water as large as maybe even Texas, and get used to hearing a million reasons why we need to get used to it.

Then we can begin to get used to the coming reasons why we need to go back and drill baby drill.

Yep, the best advice we have been given is: get used to it.

I wonder when Obama will address the nation and tell us to get used to it? I can hardly wait.

[jaxx]

2. I watched a documentary on the weather channel today

about Katrina. One thing that stuck with me is that they said they were losing some 20 ft of wetlands a day, and this was made in 2005 I think. That's a huge loss. I may not have this right, but something about diverting the Mississippi no longer deposits the silt and allows the wetlands to grow or maintain their size. There was talk of letting the river loose in places to flood and start the deposits again.

The wetlands are so fragile and now they are an oily mess. This will not be good for hurricanes and other weather events.

[Skink]

4. The thing about letting the Mississippi run wild again might now be a reality.

It could take decades but if we buried the oil while creating a new ecosystem it could be a positive. Meanwhile New Orleans could be totally revitalized.

[Bluebear]

3. good god