Update on Gulf Oil Spill

Posted By jnodar On May 3, 2010 @ 3:44 pm In Features, News | No Comments

Even as the U.S. Gulf Coast braces to deal with an [1] unprecedented oil spill, ports remain open and thus far vessel traffic has not slowed. “We’ve seen no effect whatsoever,” said Port of New Orleans spokesperson Matt Gresham. The oil sheen is thin and is not attaching to vessels, he said, and decontamination is on a voluntary basis only. Gulfport, Pascagoula and Mobile also report no effects on ship movement as of Monday.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans has stated that a “primary objective” is to keep the Lower Mississippi River open and minimize potential delays to navigation. Currently there are no plans to close or restrict traffic through Southwest Pass, the deep-draft entrance to the Mississippi, because of the oil, according to the Gulf States Maritime Association. Both the Bar Pilots, who guide vessels in and out of the Mississippi River, and Sector New Orleans said that there is no oiling in their reaches of the river.

While Coast Guard decontamination stations are operating at Venice, La., (at an area called The Jump) and also at the Boothville Anchorage, as of 2:00 p.m. CST decontamination was not mandatory and no vessels had voluntarily requested cleaning, according to the GSMA.

The Port of Mobile has imposed some restrictions to navigation, however. To avoid contact with the spill area, all deep draft vessels entering or leaving the port should use any easterly approach or an established safety fairway southeast of the Mobile Sea Buoy.

Mobile is also requiring all vessels agents and/or masters entering the port to submit a written report stating that the vessel has not transited an oiled area and/or has conducted a visual examination of the external hull above the waterline for oil. Reports must be submitted to the attention of Captain Terry Gilbreath, Harbormaster, at harbormaster@asdd.com.

NOAA reports that the oil sheen now appears to be moving east, according to the GSMA. The upper part of the Mississippi River Delta will see oil sheen shortly, heavy oiling is apparent just south of Mobile Bay, and oil accumulation is likely in Southwest Pass near the jetties by mid-week.

NOAA has restricted fishing for at least ten days in the federal waters affected by the BP oil spill, a region stretching from Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi to the waters off Pensacola Bay, Fla.

Meanwhile, BP is building huge modules at Port Fourchon, La., that will be dropped onto the leaks in an attempt to control the oil gushing from the broken well, according to the Houston Chronicle. The hope is that these will be in place within six to eight days. Attempts to drill a relief well are underway but expected to take at least 90 days. No one knows exactly how much oil is leaking from the well, some 41 miles off the mouth of the Mississippi; estimates range from 5,000 barrels a day to many times that.

Swine streptococcus disease re-export is still sick from the mouth ...
4, 05, 2010 - Please visit and Benhtimmach.com Vochongtre.com
Along with the blue ear pig disease outbreak in the province are the Red River Delta, the last few days, Tropical Disease Hospital Central has received four patients with Streptococcus infection from swine to humans . The doctor warns that people need adequate protection when exposed to animals even if they have not yet manifested the disease.

Sick pigs, the disease also

Already more than half months in hospital but on the body Nguyen Van H., 30, in Pho Yen, Thai Nguyen is still patchy deep black patches because of hemorrhagic necrosis of the skin caused by streptococcus bacteria infection from the disease to pigs. Until now, each time repeating the import of foods blocks heart he is a pig blood pudding, he H. still shudder. Anh H. said: "Was it spread from imported foods blocks heart pig farming is more or not but hear doctors say this disease is spread from swine to humans from eating pork is not cooked so much more now would not dare eat it anymore. "


Patients Nguyen Van H. pigs infected with streptococcus bacteria were treated at the Tropical Diseases Hospital Central. Photo: TM

BS. Intermediate Nguyen, Vice-Dean of the Emergency Treatment of active (Central Hospital of Tropical Diseases) said patient H. is one of two patients due to ventilation from pigs infected with streptococcus bacteria. When transferred to the central hospital of tropical diseases, patients were treated at the Hospital of Thai Nguyen C two days but not better, condition serious blood infections, patients have the array appeared hemorrhagic skin necrosis, many especially in the head and hands and legs.

Same hospitalization for patients with streptococcus swine but E. Le Van., 35, in Thuan Thanh, Bac Ninh - where are the blue ear pig - were another form of the disease is meningitis. Patients hospitalized in BVDK Bac Ninh province on 18 / 4 after the expression of high fever, headache, vomiting and was transferred to many tropical diseases hospital after two days of the Central Hospital in the province is not better. We have treated patients with stable and continues to monitor treatment of infections in General Science, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases. It is known that patients with E. profession and pigs are sold at Dao Nghia commune, Thuan Thanh district, where patients can live green from the middle ear epidemic in April to present.

Add two cases of Streptococcus

4-5 pm, Intermediate doctor Nguyen, Deputy Emergency Department - Treatment of active (National Hospital for Tropical), said two more patients have been identified in Streptococcus can get meningitis. Two male patients were from Quang Ninh and Ba Vi district (Hanoi). Both these cases are said to eat pork but do not know pigs are not infected.

Before that, there were four cases of Streptococcus. Most patients are Nguyen Van H., 30 (in Pho Yen, Thai Nguyen) have ventilation, the array appeared hemorrhagic necrosis of the skin, more especially in the head and hands and legs. Patient H. defined sepsis.

Add two people admitted to hospital with ear diseases

Tuesday, 04/05/2010, 19:33



TPO - Tropical Disease Hospital Central has received two more patients infected swine streptococcus, which is an person in Quang Ninh and one in Ba Vi district, Ha Noi. Previously, this hospital has received four ill patients because of blue ear pig.


Nguyen Van Huong patients treated at the Tropical Disease Hospital Central (Hanoi) by swine streptococcus infections. Photo: HT



If you eat undercooked pork, (or blood pudding) or at the meat that is easily scratched limbs infected. Meanwhile, patients with meningitis may or septicemia.

Intermediate Doctor Nguyen, associate dean active treatment, Tropical Disease Hospital Central.


This afternoon, in a survey of the PV market in Hanoi Tien Phong Online have found most of the stalls selling pork in here are not found to prove their marked moderation.

The buyers were said when asked, only red meat that looks fresh and clean, the guess is that you should buy, not sure quarantine seal meat or not.

News from Department of Animal Health in Hanoi on 4 / 5, said: The forces of Hanoi function to enhance the transport of pigs to control the city. Stations, checkpoints in the province are operating 24/24 hours and resolutely deal with cases of animal transport and animal products of unknown origin, without quarantine certificates and valid.

The Animal Quarantine team to monitor and supervise the implementation of quarantine regulations to each of the farms owned companies, joint ventures or private area.

In the areas that have not yet translated, the small business, trade, slaughtering and processing animals and animal products are required to commit to not buying, selling and transporting pigs and pig products in the epidemic areas in the area; not slaughter swine processing.

At the outbreak of communal or contiguous service areas, stop the trade in pigs and pig products. The household business, trade, slaughter pigs here are also requesting the suspension of business, transportation, sale and slaughter of pigs and conduct hygiene and disinfect the slaughter.

Transfer green ear from other regions of Hanoi to enjoy high compensation

When the blue ear pig disease, the immune system to weaken it, this is a chance for streptococcus swine bacterial attack. This bacterium is the scientific name Streptococcus suis. The bacteria can infect humans.

Doctor Nguyen Huyen Nguyen, Khoa general infections, hospital central tropical disease.

PPRS: 12th Province affected

More on the 12th province that Treyfish reported on here:

Excerpt:

By day 2 / 5, more a province of Nghe An appearance is translated, the first local in the central region. Outbreak occurred in livestock breeding farms in Nam Dan District Livestock Breeding Center in Nghe An province. The center has 33 sows destruction sick. Although the center has done the same measures die guidance of Department of veterinary diseases in Nghe An province, but the pigs should focus condition spread rapidly. We have added 18 sows with the expression of blue ear disease, risk of infection for nearly 500 sows of the center.

Also, Hanoi has gone from 5 communes to 6 communes, and from 1 district to two districts:

According to the Hanoi Department of Animal Health: The blue ear epidemic in Hanoi has appeared in six communes in two districts in Phu Xuyen and Gia Lam. Although the epidemic in the province are temporary stop and not continue to spread, but, the risk of spread, outbreaks in areas of capital raising is still very high.

pigs on the wing

Streptococcus in swine can be fatal to people

Tuesday, 04/05/2010, 02:34 (GMT +7)
(SGGP). - 3-5 days, Dr Nguyen Van Kinh, director of Tropical Disease Hospital Central, said this does not have any evidence that the disease in swine streptococcus bacteria spread from person to person. All suspected cases of infection or disease that hospital treatment, have contact with sick pigs, or eat more soup, pork hearts, pork is not cooked.

Interesting to note, patients infected with Streptococcus in pigs usually have symptoms, fever, headache, nausea, disturbances of consciousness, coma, or multiple organ injury. If not detected and treated early, patients with meningitis or septicemia, can leave sequelae, difficult to treat or be fatal.

Dr. Glass also said that in recent weeks, the hospital received more suspected cases of Streptococcus hospitalized, on average 1-2 cases per day. Notably, four patients have been identified in pigs infected with streptococcus bacteria, in which three people with meningitis and a person infected blood.

Some epidemiologists said the streptococcus bacteria disease occurs year-round season, but the number of blue ear pig disease are more customizable, so some people this disease has increased. There are still people running condition selling sick pigs, pig epidemic.

Before this situation, the Ministry of Health recommends people eat no more absolute soup, salad, undercooked pork, as pork to buy the source, clearly marked with the quarantine, the pig slaughter , or go to destroy sick pig mask and gloves carefully.

PRRS increasing spread in Vietnam

- Veterinary Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development warned on blue ear pig growing up in the northern provinces is likely to spread to other provinces in central, south.

Department of Animal Health, said long-term phase of sunshine then the rain of blue ear pig led growth in the northern provinces. By the end of 2-5 days, there were 12 provinces such as Hai Duong, Thai Binh, Lang Son, Hung Yen, Nam Dinh, Ha Nam, Nghe An, Bac Ninh, Hai Phong, Hanoi, Quang Nam, Thai Nguyen has translated Blue ear pig, about 40,000 pigs were infected, nearly 17,000 children have been destroyed.

Seasonal epidemics, again no food safety concerns

On 03-05-2010 22:13

ND - Translation ear is green broke and complicated in five communes in Gia Lam district and the adjacent provinces of Hanoi, the capital city makes people very nervous.

During the past week, each day Hospital for Tropical receive one to two patients infected with Streptococcus infections from pigs to humans. In some cases it is very heavy.
Before this situation, City People's Committee has the power both of 03/CD-UBND focus on the prevention and fight against this disease.
City of functional requirements, districts, towns and increase detection and treatment resolute, timely and lawful for the outbreak. At the same time, strengthen inspection of shipping, trading and slaughtering cattle. Maintain regular operation, continuous operation of the mobile inspection teams, inter-branch inspection teams, the key in the gateway city to maintain the 24/24 hours, in order to strictly control the trade transporting animals from this locality to another locality, limiting the spread of epidemics ...

Changes in such complex diseases, but in fact, work against the epidemic is still superficial. Although the work of quarantine was "enhanced" than the day before, but also concentrated in major markets in the city center. In some other markets, more distant centers such as: Location, Dominic Tam, Ngoc Ha, Nghia Tan, The Green ... People buying goods hard to find pork with a check mark on the animal health agency Toad in the market spiked through the corners, the collective areas, mostly pork traders brought from the provinces of Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen ... areas are blue ear pig outbreak, public display.Many owners have revealed their freighter went from two, three o'clock in the morning to avoid quarantine.

But the general psychology of consumers, why? Many housewives have heard from the blue ear epidemic is not to buy pork, but chicken, beef, seafood ... But pork is the main food, can be processed into food, the price cheaper than other meats.
Many families decided to use pork, but only buy at the supermarket, the meat is derived, was clear quarantine. However, families do not have conditions to go supermarket regularly, especially families with low incomes. Moreover, the fresh meat sold in supermarkets are not rich, just a bit late as all goods. So, most consumers still accept purchase pork sold at markets, "eating and just worry."

Meanwhile the construction progress of the slaughter of cattle and poultry concentrated, hygiene and food safety (FSH) is very slow. Since early 2000, City People's Committee plans to build in areas of the city gate slaughter focused, modern, to move the point unhygienic slaughter in the inner city.
So far, the only city in the slaughter industry average of 100 pigs, 5,500 birds per day, reaching a capacity of more than 8% and 35% pig slaughter capacity of slaughtering poultry, meet than 1% of the demand of nearly 7% of pork and poultry meat demand of the people of the city.

The slaughter manual includes 17 points, nearly 26% to meet demand for pork and 6% of the demand for chicken. The remainder is provided from the 3725 slaughter of small points in residential areas, does not guarantee food safety and hygiene conditions. Because of lack of animal products, poultry and clean, safe, so people still have a daily consumption of products from slaughterhouses for cattle, poultry, unhygienic not be quarantined.

Use of animal products and poultry "clean" is urgent legitimate needs of Hanoi people, because the health of the whole community. The city needs to have mechanisms and incentive policies and create conditions more favorable for investors, to soon have the slaughtering, processing and preserving animal and poultry modern hygiene food safety. Attach the supply of products slaughter, processing, storage networking with food consumed on the city, to sanction the slaughter and trade of cattle and poultry unsafe students, ensuring food supplies for consumption needs of the people, active control of food hygiene and safety, especially in times of disease complicated as today.

Swine disease caused by Streptococcus

03/05/2010 15:42
A patient infected with streptococcus bacteria treated pigs - Photo: Ngoc Thang

Disease caused by swine streptococcus bacteria cause sudden changes quickly, the disease can be fatal if not treated promptly.
TS-BS Nguyen Van Kinh, director of the hospital (hospital) Diseases of tropical countries, said the recent appearance of cases of hospitalized patients infected by swine streptococcus bacteria. These cases are currently in the local epidemic ear diseases such as Hanoi, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Thai Nguyen ...

Male patients are the heart of sales situation, more soup (home in Thanh Tri district, Hanoi), treated at the hospital said: "Tuesday morning before I saw the hospital three days cold hands and feet and then run very high fever , over 39 degrees C. Severe headache, stiff neck neck pain. When the house is diagnosed with encephalitis caused by the bacteria infect pigs. I've never been like that, before my very healthy. " Now the home of Nguyen Van T. patients (Thai Nguyen) said, three days after eating pork, T. signs of disease. T. to hospital in a state of very high fever, coma. Throughout the two legs were bleeding so black to gray, peeling. After 2 weeks of treatment, his memory began to recover but a very weak condition.

Dr-Dr Nguyen Van Kinh, previous hospitalization, the case of pigs infected with streptococcus bacteria are exposed to infected pigs, swine meat, use of processed foods has not been thoroughly ...

Bacteria

"The bacteria streptococcus swine attack will cause initial signs are fever is very high. Next, the patient may have meningitis, pneumonia, liver failure, multiple organs failure. So patients infected with Streptococcus common in meningitis and possible septicemia or can combine both diseases. Patients can die if not treated early, "Dr Nguyen Van Kinh, said BS. Physicians Nguyen Hong Ha, deputy director BV The national tropical disease, said disease is dangerous because rapid evolution, within 12-24 hours could be very dangerous, the patient fell into shock due to infections septicemia.



Plate hemorrhage



Pathogenic virus is not spread from blue ear pig to human. But, when pigs are infected with the virus that causes the blue ear pig's health weakened, at this swine Streptococcus (often "reside" in the throat of the pig) will be stronger and cause disease. People eating or contact with infected pigs will become infected. The patients infected with Streptococcus heavy pigs were treated in hospital blood infections, pneumonia, meningitis with pus.


Hong Ha doctor recommended, with this disease, patients are not self-treatment at home, danger, because it easily confused with dengue fever (a rash caused by bleeding in the skin). Board of dengue fever is caused by small spots, while the situation by causing Streptococcus are the major segments of bleeding after deep black. In addition, the identification of people infected with Streptococcus easily confused with the situation difficult for meningitis and septicemia.

Need to know, after taking into contact with meat or pork, if you see symptoms of high fever, headache, vomiting a lot, sore throat, need immediate hospitalization. When slaughtering or destroying infected pigs must use protective gear. Absolutely no eating pork infected, undercooked meat.Swine streptococcus bacteria can live two weeks of pig waste in the environment and die out at high temperature or in an antiseptic substance.

TWENTIETH U.S. ARMY, PACIFIC ASIA-PACIFIC MILITARY MEDICINE CONFERENCE

Excerpt:

THE U.S. ARMY, PACIFIC AND INDONESIA (TNI) ARE SPONSORING THE TWENTIETH ANNUAL ASIA-PACIFIC MILITARY MEDICINE CONFERENCE (APMMC XX) IN JAKARTA, INDONESIA AT THE SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, 3-7 MAY 2010. THE THEME OF THIS CONFERENCE IS "UNDERSTANDING ASIA-PACIFIC MILITARY MEDICAL ISSUES THROUGH REGIONAL COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION."
-snip-

SEVERAL VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH SESSIONS FOCUSING ON ZOONOTIC DISEASE OUTBREAK CONTROL ARE PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR. THE SESSIONS WILL UTILIZE AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) AS THE PRIMARY DISEASE MODEL FOR A DISCUSSION OF BIOSECURITY OF LIVESTOCK, EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION OF DISEASE, HUMANE CULLING AND CARCASS DISPOSAL, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR WORKERS, REPORTING AND NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES, AND THE ROLE OF MILITARY VETERINARIANS IN ANIMAL DISEASE OUTBREAKS. THE SESSIONS WILL INCLUDE PRESENTATIONS BY AI SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS FROM USAID, USDA, AND/OR FAO.
-snip-

THE FOLLOWING TOPICS WILL BE GIVEN PREFERENCE FOR SELECTION IN THIS YEAR'S CONFERENCE: MILITARY MEDICAL AID TO CIVIL AGENCIES, HUMANITARIAN DEPLOYMENTS, RAPID RESPONSE TEAMS, COMBAT MEDICINE AND TRAUMATOLOGY, TRIAGE AND CASUALTY EVACUATION, INFECTIOUS DISEASES (HIV/AIDS, PANDEMIC & AVIAN INFLUENZA, SARS, MALARIA, DENGUE, TUBERCULOSIS, H1N1), AEROSPACE MEDICINE, NAVAL AND UNDERWATER MEDICINE, ENVIRONMENTAL & PREVENTIVE MEDICINE, MILITARY NURSING, TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, MENTAL HEALTH AND POST-TRAMATIC STRESS DISORDER, REHABILITATION MEDICINE (POST-TRAUMATIC), ORTHOTICS AND PROSTHETICS, VETERINARY MEDICINE, DENTAL MEDICINE, OPERATIONAL MEDICAL PLANNING, MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION, SIMULATION TRAINING, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN TELEMEDICINE. OVER 35 FOREIGN COUNTRIES WILL BE INVITED TO PRESENT AND EXCHANGE MEDICAL INFORMATION. RECOMMENDED ATTENDEES INCLUDE MEDICAL, NURSING, AND VETERINARY OFFICERS AND SENIOR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.
-snip-

4. THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES ARE INVITED: AUSTRALIA, BANGLADESH, BRUNEI, CAMBODIA, CANADA, CHILE, COMOROS, FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA, INDIA, INDONESIA, JAPAN, KIRIBATI, LAOS, MADAGASCAR, MALAYSIA, MALDIVES, MAURITIUS, MONGOLIA, NEPAL, NEW ZEALAND, PAKISTAN, PALAU, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, PHILIPPINES, REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS, RUSSIA, SAMOA, SINGAPORE, SOLOMON ISLANDS, SOUTH KOREA, SRI LANKA, THAILAND, TIMOR LESTE (EAST TIMOR), TONGA, TUVALU, UNITED STATES, VANUATU, AND VIETNAM.

TNI strengthens the Military Health Cooperation with Asia Pacific Countries

Monday, May 3, 2010 12:47 AM
The TNI will strengthen cooperation in the field of military health with the countries of Asia Pacific. The focus of cooperation in disaster mitigation and management of disease outbreaks at a regional level. That would be the TNI in the Military Health Annual Conference Asia Pacific in Singapore, starting Monday (3 / 5) this coming till May 7.

According to the TNI Commander Djoko Santoso, a number of Asia Pacific countries to learn from the experience of Armed Forces in providing assistance in areas affected by natural disasters. Instead, the TNI would like to share information with other countries in dealing with outbreaks of disease across national borders, such as cases of bird flu and swine flu that had hit Indonesia.

In this conference Indonesia in cooperation with the United States Pacific Command more than 20 countries invited to participate.

In addition to mitigation of disasters and disease outbreaks, the issue will be discussed in this conference include prevention of HIV / AIDS, post-war trauma, humanitarian assistance and the latest innovations in the world of military health.

TNI Commander to expect from this forum in the Asia Pacific region later military can work together better in the regional security challenges arising from health issues and the environment.

Economic Damages to Gulf Ports

Blog:

The fishing industry is not the only commercial enterprise that could incur damages.

Nearly one-sixth of America's trade cargo is handled by five Gulf Coast ports. In 2003, the total tonnage of land and sea trade cargo was 1,126 million tons. One hundred seventy-eight million tons passed through the ports of New Orleans and South Louisiana, the port of Mobile, Alabama, the ports of Pascagoula and Gulfport, Mississippi.

• The Port of New Orleans - 50 million tons
• The Port of South Louisiana - 80 million tons
• The Port of Gulfport, Mississippi - 2 million tons
• The Port of Pascagoula, Mississippi - 21 million tons
• The Port of Mobile, Alabama - 25 million tons

The importance to commodity trade from Gulf ports should not be underestimated. It affects not only Americans but also a vast array of farms, businesses, and workplaces around the world. Port operations touch Midwestern corn growers, rubber tappers from Indonesia, zinc miners from Namibia, computers assembled in Malaysian, as well as coffee plantation workers in Colombia, Rwanda and Guatemala.

Gulf of Mexico oil spill has countless livelihoods in limbo

By The Associated Press
May 02, 2010, 1:00PM

Excerpt:

More than birds and fish lie in the path of the massive oil slick threatening the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas: A centuries-old way of life that's endured dozens of hurricanes is now facing the possibility of environmental and economic disaster.

Water sustains the region's economy like blood in the body. Commercial and sport fishing businesses support dock services, tackle shops and gas stations. Restaurants are Louisiana's largest private-sector employer, with 140,000 workers and a direct annual economic impact of $5 billion. Wendy Waren, vice president of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, says nearly two-thirds of them serve some type of seafood.

Then there are some of the busiest shipping ports in the world, moving oil from offshore rigs up the Mississippi River and Midwestern grain out to sea to feed the rest of the world.

All are vital to world commerce and have a potential impact on consumer pocketbooks.

The Port of Gulfport in Mississippi is the nation's second-largest importer of green fruit, with Central American bananas from Chiquita and Dole accounting for 74 percent of its imported cargo in 2007.

The Port of New Orleans handled 73 millions tons of cargo in 2008, including coffee from South America and steel from Japan, Russia, Brazil and Mexico. Three cruise ships also dock there, handling more than 600,000 passengers a year.

Upriver is the Port of South Louisiana, the nation's busiest with 224 million tons of cargo a year -- mostly grain and other agricultural commodities, and chemicals from the scores of plants that line the river.

When a tanker and a tugboat collided near New Orleans two years ago, oil cascaded downriver and some 200 ships stacked up, unable to move for several days while the Coast Guard had the vessels scrubbed. Millions of dollars were lost.

Port official: No cruises, shipping lines affected so far

wwltv.com

May 2, 2010 at 9:25 AM

Port of New Orleans official Chris Bonura said no cruises or shipping lines have been affected so far by the oil spill, and he said he doesn't expect it to factor in until at least Tuesday.

BP official: 'Apollo 13' effort in capping oil spill under water

Posted on May 2, 2010 at 9:54 AM

Updated today at 10:55 AM

Excerpt:

The blow out preventer, Salvin said, failed during the oil rig explosion, though BP doesn’t know why. The automatic systems for the preventer failed, and though the crew activated a manual shutdown switch for the preventer, that failed as well.

“Given those two failures, there’s really no way to know if that remote control would have also worked, because clearly that piece of equipment had failed,” Salvin said.

Salvin said every time they’ve tried to approach the valve, they haven’t been able to get the blow out preventer to engage. “We know how frustrating that is for people. It’s frustrating for our team, and we’re going to keep on working on this to stop the flow.”

There are now six robotic vehicles working to help control the spill at the source of the leaks.

“It’s just an amazing effort, truly an Apollo 13 effort 5,000 feet below the surface of the ocean trying to stop this spill.”

Salvin said the best case scenario in capping off the oil spill is today. Their fall back option is to have to drill a relief well .

“Absolutely, it’s a possibility that every day the efforts we’re making will stop the flow today,” Salvin said. “But we don’t know that. So what we’re doing is making sure we work the containment system. That will be ready to be deployed in about six to 10 days. That’s our backup position.”

The challenge with drilling a relief well, Salvin said, is that the process could take up to three months. But if they can contain the oil with their three containment systems – 40-feet tall “small buildings,” as Salvin described them, that would stand over the three oil release points – that at least that would prevent more oil from reaching the surface of the sea.

Oil spill grows, with little success stopping flow

By ALLEN G. BREED and SETH BORENSTEIN (AP)
2 hours ago
Excerpts:

VENICE, La. — BP's chairman defended his company's safety record and said Sunday that "a failed piece of equipment" was to blame for a massive oil spill along the Gulf Coast, where President Barack Obama was headed for a firsthand update on the slick creeping toward American shores.

BP PLC chairman Lamar McKay told ABC's "This Week" that he can't say when the well a mile beneath the sea might be plugged. But he said he believes a dome that could be placed over the well is expected to be deployed in six to eight days.
-snip-
BP spokesman Bill Salvin said McKay was talking about the blowout preventer as the failed equipment that caused the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig, which killed 11 people. The blowout preventer typically activates after a blast or other event to cut off any oil that may spill.

The cause of the blast remains undetermined, and Salvin said "we're not ruling anything out."
-snip-

The Coast Guard and BP have said it's nearly impossible to know exactly how much oil has gushed since the blast, though it has been roughly estimated the well was spewing at least 200,000 gallons a day.

Even at that rate, the spill should eclipse the 1989 Exxon Valdez incident as the worst U.S. oil disaster in history in a matter of weeks. But a growing number of experts warned that the situation may already be much worse.

The oil slick over the water's surface appeared to triple in size over the past two days, which could indicate an increase in the rate oil is pouring from the well, according to one analysis of images collected from satellites and reviewed by the University of Miami. While it's hard to judge the volume of oil by satellite because of depth, images do indicate growth, experts said.

"The spill and the spreading is getting so much faster and expanding much quicker than they estimated," said Hans Graber, executive director of the university's Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing.

In an exploration plan and environmental impact analysis filed with the federal government in February 2009, BP said it had the capability to handle a "worst-case scenario" at the site, which the document described as a leak of 162,000 barrels per day from an uncontrolled blowout — 6.8 million gallons each day.

Oil industry experts and officials are reluctant to describe what, exactly, a worst-case scenario would look like. But if the oil gets into the Gulf Stream and carries it to the beaches of Florida — and potentially loops around the state's southern tip and up the eastern seaboard — several experts said it stands to be an environmental and economic disaster of epic proportions.

"It will be on the East Coast of Florida in almost no time," Graber said. "I don't think we can prevent that. It's more of a question of when rather than if."

-snip-

BP Oil Spill - Interior Secretary Ken Salazar: "It potentially is catastrophic"

May 2, 2010 2:01 p.m. EDT
Obama heads to view Gulf Coast oil spill

Excerpt:
Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Adm. Thad Allen, the commandant of the Coast Guard, warned the leaking oil from a rig explosion could continue for weeks with dire consequences.

"It potentially is catastrophic," Salazar said. "I think we have to prepare for the worst."

That would mean oil damaging sensitive coastal wetlands and industries, including a vital fishing sector that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Officials warn of possible catastrophe

-snip-

NOAA Closes Commercial and Recreational Fishing in Oil-Affected Portion of Gulf of Mexico

May 02, 2010 13:06:13 CST

WASHINGTON — NOAA is restricting fishing for a minimum of ten days in federal waters most affected by the BP oil spill, largely between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida’s Pensacola Bay (click here for map). The closure is effective immediately. Details can be found here: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/. Fishermen who wish to contact BP about a claim should call (800) 440-0858.

“NOAA scientists are on the ground in the area of the oil spill taking water and seafood samples in an effort to ensure the safety of the seafood and fishing activities,” said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, NOAA Administrator, who met with more than 100 fishermen in Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish on Friday night. “I heard the concerns of the Plaquemines Parish fishermen as well other fishermen and state fishery managers about potential economic impacts of a closure. Balancing economic and health concerns, this order closes just those areas that are affected by oil. There should be no health risk in seafood currently in the marketplace.”

-snip-

Indonesia: Pekanbaru Health Dept. To Hold Meeting with All Comm. Hlth Ctrs.

2 Mai 2010

The Health Department in Pekanbaru, Indonesia will be holding a meeting in the near future, with all the medical staff in the Community Health Centers, in order to better anticipate the spread of H5N1, and discuss the problems of bird flu.

The Health Department has not received any additional reports of suspected victims of H5N1. Monitoring was being done with residents associated to the H5N1 death in Sidomulyo, District Senapelan few days ago.

[contact me for the link]