Day 74: Waiting on the A-Whale
[Guest post by DRJ]
Day 74 after the Oil Spill and the A-Whale is still waiting in the Gulf for the Coast Guard to give it permission to start skimming oil:
My partial transcript (emphasis supplied):
“Right now the crew of this ship is waiting on final permission from the Unified Command to start skimming oil in the Gulf of Mexico. There’s a couple of issues that are being looked at right now. First of all, one of them is a safety issue. A ship this big out on the Gulf of Mexico needs about a half mile radius all the way around to operate safely, so they are trying to figure out if that’s possible.
There’s also some environmental concerns. Part of the way this ship works is that it brings in oil and water. It separates that and the water gets thrown back out into the Gulf of Mexico and they keep the oil. They’re also looking into whether or not that water that’s going to be discharged, what are the environmental impact of that. So that’s one of the things slowing it down.
But everyone aboard here thinks that it’s just a matter of time before this vessel is put in to fight the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, and the crew told us that they were being dispatched out into the Gulf of Mexico last night. They are waiting to see if they can at least do some tests for the Coast Guard to show them what that ship can do. Admiral Thad Allen said that he’s not quite ready to put this into play, that there are still some more questions that they want to look into. But he says he is hopeful that this will be a valuable tool in the fight to clean up this oil.”
This is beyond ridiculous. That the ship may be too big to easily turn or that it may not get 100% of the oil are clearly frivolous reasons to prevent it from deploying. The Obama Administration may be Hopeful things will Change but it isn’t doing much to make that happen.
Meanwhile, the newest models say there is a high chance oil will reach South Florida.
— DRJ
UPDATE: The U.S. also missed its June 30th 90% containment goal. Also, the skimmers returned to the Gulf after a 48-hour downtime for Hurricane Alex. Will the A Whale return with them?
That means that the EPA’s ludicrous standards are still an issue. What is the environmental “impact” of discharging water that is “dirty” but cleaner than what was pumped in? And you have to actually wait for a bureaucrat to think about that.
Hilarious if it wasn’t so infuriating.
This administration is the most incompetent seen in a century. Jimmy Carter is the happiest man in the United States.
SPQR (26be8b) — 7/2/2010 @ 1:35 pmOMG! Unparalleled irony – the Environmental Protection Agency continues to pollute the Gulf beyond recognition, in the name of protecting the environment.
Dana (1e5ad4) — 7/2/2010 @ 1:41 pmI loved how ABC was going on and on about how this is proof that Obama is ‘acting quickly’.
They phrased it as ‘Republicans complained about x,y,z, however Obama has been acting quickly on this A-Whale boat!’.
This is a big damn piece of theater.
This is an emergency. Even if the ship is sending back water that is merely half as dirty, we should use it. Hell, even if it’s sending water that is just as dirty that’s not making the situation worse. Sitting with our thumbs hidden up our Obama’s is making the situation a hell of a lot worse.
Pretty soon they are going to wish they had wasted this crisis by solving it.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 7/2/2010 @ 1:42 pmSo, the environmental perfect is the enemy of pelicans, loons, dolphins, tuna, turtles, marsh lands, wetlands, alligators, manatees, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida?
Sounds about right – They just don’t frakking care that MOST of the oil gets scrubbed from the Gulf, the real issue is that most of those states votes for McCain.
Dana is right – The EPA hates Dolphin People!
Vivian Louise (643333) — 7/2/2010 @ 1:45 pmThe EPA has some cap like 18ppm that could be a stopper here.
Common sense would say waive that and get as much as you can cleaned up.
Day Trader (ea6549) — 7/2/2010 @ 1:48 pmI updated the post.
DRJ (d43dcd) — 7/2/2010 @ 1:58 pmThe EPA needs to be abolished and then burned and also chemically treated with toxic waste and then burned some more and then buried under a Superfund site where it can leach into groundwater.
happyfeet (71f55e) — 7/2/2010 @ 2:00 pmIt’s no (or not much) longer than the proposed Gerald R. Ford class carriers. This is not trying to fit a canoe into a bathtub. So what if the water’s oily coming out? Is it less oily than it went in? Idiots.
[remainder of comment stricken by me for profanity.]
htom (412a17) — 7/2/2010 @ 2:00 pmhappyfeet – Can I burn it again when it gets to the groundwater?
DRJ – they are not ever going to get to 90% capture. That was some kind of pipe dream (pun intended) of BHO’s. He was blowing sunshine up our asses so we would get off his back and let him play another round of golf.
Vivian Louise (643333) — 7/2/2010 @ 2:04 pmPresident Obama left for Camp David at 3 PM today, Vivian Louise. I bet he’s playing golf right now.
DRJ (d43dcd) — 7/2/2010 @ 2:05 pmI’d be as shocked to find that true as I would be to find gambling at Rick’s, DRJ. Shocked.
Vivian Louise (643333) — 7/2/2010 @ 2:08 pmTypical bureaucratic response: “We want to let 100% of the oil in the water because we can’t get 100% out.” What idiots!
Jim (dd1e5f) — 7/2/2010 @ 2:46 pmWhy do I think this is our “Waiting for Godot” moment?
AD - RtR/OS! (688ffe) — 7/2/2010 @ 2:52 pmWe’re on the right track! Hey, watch this putt.
daleyrocks (1d0d98) — 7/2/2010 @ 3:05 pmJust to put that item about South Florida in perspective, here’s what it actually says:
Some of the oil will get into the Gulf Stream and Southeast Florida residents may see the sort of tarballs and oil sheen that normally are associated with ships entering and leaving the Port of Miami and Port Everglades.
If oil actually came ashore in Southwest Florida south of Naples (ie, the Everglades) that would be bad; if it came ashore or close onshore to the Keys (ie, the coral reefs) that would be disastrous–but the article seems to be saying that won’t happen, and the closest the oil will come will be well offshore, presumably moved by the “loop current” around the Keys into the Gulf Stream.
IOW, this is just more media hype.
kishnevi (c89e0a) — 7/2/2010 @ 5:36 pmWhen Obama proposed and supported economic programs that made little sense to those of us with common sense the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I finally came to the realization that the stars aligned for our enemies and we somehow elected a man to the Presidency of the United States that doesn’t like us, wants to bring us to our knees, hates our most reliable allies, and wants to inflict as much harm as possible to our economy so that he can be a hero to anti-American, anti-Constitutional, anti-capitalist idealogues with whom he associates, and from whom he learned. I’m not a nut, my job requires that I have a lot of common sense, and I’m not a drama queen. He’s doing it for sure and we’re letting him do it because we don’t want to believe it. His appointments are appalling to those of us that are just plain normal Americans. They’re radicals. They despise the Constitution. They’re elitists. How many times do we have to be punched in the nose before we realize we’re in a fight? How many times does he have to piss on Jewish people before they start taking notice they’re getting wet? Israel is all but a molten pile of ash if this guy continues doing what he’s doing and we all know it. Great Britain and Europe in general are “colonists” that are to be despised. No bowing to the queen from this President, he saves that for Muslims and enemies of the USA.
Dave B (015195) — 7/3/2010 @ 1:42 amThe Christmas ornament with Mao was a nice touch for a president in the White House, especially after sending back the bust of Winston Churchill back to England as one of his first acts as President. When the f..k are we going to wake up? He’s not “cool”, he’s a cold bastard that is trying to reduce us to a Banana Republic. What does he care? He’ll always be rich and his family will be well off. His buddies and associates will make out alright. He’s already a hero to communists and socialists. What makes him so evil in my eyes is that he’s a likeable guy with charisma and could have done great things and he gave false hope to blacks and others that counted on him. Jimmy Carter was naive and we all could see it. This guy is something else. NOTHING he has done can be explained by pragmatic people trying to appear “fair.” Not even the great Bill O’Reilly can argue successfully about the actions of this man. All we can do is “give him the benefit of the doubt” while he stuffs it up our collective asses in the final analysis. He’s a no good bastard when it comes to his politics and ideologies and it’s about time we faced him “head on”. His “straw man” arguments are getting old and too many people are starting to see the same thing I’m seeing. What the MSM is doing now is almost criminal. They’re seeing the same thing the rest of us are seeing yet they’re still doing puff pieces? They’re still “spinning”? They’re still suppressing information and controlling the “message”? If we had declared war they’d be hanged for treason.
ABC is claiming Obama “invited” the A Whale? He hasn’t waived the Jones Act. These folks just barged onto the scene and are using publicity to get into the Gulf.
The Obama administration has done more to abet the spread of the spill than contain it. Failure to waive the Jones Act has limited spill containment. The EPA’s rigid adherence to the 15 ppm returned water purity standard has resulted in decisions to leave 100% of the oil in the water instead of removing 99% of the oil. We have story after story of bureaucratic obstructionism that exacerbates this environmental tragedy.
Why aren’t the folks standing in the way removed from the decision tree and given jobs commiserate with their very limited abilities?
Bob (f79737) — 7/3/2010 @ 5:04 amThis technology was used before in the Arabian gulf. It was ignored by the administration until the A Whale came over on its own. It was not invited.
http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/could-cleanup-fix-for-gulf-oil-spill-lie-in-secret-saudi-disaster/19476863
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/jun/03/few-ask-why-tankers-arent-used-to-vacuum-spill/
JoeDel (acc37a) — 7/3/2010 @ 6:38 amIt may be operating. I’m not sure.
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?oldmmsi=636014465&zoom=10&olddate=7/3/2010%201:38:13%20AM
SPQR (26be8b) — 7/3/2010 @ 6:49 amWe (the American people) could use (at least) two things:
1. A “Whale” website with a constant live feed of what they are up to and what the latest stumbling block is that the feds put in their way. (Maybe an anonymous blogger on ship). (I wonder if Jindahl and Louisiana have something akin up somewhere?)
2. A website where we can begin the prosecution of the Obama administration for “Crimes against America”- all the legal blogs putting forth a Nuremburg-like trial with charges and evidence, and invite/dare/demand the MSM apologists to rebut and (attempt to) provide a defense.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 7/3/2010 @ 7:10 amSPQR: They wouldn’t be that close to the leak (within 5 miles) unless they had authorization so it looks good so far.
JoeDel (acc37a) — 7/3/2010 @ 7:20 amThis administration and the bureaucracy govern using the “Groucho Marx Strategy”… you gotta say the secret word.
GeneralMalaise (9cf017) — 7/3/2010 @ 10:46 am