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NEWS ABOUT: oil spill cleanup

Oil Stops Flowing Into Gulf for First Time in 3 Months

It's not a permanent fix, but test is on track

(AP) - A happy milestone for the Gulf of Mexico: BP says oil has stopped gushing into the water for the first time since its rig exploded 3 months ago. "It's too early to celebrate," said exec Doug Suttles, noting that the company has hours of testing to conduct before... More »

Valve Leak Delays Test of New Cap

(AP) - BP engineers working to choke the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico found a leak on a line attached to the side of the new well cap and were trying to fix it this morning before attempting to stop the crude. BP said it had isolated the leak... More »

BP Begins Crucial Test After US Gives Green Light

If it works, oil will stop flowing into the Gulf after 3 months

(AP) - BP allayed last-minute government fears of making the disaster worse and began testing the new, tighter-fitting cap today that could finally choke off the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. "We sat long and hard about delaying the tests," said the Coast Guard's Thad Allen. He said... More »

BP Removes Cap as Oil Gushes Freely

It's part of a days-long plan to put a tighter cap in place

(AP) - Robotic submarines removed the cap from the gushing well in the Gulf of Mexico today, beginning a period of at least two days when oil will flow freely into the sea. It's the first step in placing a tighter dome that is supposed to funnel more oil to collection ships.... More »

Tar Balls Hit Battered Lake Pontchartrain

Gulf oil begins to seep into Louisiana's famed lake

(Newser) - Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain first overcame pollution in the '90s so severe no one thought it could recover, then rallied after the Army Corps of Engineers dumped New Orleans' toxic floodwaters into it after Katrina. But now the fishing and tourism face tar balls and oil slicks as Hurricane Alex pushes... More »

Choppy Seas Foil Tests of 'A Whale'

No definitive answers, more testing needed for skimmer

(AP) - Choppy seas have temporarily foiled attempts to see if a giant oil skimmer can be a silver bullet for cleanup efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. Bob Grantham, spokesman for Taiwanese shipping firm TMT, says the company's vessel, dubbed "A Whale," will need further testing off the coast... More »

BP Cleanup Tab Passes $3B Mark

And lousy weather continues to cause delays

(AP) - BP's costs for the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill climbed nearly half a billion dollars in the past week, raising the oil giant's tab to $3.12 billion for work on cleaning and capping the gusher and payouts to individuals, businesses, and governments, according to a tally released today... More »

Oil Cleanup Spoils Gulf's July 4th Parties

Tourism crisis, danger of fire dampen celebrations

(Newser) - Fourth of July celebrations will be scaled down in many Gulf Coast towns, where the BP oil spill and cleanup effort are taking a big bite out of holiday fun. Cash-strapped governments dealing with the tourism bust have canceled fireworks displays, and some have moved their pyrotechnics inland because of... More »

Hopes High for Whale of a Test

Supertanker continues 48-hour oil-skimming trial

(AP) - The latest hopes are riding on a massive new skimmer to clean oil from near the spewing well in the Gulf of Mexico, while a local Louisiana parish's plan to block the slick has been rejected by federal officials. A 48-hour test of the Taiwanese vessel dubbed "A Whale"... More »

Expect Tar Balls in Miami, Fort Lauderdale

But most of the Eastern Seaboard should be safe

(Newser) - The bad news is that the Florida Keys, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale have a good chance—from 61% to 80%—of seeing tar balls wash ashore as a result of the Gulf spill. The good news is that the rest of the Eastern seaboard should be safe, predicts the National... More »

Toxic Katrina Trailers Now House Gulf Workers

Formaldehyde contamination 'no big deal,' buyers say

(Newser) - The toxic trailers that became a symbol of FEMA bungling in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina have found their way to a fresh disaster. Dozens of the trailers, which investigators found to contain levels of formaldehyde far in excess of federal limits, are being used as temporary housing for workers... More »

'Whale' Supertanker to Skim Oil in Gulf*

*Er, assuming it works

(Newser) - A massive supertanker is heading for the Gulf, newly outfitted to skim oil out of the water—in theory. The boat, appropriately named A Whale, is 10 stories tall and 372 yards long, making it the largest ship to ever attempt an oil cleanup job. Its owner, Nobu Su, CEO... More »

Hurricane Halts Gulf Cleanup

15 foot waves fouling beaches again

(Newser) - The first hurricane of the season has put the brakes on the oil clean-up operation around the Gulf of Mexico. Oil-skimming ships have returned to port, and dispersant flights and controlled burns have been halted, the BBC reports. BP, however, says major efforts to contain oil from the Gulf spill... More »

US Accepts Foreign Help on Oil Spill

A dozen nations and agencies will assist with the cleanup

(AP) - The United States has taken the rare step of accepting help from 12 countries and international organizations in cleaning up the oil spill in the Gulf. Most of the countries and groups have offered skimmers, boom, or dispersant chemicals. A chart on the State Department website indicates that help has... More »

Hurricane Season Looms Over Gulf Cleanup

Strong storms predicted, could enormously disrupt effort

(Newser) - Tropical Storm Alex looks to be steering clear of the Gulf oil spill, barring any last-minute turns, but he brings the shadow of a hurricane season predicted to be busy and violent to bear over the ongoing cleanup operation. A major storm would mean the evacuation of 39,000 people... More »

Tropical Storm Expected to Miss Oil Spill (for Now)

Alex's path could change quickly

(Newser) - Cross your fingers: The first tropical storm of the season has formed in the Caribbean. Alex is expected to pass over the Yucatan Peninsula this weekend, and while current forecast models say it won't pass over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, its path could change once it... More »

Gulf Cleanup Captain Commits Suicide

Spill taking heavy emotional toll on fishing communities

(Newser) - A charter boat captain hired to help with the Gulf cleanup effort killed himself on board his vessel yesterday. Allen "Rookie" Kruse had been running fishing tours from an Alabama port for more than 20 years. Friends and family say the 55-year-old had become despondent over the spill's impact... More »

Glitch Sends More Oil Gushing Into Gulf

BP has to remove containment cap after robot bumps it

(Newser) - Another BP glitch in the Gulf has sent what appears to be significantly more oil gushing into the ocean. The company had to remove its containment cap today after a robot sub bumped into the venting system, reports NBC . BP hopes to have it back in place later today, but... More »

Oil Spill Telethon Raises $1.7M

The stars come out for the Gulf

(Newser) - Thanks in part to Bieber Fever, last night’s CNN telethon raised at least $1.7 million for Gulf oil spill relief efforts. The Bieb was joined by Cameron Diaz, Kathy Griffin, Nicole Richie, Jenny McCarthy, and a slew of other celebs during the two-hour event hosted by Larry King.... More »

Scientists: Flood the Mississippi to Save Coast

This 'gentle flushing' could protect wetlands from oil

(Newser) - In order to prevent the Gulf oil spill reaching Louisiana's wetlands, scientists propose a unique idea: flood the Mississippi River. This Popular Mechanics article explains how the Mississippi water flow acts as a natural counter-force against the current-driven oil plume's course toward land. More »

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