Oil threat for Bahamas 'not over'
By ALISON LOWE
Tribune Staff Reporter
alowe@tribunemedia.net:
A lead co-ordinator in the government's Gulf oil spill response team says that despite British Petroleum's success in stopping the oil gushing from the damaged well "the threat is not over" as far as the Bahamas is concerned.
Director of the National Emergency Management Agency, Captain Stephen Russell, who heads the National Oil Spill Contingency Committee, said the group has submitted a plan to continue monitoring any potential impact from the oil spill until the end of the year, at the earliest.
"We haven't slackened, we are keeping our eye on it," said Mr Russell yesterday morning. He noted that a team of experts set off on a second exploratory mission from Nassau to the Cay Sal Bank in the Bahama Banks on Monday, to continue taking samples and checking for any tar balls in Bahamian waters.
The team of scientists and environmentalists was scheduled to arrive in Cay Sal yesterday afternoon to begin their investigations.
Their visit comes just under a week after BP announced that after 85 days and the release of up to 184 million gallons of oil into the marine environment, it had successfully capped the leaking well, stopping the flow of crude.
Officials were cautious in their response to the news last Thursday that the placement of a 75-ton cap had successfully halted the flow of oil. US president Barack Obama called the development a "positive sign" but added, "We're still in the testing phase."
In the last few days some oil and gas has been detected around the well, raising concerns that the cap may not be withstanding the pressure from the oil within the well.
Hope
However, officials have expressed hope that the cap can largely contain the oil until relief wells are drilled which are expected to provide a permanent fix.
So far, no evidence of oil having reached Bahamian waters has been found. The spill has been accumulating in the Gulf of Mexico and along the southern coast of the United States since April 22, after the destruction of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig following an explosion at the site.
The oil rig was leased to British energy company BP at the time of the incident and the company has promised to pay legitimate claims for compensation stemming from the extensive damage that is resulting from the oil being released into the environment.
Mr Russell told The Tribune that officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Attorney General's Office continue to pursue the possibility of seeking compensation from the company for the Bahamas to cover the cost of efforts already undertaken by the government's Oil Spill Contingency Committee in response to the spill.
"It has been discussed at two levels locally, and at the CARICOM level, so we will see. We'll allow Foreign Affairs and the AG's office to see how we can engage BP either through the British Foreign Office or the US office. Likewise, we'll see CARICOM's approach," said Capt Russell.
July 21, 2010
tribune242
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
Showing posts with label BP oil spill Bahamas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BP oil spill Bahamas. Show all posts
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Bahamas government will seek compensation from British Petroleum (BP) for all the pre-assessment, monitoring and any post oil spill clean-up costs
Bahamas govt confirms it will seek compensation from BP
By KARIN HERIG
Tribune Staff Reporter
kherig@tribunemedia.net:
THE Bahamas government has officially confirmed that it will be seeking compensation from British Petroleum (BP) following the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which could affect the Bahamas' shores.
Environment Minister Dr Earl Deveaux told The Tribune that his government will be seeking compensation for "all the pre-assessment, monitoring and any post spill clean-up."
This comes after a report released by the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimated that Cay Sal Bank and the Bimini Cays are 41 to 60 per cent likely to have shoreline impact from the spill for years to come.
The northwest coast of Grand Bahama, the report said, is 20 per cent likely to be affected, and Andros is less than one per cent likely to be affected.
In an interview earlier this month, Bahamas National Trust (BNT) Eric Carey had said he wants BP to foot the bill in advance.
And while NOAA has concluded that the oil spill most likely will not harm marine life in the Bahamas, Mr Carey said it is still unknown how the dispersants from the spill will affect the country's ecosystem.
The money the government will now be requesting from BP is expected to assist scientific testing and expeditions to monitor the situation.
The next expedition should set sail in about a week and Mr Carey said he hopes BP will cover the costs.
The oil company told the Associated Press on Sunday that the overall cost of dealing with the spill is now at $3.5 billion.
Some $165 million of that sum were paid to settle individual claims. So far, BP has received over 100,000 claims for compensation and made more than 50,000 payments.
It is unknown at this time how much money the Bahamas will be requesting from BP, nor is it clear when or if the oil company will pay out in this instance.
Meanwhile, as BP yesterday removed the containment cap currently in place over the blown-out oil well to replace it with a tighter fitting one, the Obama administration has issued a new offshore drilling ban after a previous moratorium order was overturned.
BP has stated that it believes this second cap will possibly stop the oil from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico.
The company said some oil will still leak out, but the tighter cap will enable them to capture it and funnel it up to the surface where collection ships await.
According to latest estimates, somewhere between 89 million and 179 million gallons of oil have spilled from BP's Deepwater Horizon rig 5,000ft below the ocean surface since an explosion on April 20 killed 11 people.
July 13, 2010
tribune242
By KARIN HERIG
Tribune Staff Reporter
kherig@tribunemedia.net:
THE Bahamas government has officially confirmed that it will be seeking compensation from British Petroleum (BP) following the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which could affect the Bahamas' shores.
Environment Minister Dr Earl Deveaux told The Tribune that his government will be seeking compensation for "all the pre-assessment, monitoring and any post spill clean-up."
This comes after a report released by the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimated that Cay Sal Bank and the Bimini Cays are 41 to 60 per cent likely to have shoreline impact from the spill for years to come.
The northwest coast of Grand Bahama, the report said, is 20 per cent likely to be affected, and Andros is less than one per cent likely to be affected.
In an interview earlier this month, Bahamas National Trust (BNT) Eric Carey had said he wants BP to foot the bill in advance.
And while NOAA has concluded that the oil spill most likely will not harm marine life in the Bahamas, Mr Carey said it is still unknown how the dispersants from the spill will affect the country's ecosystem.
The money the government will now be requesting from BP is expected to assist scientific testing and expeditions to monitor the situation.
The next expedition should set sail in about a week and Mr Carey said he hopes BP will cover the costs.
The oil company told the Associated Press on Sunday that the overall cost of dealing with the spill is now at $3.5 billion.
Some $165 million of that sum were paid to settle individual claims. So far, BP has received over 100,000 claims for compensation and made more than 50,000 payments.
It is unknown at this time how much money the Bahamas will be requesting from BP, nor is it clear when or if the oil company will pay out in this instance.
Meanwhile, as BP yesterday removed the containment cap currently in place over the blown-out oil well to replace it with a tighter fitting one, the Obama administration has issued a new offshore drilling ban after a previous moratorium order was overturned.
BP has stated that it believes this second cap will possibly stop the oil from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico.
The company said some oil will still leak out, but the tighter cap will enable them to capture it and funnel it up to the surface where collection ships await.
According to latest estimates, somewhere between 89 million and 179 million gallons of oil have spilled from BP's Deepwater Horizon rig 5,000ft below the ocean surface since an explosion on April 20 killed 11 people.
July 13, 2010
tribune242
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
...a shift in wind patterns is expected to propel the oil slick towards The Bahamas
Oil spill may reach Bahamas by weekend
By JASMIN BONIMY ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ jasmin@nasguard.com:
The worst natural disaster to hit the Gulf Coast is likely to reach local coastlines by the weekend, according to Chief Climatological Officer Michael Stubbs, who said a shift in wind patterns is expected to propel the oil slick towards The Bahamas.
In an interview with The Nassau Guardian yesterday Stubbs said that in pervious weeks weather conditions have kept the oil slick contained in the Gulf of Mexico.
"As it stands now the wind is not supporting movement out of the Gulf. It's keeping the oil particles that are floating along the surface in the Gulf of Mexico," said Stubbs.
"However as Friday approaches we see the weather pattern changing and what would happen then is the winds in the area would be flowing clockwise, making it possible for oil floating on the surface to make it to the notorious loop current. So once the particles move into the loop current the chances are [higher] for it [the oil] to reach our area."
The oil spill began on April 20 after an oil rig exploded and sank in the Gulf, killing 11 people. It is estimated that oil is escaping from the collapsed rig's underground pipeline at the rate of 95 thousand barrels, or four million gallons, a day.
Stubbs, who heads a meteorological task force set up by the Ingraham administration to monitor the oil spill, said once the surface winds shift, oil sediments will most likely reach the Cay Sal Bank, Bimini, and western Grand Bahama - key fishing areas for the marine industry.
He said for this reason the government has already been warned to prepare for the likely arrival of oil in Bahamian waters.
"Some sort of action is necessary at least before the weekend so we can know where to access resources," he said. "Currently as it stands the government has taken a proactive position in that they have deployed vessels out there with scientists to get base line samplings. From that we can do some sort of clean-up plan or find ways to divert the oil using tools like booms."
On Monday, Minister for the Environment Earl Deveaux told The Nassau Guardian that the government is doing all it can to tackle the issue which has persisted for more than a month.
However, just five days earlier in a press conference, Deveaux admitted that The Bahamas is not prepared for the level of calamity that the growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could cause the country.
He also explained that international and local agencies have been notified and will assist in the clean up efforts if the spill reaches Bahamian waters.
He added that local agencies are preparing to ensure that they have a response in time to mitigate a worst-case scenario.
Still, Stubbs insisted given the magnitude of the spill, it is a problem that will persist for months to come.
"We have to take into consideration that we are now approaching the official beginning of the hurricane season and we know that we are going to be faced with quite a bit of tropical disturbances, which means that even efforts by the relevant authorities to stop the leak or to clean up is going to be hindered more so as the season progresses.
"We also know that this time of the year the formation of cyclones usually originates around the Gulf of Mexico or the northern Bahama islands. So this means whatever actions we are going to take, we need to coordinate our efforts to make certain that we take the best measures towards our area becoming contaminated."
As local experts prepare for the impending threat, British Petroleum (BP), the company responsible for the sunken oil rig, has tried twice to stop the leak. The company's first attempt to divert oil leaking from the well using a 40-foot contaminant box failed on May 8.
The second effort to capture oil using a tube inserted in a pipe has been able to recover an average of 1,885 barrels of oil a day, according to a BP spokesman.
The company said on Monday that the spill cost BP about $760 million, or $22 million a day.
May 26, 2010
thenassauguardian
By JASMIN BONIMY ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ jasmin@nasguard.com:
The worst natural disaster to hit the Gulf Coast is likely to reach local coastlines by the weekend, according to Chief Climatological Officer Michael Stubbs, who said a shift in wind patterns is expected to propel the oil slick towards The Bahamas.
In an interview with The Nassau Guardian yesterday Stubbs said that in pervious weeks weather conditions have kept the oil slick contained in the Gulf of Mexico.
"As it stands now the wind is not supporting movement out of the Gulf. It's keeping the oil particles that are floating along the surface in the Gulf of Mexico," said Stubbs.
"However as Friday approaches we see the weather pattern changing and what would happen then is the winds in the area would be flowing clockwise, making it possible for oil floating on the surface to make it to the notorious loop current. So once the particles move into the loop current the chances are [higher] for it [the oil] to reach our area."
The oil spill began on April 20 after an oil rig exploded and sank in the Gulf, killing 11 people. It is estimated that oil is escaping from the collapsed rig's underground pipeline at the rate of 95 thousand barrels, or four million gallons, a day.
Stubbs, who heads a meteorological task force set up by the Ingraham administration to monitor the oil spill, said once the surface winds shift, oil sediments will most likely reach the Cay Sal Bank, Bimini, and western Grand Bahama - key fishing areas for the marine industry.
He said for this reason the government has already been warned to prepare for the likely arrival of oil in Bahamian waters.
"Some sort of action is necessary at least before the weekend so we can know where to access resources," he said. "Currently as it stands the government has taken a proactive position in that they have deployed vessels out there with scientists to get base line samplings. From that we can do some sort of clean-up plan or find ways to divert the oil using tools like booms."
On Monday, Minister for the Environment Earl Deveaux told The Nassau Guardian that the government is doing all it can to tackle the issue which has persisted for more than a month.
However, just five days earlier in a press conference, Deveaux admitted that The Bahamas is not prepared for the level of calamity that the growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could cause the country.
He also explained that international and local agencies have been notified and will assist in the clean up efforts if the spill reaches Bahamian waters.
He added that local agencies are preparing to ensure that they have a response in time to mitigate a worst-case scenario.
Still, Stubbs insisted given the magnitude of the spill, it is a problem that will persist for months to come.
"We have to take into consideration that we are now approaching the official beginning of the hurricane season and we know that we are going to be faced with quite a bit of tropical disturbances, which means that even efforts by the relevant authorities to stop the leak or to clean up is going to be hindered more so as the season progresses.
"We also know that this time of the year the formation of cyclones usually originates around the Gulf of Mexico or the northern Bahama islands. So this means whatever actions we are going to take, we need to coordinate our efforts to make certain that we take the best measures towards our area becoming contaminated."
As local experts prepare for the impending threat, British Petroleum (BP), the company responsible for the sunken oil rig, has tried twice to stop the leak. The company's first attempt to divert oil leaking from the well using a 40-foot contaminant box failed on May 8.
The second effort to capture oil using a tube inserted in a pipe has been able to recover an average of 1,885 barrels of oil a day, according to a BP spokesman.
The company said on Monday that the spill cost BP about $760 million, or $22 million a day.
May 26, 2010
thenassauguardian
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Government expects British Petroleum (BP) to be responsible for Deep Horizon's oil spill clean-up operations in The Bahamas
Government expects British Petroleum to be responsible
By NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net:
Environment Minister Earl Deveaux said the government is assuming it will not have to sue BP, operators of the exploded Deep Horizon oil rig leaking huge amounts of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, which could possibly affect the Bahamas.
He said the government is keen to recover any money it may be forced to spend on clean-up operations, but noted that BP has indicated it will "foot the bill" created by the spill. Mr Deveaux said it is believed BP has a global fund that will come to bear if containment efforts have to extend to the Bahamas.
If this is the case, it will be the Minister of Foreign Affairs who handles the initial round of negotiations, he said.
Only if it became necessary for the matter to go before the courts would the Attorney General's Office be directly involved, said Minister Deveaux. He admitted that if, in the end, the government does have to sue BP, it would most likely be some time before the Bahamas receives any funds. The National Oil Spill Contingency Team is fully mobilised to respond to the spill, although officials are hoping the situation is contained before the oil slick has a chance to extend beyond the Gulf.
However, Mr Deveaux said he is not "particularly impressed" with the "fragmented" response of the US government to the crisis. He said he hopes the Bahamas' efforts will be "infinitely" more organised and effective.
It is feared that ocean currents could carry the spilled oil into Bahamian waters and devastate wildlife habitats in the north-western islands.
With the hurricane season approaching, bringing with it the potential for strong winds and increased tidal flows, the situation could be "very difficult if not impossible" to manage, Mr Deveaux warned.
He added that speculation about an impending disaster has fueled a "growing sense of helplessness and hysteria".
May 20, 2010
tribune242
By NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net:
Environment Minister Earl Deveaux said the government is assuming it will not have to sue BP, operators of the exploded Deep Horizon oil rig leaking huge amounts of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, which could possibly affect the Bahamas.
He said the government is keen to recover any money it may be forced to spend on clean-up operations, but noted that BP has indicated it will "foot the bill" created by the spill. Mr Deveaux said it is believed BP has a global fund that will come to bear if containment efforts have to extend to the Bahamas.
If this is the case, it will be the Minister of Foreign Affairs who handles the initial round of negotiations, he said.
Only if it became necessary for the matter to go before the courts would the Attorney General's Office be directly involved, said Minister Deveaux. He admitted that if, in the end, the government does have to sue BP, it would most likely be some time before the Bahamas receives any funds. The National Oil Spill Contingency Team is fully mobilised to respond to the spill, although officials are hoping the situation is contained before the oil slick has a chance to extend beyond the Gulf.
However, Mr Deveaux said he is not "particularly impressed" with the "fragmented" response of the US government to the crisis. He said he hopes the Bahamas' efforts will be "infinitely" more organised and effective.
It is feared that ocean currents could carry the spilled oil into Bahamian waters and devastate wildlife habitats in the north-western islands.
With the hurricane season approaching, bringing with it the potential for strong winds and increased tidal flows, the situation could be "very difficult if not impossible" to manage, Mr Deveaux warned.
He added that speculation about an impending disaster has fueled a "growing sense of helplessness and hysteria".
May 20, 2010
tribune242
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