May 19, 2010
New BP Footage Belies Reports of Progress
A few oil spill updates for you today:
BP’s new video of the gusher
Though BP has been celebrating the first successful attempt to redirect oil to a tanker using a siphon, Senator Bill Nelson posted new BP footage that tells a different story. And disturbingly, reports are emerging that BP has been preventing journalists from documenting the spill.
Sea turtles washing up in high numbers
An update on the spill’s potential impact on sea turtles: 156 sea turtle deaths, primarily endangered Kemp’s ridleys, have been recorded in the gulf since April 30. Though none have been directly connected with oil yet, it’s100 more than usual at this time of year. Plus, it doesn’t count all those turtles that are likely being affected out of sight.
Oil hits Louisiana marshes, NOAA expands fishing ban
Thick oil sludge began washing ashore in the marshes of southern Louisiana, which could be disastrous for the seafood industry and another blow to the region’s shrinking wetlands.
Meanwhile, NOAA nearly doubled the fishing ban in the Gulf of Mexico yesterday as oil continued to spread into vital fishing grounds.