22:30 | Posted by por AMC

Desastre ecológico no Golfo do México (actualização)


O presidente Obama anunciou que vai ao Golfo do México, dado o significado e a repercussão potencial da Maré Negra que já obrigou os estados da Louisiana, Florida e Alabama a decretarem o estado de emergência. O desastre ecológico, provocado pela explosão e afundamento da plataforma petrolífera Deepwater Horizon, explorada pela britânica BP, deixou três fugas a 1500 m de profundidade que, desde dia 20 de Abril, estão a derramar no mar o equivalente a 5 mil barris de petróleo por dia.
Nada parece ser capaz de conter a mancha que alastra em direcção à costa meridional, ameaçando as praias imaculadas da Louisiana, o delta do Mississípi, as suas áreas protegidas e refúgios de vida selvagem.



Ponto da situação:

O pessoal que se dedica a combater este desastre ecológico tem estado a desdobrar quilómetros e quilómetros de barreiras insufláveis, numa esperança quase vã de combater a maré negra. Mas os ventos fortes e os mares alterosos já destruíram algumas dessas barreiras, atirando com elas para terra.



Enquanto isto, começou a anunciar-se que a empresa britânica que operava a plataforma em causa, a BP, não tinha quaisquer planos de emergência para uma situação destas, que ameaça os frágeis habitats de vida selvagem existentes no litoral.
Um relatório encomendado pela própria British Petroleum (BP) chegara à conclusão de que seria improvável qualquer incidente deste género, levando a administração da mesma a entender que um desastre ecológico no Golfo do México era algo praticamente impossível.
Os apelos a uma rápida acção contra a multinacional britânica estão a ser dirigidos pela secretária norte-americana da Segurança Interna, Janet Napolitano, mas o próprio Presidente Barack Obama e o governador do Luisiana, Bobby Jindal, também já criticaram a inconsciência verificada.
Só agora é que o presidente do Conselho de Administração da BP, Tony Haywood, se encontra a caminho do Louisiana, para coordenar pessoalmente as tentativas de se minimizarem os efeitos daquilo que não se conseguiu evitar.
São agora milhares os trabalhadores mobilizados nos três estados afectados para tentarem limpar a maré negra e proteger os bancos de pescas e todos os habitats de vida selvagem. Só o governador do Louisiana foi autorizado a recorrer a pelo menos 6.000 soldados da Guarda Nacional para esta ciclópica tarefa.
A Casa Branca anunciara ontem que não daria luz verde a explorações de petróleo em novas áreas até se finalizar o inquérito ao derrame do Golfo do México, onde a mancha do crude derramado poderá destruir locais de nidificação de algumas espécies.
Este acidente, ocorrido a 20 de Abril, poderá custar no mínimo centenas de milhões de dólares à multinacional BP, nome adoptado em 1954 pela antiga Anglo-Persian Company, fundada em 1904 e que tem a sede em Londres.


Cf. também:

The Gulf Coast BP Oil Spill: A Timeline
Factsheets - download and detailed documents with background and technical information
Images and Videos of the Deepwater Horizon Incident - Site NOAA
SLIDESHOW: Giant Oil Spill Threatens Gulf Coast
Photos: Oil Spill Hits Land, Birds
Pictures: Gulf Oil Spill Hits Land—And Wildlife
Pictures: Aerial Views Show Leak's Size 
The 5 Biggest Oil Spills in History 
Who's Still Spilling Oil in the Seas?
Gulf Oil Spill Fight Turns to Chemicals
FP EXPLAINER: What Happens to the Oil After an Oil Spill? - By Joshua Keating
Click Here: day-by-day look at the growing oil spill
Pour suivre l'évolution de la nappe de pétrole dans le golfe du Mexique -  le site de la NOAA
 
e ainda:

Oil From Spill Is Reported to Have Reached the Coast - NYTiumes.com, 4/30

"Inevitable" oil slick will hit U.S. coast - Reuters
Anxiety mounts as oil washes ashore - USA Today
Craig Guillot reports - National Geographic News
Updates on the Oil Slick in the Gulf of Mexico - NYTimes.com Lede Blog
Explosion, Leak at Gulf of Mexico Oil Well - NASA's Earth Observatory images of the situation
Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion - Wikipedia entry
Deepwater Horizon Incident, Gulf of Mexico - site NOAA
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Fishing Closure in Federal Waters
NOAA information and updates on the Deepwater Horizon Incident, Gulf of Mexico
Dossier Marée Noire : de l'accident à la «catastrophe nationale» - rf1
Dossier de Notícias - Google News

 fotos: BigPicture

Latest NewsDeepwater Horizon Incident, Gulf of Mexico


Deepwater Horizon Cumulative Trajectory Map Icon 2010-05-03
Cumulative Trajectory Map: Jump down to Current Trajectory Maps on this page for full-sized versions.
As the nation’s leading scientific resource for oil spills, NOAA has been on the scene of the Deepwater Horizon spill from the start, providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services to federal, state and local organizations. More
Updated daily
Situation: Sunday 02 May
Today NOAA restricted fishing in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico threatened the BP oil spill - from the mouth of the Mississippi to Pensacola Bay (***click here for map***).  The closure, which will be in effect for at least 10 days, is to protect consumers and the seafood industry. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke said, “We stand with America's fisherman, their families and businesses in impacted coastal communities during this very challenging time. Fishing is vital to our economy and our quality of life and we will work tirelessly protect to it". NOAA is part of the Department of Commerce.  Support came from Harlon Pearce, Chairman, Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board and Ewell Smith, Executive Director, Louisiana Seafood Board who said, “We Support NOAA’s precautionary closure of the affected area so that the American consumer has confidence that the seafood they eat is safe.  It is also very important to underscore the fact that this closure is only the affected area of the Gulf of Mexico, not the entire Gulf.  The state waters of Louisiana West of the Mississippi River are still open and the seafood coming from that area is safe.” Further details can be found here:  http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/.
Deepwater Horizon 24Hr Trajectory Map Icon 2010-05-03-2300
24 Hour Trajectory Map: Jump down to Current Trajectory Maps on this page for full-sized versions.
The state of Louisiana has already closed vulnerable fisheries in state waters – within 3 miles of the coast.  NOAA is closing areas directly adjacent to the area closures enacted by Louisiana, and is working with state governors to evaluate the need to declare a fisheries disaster, which would facilitate federal aid to fishermen.  NOAA fisheries representatives will be meeting with fishermen this week to assist them, and BP will be hiring fishermen to help clean up and deploy boom in the Gulf of Mexico.
President Obama was on-scene today getting a first-hand look at the spill, which is still leaking at a rate of approximately 5000 barrels (210,000 gallons) per day from three damaged sections of piping on the sea floor.   Engineers are working to inject dispersants at the oil’s source - 5000’ below the surface.  If successful, it could reduce or prevent an oil plume from forming at the surface.  Drilling of a relief or cut-off well started today, but it will take several months to stop the flow. Work also continues on a collection dome at the sea floor; this technique has never been tried at 5000’.  Very high winds and rough seas curtailed surface operations, such as skimming and applying dispersant by aircraft.  Hundreds of thousands of feet of boom have been deployed to contain the spill, with hundreds of thousands more staged and ready to be deployed.
NOAA efforts have included: modeling the trajectory and extent of the oil, getting pre-impact samples surveys and baseline measurements, planning for open water and shoreline remediation, supporting the Unified Command as it analyzes new techniques for handling the spill and starting Natural Resource Damage Assessments (NRDA).
  • NOAA’s National Weather Service displayed radar data at central command today so the command could see where thunderstorm activity was moving and receive warnings immediately.
  • A forecast decrease in winds should allow the full spectrum of surface operations starting tomorrow.
    NOAA’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) creates the oil trajectories that response planners rely on.
  • The Coast Guard is using forecasts and graphics of oil movement prepared by NOAA’s Emergency Response Division (ERD) and Marine Charting Division to keep mariners out of oil areas by depicting them on electronic charts.
  • NOAA’s Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) completed additional baseline sampling in Gulf Islands National Seashore in conjunction with NOAA Restoration Center, National Park Service and Florida Department of Environmental Protection staff.
  • Natural resource economists from ARD also drafted plans to systematically survey recreational users along the Gulf Coast about their use of areas affected by the spill.
Important Contacts
  • For NOAA media inquiries, please contact Keeley Belva at keeley.belva@noaa.gov or 301.713.3066
  • For response inquiries, please phone the Joint Information Center (JIC) at 985.902.5231 or 985.902.5240
  • To report oil on land, or for general Community and Volunteer Information, please phone 866.448.5816
  • To report oiled or injured wildlife, please phone 866.557.1401
  • To discuss spill related damage claims, please phone 800.440.0858
  • BP is asking fishermen for their assistance in cleaning up the oil spill. BP is calling this the Vessel of Opportunities Program and through it, BP is looking to contract shrimp boats, oyster boats and other vessels for hire to deploy boom in the Gulf of Mexico. Fishermen should phone 281.366.5511 about this program.




More Information about this Incident
  • Deepwater Horizon Joint Information Center This site is providing information regarding the April 20 incident in the US Gulf of Mexico involving a Transocean drilling Rig Deep Water Horizon. The Horizon was engaged in drilling activity on behalf of BP at Mississippi Canyon Block 252, about 52 miles southeast of Venice, La. [leaves OR&R site]
  • Deepwater Horizon Response on Twitter This site is providing information regarding the April 20 incident in the US Gulf of Mexico involving a Transocean drilling Rig Deep Water Horizon. [leaves OR&R site]
  • Deepwater Horizon Response on Facebook This site is providing information regarding the April 20 incident in the US Gulf of Mexico involving a Transocean drilling Rig Deepwater Horizon. [leaves OR&R site]
Current Trajectory Maps
More Information about this Incident  
  • Deepwater Horizon Joint Information Center This site is providing information regarding the April 20 incident in the US Gulf of Mexico involving a Transocean drilling Rig Deep Water Horizon. The Horizon was engaged in drilling activity on behalf of BP at Mississippi Canyon Block 252, about 52 miles southeast of Venice, La. [leaves OR&R site]
  • Deepwater Horizon Response on Twitter This site is providing information regarding the April 20 incident in the US Gulf of Mexico involving a Transocean drilling Rig Deep Water Horizon. [leaves OR&R site]
  • Deepwater Horizon Response on Facebook This site is providing information regarding the April 20 incident in the US Gulf of Mexico involving a Transocean drilling Rig Deepwater Horizon. [leaves OR&R site]
Current Trajectory Maps


Deepwater Horizon: Learn More



Here you can get some quick information about oil spills and oil well blowouts, spill response, and the effects of oil on wildlife. You can also view some photos of major oil spills.

Background
The incident involves a deepwater drilling platform approximately 50 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana. An explosion and subsequent fire damaged the rig, which capsized and sank on April 22, after burning for hours. It is unclear how much of the estimated 700,000 gallons (approximately 16,700 barrels) of #2 fuel onboard burned before it sank.  The rig is owned by Transocean and under contract to BP. 
 










Photo Galleries
  • Major Oil Spills A gallery featuring photos of some of the world's largest oil spills, along with a little information about each of those spills. (10 images)

Basic Information about Oil Spills
  • Oil Types We think of oil as being a single substance, but there actually are many different kinds of oil.
  • How Toxic Is Oil? Assessing the toxicity of oil can be tricky, mainly because oil is typically a mixture of many different chemicals.
  • Oil Spills: A Guided Tour Join a scientific support team from OR&R as they help Coast Guard officers and others battling major oil spills. The tour includes an animation showing how one of OR&R's computer models predicted how the oil spilled from the Exxon Valdez would travel across Prince William Sound during the first week after the spill.
  • 10 Famous Spills Information about ten of the world's largest oil spills. [leaves OR&R site]
  • Diving Deeper: Oil Spill Response Learn more about oil spills and how NOAA responds to these events in this interview with Amy Merten from NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration. [leaves OR&R site]
  • NOS: An Oil Spill Primer for Students The United States uses about 700 million gallons of oil every day. The world uses nearly 3 billion gallons each day. That this much oil must be transported every day is truly hard to imagine. [leaves OR&R site]
Information about Spill Response
  • Dispersants: A Guided Tour People responding to an oil spill may use several kinds of "countermeasures" intended to reduce the harm caused by the spill. Dispersants are one kind of countermeasure. This tour gives a basic explanation of what they are and how they work.
  • In Situ Burning In situ burning involves the controlled burning of oil that has spilled from a vessel or a facility, at the location of the spill. When conducted properly, in situ burning significantly reduces the amount of oil on the water and minimizes the adverse effect of the oil on the environment.
  • SMART SMART is a cooperatively designed monitoring program for in situ burning and dispersant application.
Other Oil Well Incidents
  • IncidentNews: Marathon Oil Company A December 1987 natural gas blowout on Marathon Oil Company's Steelhead platform in the McArthur River oil and gas field in Upper Cook Inlet, Alaska. [leaves OR&R site]
  • IncidentNews: YUM II/Zapoteca In October 1987, approximately 20 miles northwest of Ciudad del Carmen in the Bay of Campeche, the Mexican exploratory oil well YUM II (located under the Zapoteca rig) experienced a blowout and fire. [leaves OR&R site]
  • IncidentNews: IXTOC I In June 1979, the 2-mile deep exploratory well, IXTOC I, blew out in the Bahia de Campeche, 600 miles south of Texas in the Gulf of Mexico. [leaves OR&R site]
  • IncidentNews: Globtik Sun In August, 1975, the M/V Globtik Sun struck an unmanned Chevron Oil Company oil production platform approximately 100 miles from Galveston while en route from Aruba to Baytown, Texas. [leaves OR&R site]
  • World's Largest Oil Rig Sinks Five days after powerful blasts ripped through the platform in March 2001, killing 10 people, the world's largest offshore oil rig sank and began spewing oil off the coast of Brazil. [leaves OR&R site]
  • Oil Rig Disasters A list of major offshore oil and gas drilling related accidents, with details and photographs of the drilling rigs involved. [leaves OR&R site]
  • The Louisiana Regional Restoration Planning Program Federal and Louisiana natural resource trustees have developed a statewide Louisiana Regional Restoration Planning Program to assist the natural resource trustees in carrying out their Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) responsibilities. [leaves OR&R site]
Effects on Wildlife 
  • Biological Resources Some animal and plant species are especially vulnerable to oil spills. The Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) method classifies these species into categories and displays their locations on ESI maps and provides detailed information about their seasonality, concentrations, and breeding activities.
  • Effects of Oil Oil, through simple physical contact, inhalation, ingestion, and absorption, has demonstrated harmful effects on wildlife. [leaves OR&R site]
  • Effects of Oil on Wildlife Even short term exposure to lighter, more volatile petroleum products (such as kerosene and jet fuel) can have dramatic impacts. [leaves OR&R site]
  • Effects of Oil Spills on Wildlife and Habitat Oil spills affect wildlife and their habitats in many ways. The severity of the injury depends on the type and quantity of oil spilled, the season and weather, the type of shoreline, and the type of waves and tidal energy in the area of the spill. [leaves OR&R site]
Fact Sheets

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