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Gulf Oil Spill Could Be "Obama's Katrina"
By
Jaya Saxena
Published May 1, 2010
Modified May 1, 2010
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published May 1, 2010
Modified May 1, 2010
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President Obama is planning his first visit to the Gulf Coast as the massive oil spill has nearly tripled in area and touched down on Louisiana soil, and will be briefed on efforts to control the spill, which is currently leaking over 210,000 gallons of oil a day. Critics are already comparing the government's slow response to the Bush Administration's response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. However, Obama seems to be on top of things, and isn't telling anyone they did a "heckuva job" just yet.
"There are now five staging areas to protect sensitive shorelines; approximately 1,900 federal response personnel are in the area; and more than 300 response vessels and aircraft on the scene 24/7," he said in a press conference yesterday. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs also reminded the press that 1,800 people died in Katrina, and that "While terrible, the oil spill does not equal the kind of human suffering that was seen in New Orleans. This is something (Obama) must respond to and improve his plan, but a distinction must be made." For an example of the human suffering involved, there was recently a burial for the bodies of 12 unclaimed babies abandoned by Katrina evacuees.
British Petroleum also may have downplayed the possibility of an explosion and its consequences in their 2009 report. The report suggested that an accident leading to a spill was virtually impossible, and said "due to the distance to shore (48 miles) and the response capabilities that would be implemented, no significant adverse impacts are expected." The Coast Guard estimates that at least 1.6 million gallons of oil have been spilled since the April 20th explosion that killed 11, and high winds in the area are making it difficult to clean.
While the disaster may not be on par with Katrina yet, the spill is wreaking havoc on wildlife and nature in the area. The oil could harm the already delicate wetlands—the area's natural defense against hurricanes—and the president of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies says it is potentially the "worst environmental disaster" in the history of the United States. Animal rescue organizations, like the Miller Environmental Group from Calverton, Long Island (subscription required), have already showed up to try to contain the spill. Rescue workers also found the first of what is expected to be many birds covered in oil just outside of Fort Jackson, LA. The Northern Garrett was given a dose of Pepto-Bismol and cleaned by volunteers. One Miller Environmental worker said, "We've been involved in every spill of size in the U.S., including the Exxon Valdez and very large spills in the Caribbean basin. Every big event in the past 40 years, and I have never experienced anything like this."
Tagged
Hurricane Katrina
katrina
louisiana
louisiana oil rig explosion
obama
oil
oil spill
Jaya Saxena
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