Federal Investigative Report Pins Blame on Oil Giant-

According to a new federal investigative report, oil giant British Petroleum holds most the responsibility for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. While this isn’t the first analysis alleging that the company is in the wrong, this investigation was more thorough in determining the cause behind the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig. Much of the report focuses on the company’s cost-cutting and lack of precautionary measures. The report – performed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) and the US Coast Guard (USCG) – indicated that BP’s poor regulation methods led to “a series of decisions that complicated cementing operations, added incremental risk, and may have contributed to the ultimate failure of the cement job”. “It was quite clear from the onset that pretty much most of the companies involved were not going to brag about their involvement in this situation, but the question has always been where is the balance of blame, and this report today puts the balance of blame firmly on BP,” Tom Bergin of Reuters, and the author of “Spills & Spin: The Inside Story of BP”, said in a comment.

Greenwashing Hits An All-Time Low with Bottled Water Claims-

I love the show Mad Men, because (among other reasons) it gives us all a glimpse into the advertising industry and every stop they pull to get the public to buy a certain product. The lines advertisers use are, for the most part, heavily sugar coated at best and a downright lie at worst. Enter the new greenwashing trend: Organic bottled water. Llanllyr Water, for instance, is claiming that their water comes from the ground beneath “certified organic fields” and nothing above ground has ever been farmed any other way. They are supposedly certified by the Soil Association, but who can really trace that far back to see whether the farmers used organic or inorganic materials in their farming practices? The company has only been around since 1999, so I would assume a couple years prior is as far back as a soil analyst could hope to find remnants of inorganic materials. While the company has not come right out and said it sells “organic water”, it is certainly insinuating that to get people to purchase their product. Its for this very reason that the USDA has exempted water from organic certification, but that doesn’t seem to put a halt on any of the claims. All I can say is, hopefully the new regulations proposed by the FTC will prevent more companies from misrepresenting their product or business. I wouldn’t put all my eggs into that basket, though.

BP Pipeline Bursts in Alaska, Spilling Oil Mixed with Water onto Tundra-

Yet another oil spill
has been reported by BP, this time at its Alaskan oilfields, apparently caused by a rupture in a pipeline. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said the accident resulted in around 2,100 to 4,200 gallons of oil being spilled onto the Lisburne field tundra. According to BP, cleanup is currently in progress and the cause will be determined “in due course”. A BP spokesperson, Dawn Patience, said that the company will be closing operations in that area for an undetermined amount of time. She also mentioned that when the leak occurred, BP was testing recently installed valves. ThinkProgress.Org outlines the history of oil spills caused by BP America:

“That “history” includes the infamous 2006 Prudhoe Bay incident when 267,000 gallons (~6400 barrels) of oil and chemical leaked from unmonitored, corroded pipeline (pictured above). It also includes:

Illegal toxic substances dumping on Alaska’s North Slope. The EPA reported:
From 1993 to 1995, Doyon Drilling employees illegally discharged waste oil and hazardous substances by injecting them down the outer rim, or annuli, of the oil wells. BPXA failed to report the illegal injections as soon as it learned of the conduct, in violation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act. The illegally injected wastes included paint thinner and toxic solvents containing lead and chemicals such as benzene, toluene and methylene chloride.
According to data compiled from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation spill database, 1.3 million gallons of toxic substances were spilled between 1996 and 2000.
The November 29, 2010 Prudhoe Bay spill in which 46,000 gallons leaked.

BP has an equally disturbing track record in the Gulf of Mexico:

An Associated Press investigation in 2010 revealed 27,000 abandoned wells in the Gulf, many of which are poorly sealed.
And of course the infamous Deepwater Horizon Spill, where nearly 5 million barrels (~210 million gallons) of oil spewed into the ocean.”

Current Presidential Administration Says it Promises to Facilitate Access to Clean Water for All Americans-

In what seems like a last ditch effort to gain popularity for the upcoming election, President Obama and his administration have released a national clean water plan which promises to stringently protect America’s water supplies. The plan highlights the importance of partnerships and coordination with states, local communities, stakeholders and the public to protect health and water quality, as well as to promote the nation’s energy and economic security. ”The steps we’re outlining today will be instrumental to protecting the waters of the United States, and ensuring that the vital natural resources our communities depend on for their health and their economy are safeguarded for generations to come,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “After four decades of progress on clean water, there is still work to be done to address unfinished business and tackle new threats to our waters. American families and businesses are counting on us to maintain and improve the rivers, lakes, streams and other waters that support thousands of communities and millions of jobs across the country.” It should be noted that oil and gas exploration companies are exempt from adhering to the standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act, and without regulations for those major polluters there is really no guarantee that American’s will have permanent access to safe drinking water. Thanks to natural gas fracking companies, many people in the state of Pennsylvania (and elsewhere) have had to deal with groundwater so toxic that they cannot even shower in it. According to its press release, the White House is working to protect America’s waters by:

Promoting Innovative Partnerships- Federal agencies are partnering with states, tribes, local governments and diverse stakeholders on innovative approaches to restore urban waters, promote sustainable water supplies, and develop new incentives for farmers to protect clean water.

Supporting Science to Solve Water Problems- The administration is using the latest science and research to improve water policies and programs and identify and address emerging pollution challenges.

More information and to read the Obama administration’s clean water framework by visiting WhiteHouse.gov.

Originally Posted on Care2, by Blogger Jake Richard-

The slippery yellow skins are better known as a comedic prop, but now research has demonstrated they have a capacity to absorb lead and copper from river water. Previously, other plant materials such as peanut shells and coconut fibers had been tried, but minced banana peels did the trick better. Researchers also found minced banana peels could be used repeatedly to purify water contaminated by industrial plants and farms – up to eleven times – and still be effective. In their study paper titled “Banana Peel Applied to the Solid Phase Extraction of Copper and Lead from River Water: Preconcentration of Metal Ions with a Fruit Waste” they also noted the very low cost of banana peels and the fact there is no need to prepare them chemically for the water purification procedure. They theorized the acid content of the peels make them a good material for absorbing the heavy metals. Heavy metal pollution in rivers and streams can be absorbed by species such as molluscs and algae, and eventually enter the food chain where it contaminates fish and frogs. They can make aquatic species sick and die, so an effective and affordable means of removing them is very beneficial. A river in the Philippines suffered enough industrial pollution, including heavy metal poisoning, that it was recognized as biologically inactive. Restoring a river to it’s original natural health is obviously far more costly than preventing the pollution from damaging it in the first place, if it is even possible to restore it. Using materials produced naturally is also helpful because they are less likely to result in extra contaminants being introduced into the polluted area. Some remediation projects use man-made chemicals to address the pollution and risk additional contamination. A very obvious example is the use of chemical dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico after the recent huge oil spill. Some say their use only added to the marine contamination, and there isn’t enough long-term data for gauging the overall impact of mixing that much oil and dispersant on the ecosystem health and for humans.

Gustavo Castro, Ph.D., Universidade Estadual Paulista in São Paulo was one of the lead researchers. Funding for the research was granted by the Sao Paulo Foundation.

Climate Activists Shut Down BP Gas Station in Protest-

With the one year anniversary of the BP spill drawing near, let us not forget the absolutely tragic consequences that came with irresponsible offshore drilling. Gulf coast residents cannot help but remember, as their economy has slowed considerably and oil residue continues to wash up on shorelines. In an effort to stand up for those without a voice, hundreds of young activists from around the U.S. mobbed a BP gas station and shut it down to protest the oil company’s ignorance over the devastation that still lurks in the Gulf coast area. Louisiana-based student, Stephanie Stefanski, explains why she drove 20 hours from home to help ensure that BP pays for Gulf restoration:

“There’s still oil on our coast. I saw it two weeks ago, I touched it, I smelled it. It’s still causing massive die offs with dolphins, sea turtles, crustaceans and fish. It’s causing public health issues. I’m here to tell everyone this problem is still here one year later. The beaches are still oiled. They’re trying to “make it right” by paying off the community, but it’s still destroyed. The fisheries are damaged. There’s no money in, people still don’t trust the seafood. They’re not paying up for their damages.”

Hydraulic Fracturing Contaminates Groundwater Supplies and Threatens Health-

While President Obama and his current administration try to convince America that natural gas is a “clean” alternative fuel, environmental analysts are altogether painting a different picture. Hydraulic fracturing, or “hydrofracking”, is the process of creating fractures in rocks which ultimately allows oil and gas exploration companies to recover more product. In order to create fractures, a mixture of water and chemicals is pumped into the rock or coal formation. In time, the formation becomes unable to absorb the fluid as quickly as is being injected and the increased pressure causes the formation to crack. A proppant is injected with the chemical-based fluids to keep the fracture from closing with the primary goal of pumping more oil or gas to the production well. Coalbed fracturing uses between 50,000 to 350,000 gallons of fluids, many of which are toxic chemicals known to cause cancer, like benzene for example. The main problem with pumping these toxins into the ground is that it contaminates local groundwater. If you’ve seen the documentary Gasland, you’re probably aware of the intensely harmful effects of this supposed “clean fuel”. The film follows different folks who live on or near natural gas wells and were directly affected by the toxic chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. In fact, their groundwater supplies became so permeated with natural gas and chemicals that the water was actually flammable.

A professional hydrogeologist working with the U.S. Geological Survey explains the long-term dangers of hydraulic fracturing:

“At greatest risk of contamination are the coalbed aquifers currently used as sources of drinking water. For example, in the Powder River Basin (PRB) the coalbeds are the best aquifers. CBM production in the PRB will destroy most of these water wells; BLM predicts drawdowns…that will render the water wells in the coal unusable because the water levels will drop 600 to 800 feet. The CBM production in the PRB is predicted to be largely over by the year 2020. By the year 2060 water levels in the coalbeds are predicted to have recovered to within 95% of their current levels; the coalbeds will again become useful aquifers. However, contamination associated with hydrofracturing in the basin could threaten the usefulness of the aquifers for future use.”

But the EPA doesn’t see anything serious about the presence of toxic chemicals and flammable natural gas in groundwater supplies. A 2004 study done by the government group concluded that hydraulic fracking was safe and didn’t require further investigation, seeing that there was “no unequivocal evidence” of health hazards. So as it stands now, there isn’t much hope for the individuals affected by drinking water contamination thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which exempts natural gas injection wells from federal regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Back in June 2009, the FRAC (Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals) Act was introduced to the U.S. House and Senate with the goal of regulating the exploration and acquisition of natural gas, but unfortunately did not pass. The bill has not been re-introduced.

Video below is a trailer from the documentary, Gasland

Oil Giant Plans to Resume Deep Sea Drilling Exploits in July 2011-

According to the Sunday Times, BP is soon to pick up where it left off in the Gulf of Mexico beginning sometime in July 2011. The newspaper also reported that BP has granted access to U.S. government officials to ensure that all revised safety requirements are met. A close source to the oil giant said: “BP is hoping to resume drilling in the summer once it shows it can satisfy applicable regulatory conditions, as set out by the US offshore regulator.” BP will only be able to maintain or boost production on already existing wells which will, fortunately, prevent any further drilling projects. BP’s chairman, Carl-Henric Svanberg recently was quoted saying that the Gulf disaster of 2010 was no indication that they should stop their deep sea drilling exploits. “If we truly learn from this accident, I see no reason to close off the deep water as an area for future oil exploration and production,” Svanberg told a conference on oil spill risk management. As the largest man-made environmental catastrophe ever to occur in the United States, the BP oil spill should have been a warning to us all that drilling for oil in deep water should be much more rigidly regulated, moreso even than it is today. The disaster killed 11 workers and saturated the Gulf with roughly 4.9 million barrels of oil over a period of three months, which still affects the local environment and economy.

Another Large Oil Spill Hits Louisiana’s Grand Isle-

Almost one year after the devastating BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it gets slammed with yet another one. The 30-mile slick is currently spreading right near Louisiana’s Grand Isle — the area worst impacted by BP’s 2010 disaster. Whats really irksome about this one, though, is the fact that this well was completely abandoned and poorly sealed by the original driller. The question on my mind, and I am sure on the mind of everyone else who cares about the environment, is why are there not more stringent standards on offshore oil drilling? While 30 miles is the official guesstimate, fishermen in the area have reported that the spill spans at least 100 miles into the Gulf. Rocky Kristner, of the NRDC, comments:

“The Times Picayune is reporting that a Houston based company, Anglo-Suisse Offshore Partners, has taken responsibility for leaking Louisiana crude from a non-producing well that has contaminated Louisiana coastal beaches and wetlands and created a slick that spread for miles offshore. The newspaper earlier reported that state officials had fingered work being done to the Anglo-Suisse’s non-producing oil well near Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River as the likely source, calling it a “well capping out of control.”

It is estimated that there are around 27,000 abandoned oil wells throughout the Gulf alone; 3,500 of which have been left insufficiently sealed. According to the offender, it was currently in the process of sealing the well permanently and was “surprised” that so much oil escaped. Right. Now, seeing that our energy infrastructure and renewable technologies are not altogether reliable or cost effective at this point, I’m not entirely against drilling when done in a responsible manner. But these oil spill cases are absolutely absurd. All of them, from the Exxon Valdez to this one.. I repeat.. ALL of them could have been prevented with proper planning and foresight. It is only a matter of time until this happens again, and I am not looking forward to reaping the consequences of years of absolute carelessness from those who continually trample and destroy our natural resources.

Landmark Court Ruling Sides with Ecuador in Allegations of Chevron’s Toxic Waste Abandonment-

After 18 long years, Chevron has been found guilty of environmental infringement for unlawful dumping in Ecuador. It was actually the previous owner, Texaco, who disposed of its toxic waste illegally in the 1970’s and 80’s – however, Chevron purchased the company knowing full well of its predecessor’s business “activities”. The oil giant has now been ordered to pay $8.2 billion in damages, but says it plans to appeal the ruling. Filed by various groups in the Ecuadorian Amazon, the lawsuit was intended to stand up for the native citizens whose rights were completely trampled in Texaco’s unethical dumping methods. The reckless manner in which this toxic sludge was disposed of has caused widespread contamination in local water supply, on top of countless diseases among the indigenous people. The plaintiff’s lead attorney, Pablo Fajardo, issued a statement affirming that his clients “provided the court with a great quantum of scientific and documentary evidence that Chevron deliberately and in violation of all industry norms discharged billions of gallons of toxic waste into the rainforest and into the water supply relied on by thousands of Ecuadorian citizens.” Unfortunately, Chevron’s appeal of this case will drag it out in court even longer, but the landmark ruling does give hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel for these maltreated individuals.