The BP Disaster; North Sea update

- Everything we do to other life forms on this planet, we do to ourselves. -- MCR

2 Years Later, Grim Photos From the BP Disaster

Mother Jones,

7 May, 2012

It's been two years since the Deepwater Horizon disaster unleashed 4.9 million barrels of oil on the Gulf of Mexico. In the midst of the disaster, BP and its contractors did everything they could to keep people from seeing the scale of the disaster. But new photos released Monday offer some new insight to just how grim the Gulf became for sea life.

The images were released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request that Greenpeace filed back in August 2010, asking for any communication related to endangered and threatened Gulf species. Now, many months later, Greenpeace received a response from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that included more than 100 photos from the spill, including many of critically endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtles dead and covered in oil.

For article and photos GO HERE

An update on the Total disaster in the North Sea

Total Elgin gas leak: Permits granted for 'dynamic mud kill'

Environmental permits for a "dynamic kill" operation to try to stop the gas leak on Total's Elgin platform have been granted by the UK government.

BBC,

4 May, 2012

Experts believe pumping heavy drilling mud into the North Sea well from where the gas is escaping is the fastest way to halt the release.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has carried out a full environmental assessment of the plan.

The platform was evacuated when the gas began leaking on 25 March.

The Health and Safety Executive has also given the dynamic kill operation the go ahead.

A spokesman for DECC said the operation was a major step forward for Total and the quickest way to stop the leak.

Work is also under way in parallel to drill a relief well as an alternative solution