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Heavy Oil, Tar Balls Wash Up On Pensacola Beach
June 23, 2010
Heavy tar balls and oil wased up on Pensacola Beach Wednesday morning from the area of the Pensacola Beach Pier to the Fort Pickens gate. Some of the sheets of oil were reported to be about 10 feet long. BP workers were working on the cleanup.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist toured the area Wednesdaday to get a first hand look at the situation.
For a video of the oil washing ashore, click here.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
38 Responses to “Heavy Oil, Tar Balls Wash Up On Pensacola Beach”
REGARDING (the Costner device):
“And nothing about it on the news. It was reported on the net that BP purchased 31 of these machines to use in the clean up .I mean 200 gallons per minute is pretty impressive.”
200 X 60 X 24 = 288,000 gallons per day (or 6,857 barrels per day) per unit times 31 units equals 212,571 barrels per day maximum removal (give or take ten thousand)
It’s not the same thing, but I read in the paper yesterday where some Taiwanese skimmer/tanker with Liberian registry left Virginia heading our way on the expectation they will be able to remove some 500,000 barrels per day (or was it gallons? still a mess of mess). They expect to be ready for action within three days.
REGARDING:
“The American people didn’t kill the electric car! The companies that supply this destructive toxic and highly lucrative (to them record profit just last year) [substance?] killed it,”
Nobody’s killed electric cars. If you want to build an electric car and can make one as safe and reliable and cheaper than other cars, folks will line up to buy it from you. Nobody’s stopping you.
The main problem with them lies in energy storage. Your best batteries have about one percent the energy per pound as gasoline. They don’t have the range as gasoline or diesel cars. They are harder to refill and take longer. Fix those problem and electric cars will abound.
Or you could sit around and gripe about how nobody else has solved the problems therefore the entire world must be working for the oil companies.
Regarding their profits, those were driven by size, not by profit margin. If you do enough and make just one penny per item, you make high profits. By the way, you work for profits too. You do things which you think will benefit you and those you hold dear or else you generally don’t do them. Corporations are just organizations of people doing the same thing. (so are doctors, lawyers, bank robbers and drug pushers–they just have different ideas of how to benefit themselves and those they hold dear)
“They have no intention of capping that leak until they have another needle in the vein! after all it’s all about the BOTTOM LINE (OIL). for them. ”
Actually, the bottom line for any corporation is profit, they don’t care how they make a profit. A blowout is not profitable. Therefore, no corporation wants a blowout. If government insisted all done things be done safely, they would do so to make a profit.
BP has committed to abandoning the well when they get it killed and all money from petroleum collected is committed to wildlife recovery. They ain’t making no money off’n it.
“Meanwhile [they're] destroying our children’s future! Just look at our mass transit systems What little [there] are are antiquated and crumbling . Yet when offered are always wildly popular ”
Actually, they are not popular other than in high population density places and high population density places are not popular with people who care for their children. Further, mass transit attracts terrorists as being an opportunity to kill the most people the most easily.
“This whole thing breaks my HEART. I never thought I’d live to see a corp. destroy a whole sea .”
You still haven’t. It is still there, irritatingly damaged but not destroyed.
AL, we need more of us and less of those folks I put in my crosshairs unfairly.
I applaud your efforts. They eerily mirror my family’s own way of life–in a good way.
We could probably sit down and drink a beer together without getting in a fistfight.(wink)
But sometimes folks need a kick in the pants to make them recognize their faults. I won’t apologize for pointing out that many of our locals could do a lot more to remove our mouths from the foreign oil teat.
Keep fighting the good fight, friend.
Donald Mac Lean on June 24th, 2010 10:15 am,
You need a bit of education, which my nephew, which is a student a RI university and is graduating in oceanographic engineering informed me. It will be dissipated, go search for it at RI, his professor, which is a leading expert says it all.
Why are you people blaming anyone but BP, unless you walk EVERYWHERE you cannot criticize anyone for anything. Even if you ride a bicycle (which by the way was made with electric machines, which was more than likely powered by oil) you cannot sit here and criticize anyone for anything. Oh, don’t forget the engine in your car is lubricated by oil, or the electricity in your house is possibly powered by oil, you can have a electric car, but it is still lubricated by oil There is not one of us that is not guilty of using oil in one form or another.
The fault lies in Government (both Obama and Bush) for allowing BP to blatantly abuse the safety regulations, and BP for taking the chances they did to profit it from us.
Quit complaining and state what you are going to do about it.
Doen’t the east coast of the United States realize that these toxic chemicals that are spewing out into the Gulf Stream are going around the tip of Florida and up the east coast and will close the fishing to everyone. I’m not worried about the tar balls and the oil slick. That can be cleaned up… It’s that stuff that can’t be seen that will do in the fishing in the Atlantic for years to come. This will not be over for years. All of BP assets in the U.S. should be seased and put into the recovery now before they are able to get some loop hole to crawl thru. Don
You people crack me up. The American people did’nt kill the electric car! The companies that supply this destructive toxic and highly lucritive (to them record profit just last year) killed it, Look how they’ve taken over our government! BP is extorting the American people by holding our Gulf Hostage. They have no intention of capping that leak until they have another needle in the vein! after all it’s all about theBOTTOM LINE (OIL). for them. Meanwhile there destroying our childrens future! Just look at our mass transit systems What little their are are antiquated and crumbling . Yet when offered are always wildly popular This whole thing breaks my HEART. I never thought I’d live to see a corp. destroy a whole sea . It’s Avitar in the GULF!!
In Florida, we have fought hard against the oil companies and kept those oil rigs away from our shores because we would rather have a nice place to live and not just screw it all up in exchange for money.
What if your next-door neighbor puts in a big stinking land fill and makes a bunch of money and your property value goes to nothing. What happened here is exactly the same thing!
Those folks in Louisiana still want to keep drilling because they just want to make money and the heck with everything else. I think Louisiana and the folks over there that got all of the jobs and money are just as responsible for what happened to us as BP is.
I love how everyone wants to blame BP for this. Does no one see the big picture? It’s OUR obsession with oil that has made this happen. Law of Averages states that if you drill 20,000 times into different oil fields in the ocean, at least once it’s going to screw up. If it wasn’t BP’s well that blew up, it would have been one of the hundreds of other oil companies’ wells that blew up. It was just a matter of time! Seriously, you want to ensure that this never happens again? Boycott oil, don’t buy anything that is made of/consumes oil. Or even better, go figure out that whole cold fusion problem so we won’t need oil anymore. Until then, just blame ourselves for needing the crap in the first place.
How come i read about Kevin Costners company building large centriuges that are capable of seperating 200 gallons of oil and water per minute . And nothing about it on the news. It was reported on the net that BP purchased 31 of these machines to use in the clean up .I mean 200 gallons per minute is pretty impressive.
Thanks, Jeff – that was much more constructive and useful than the previous rant.
I do limit my motorized travel, generally to my Honda motorcycle that gets about 115 miles on 3 gallons. My AC stays on 84 unless I am home, then I drop it to 80. I don’t own a computer (use library at work and my family’s) and I don’t have a TV (so no cable, satellite, etc). I recycle with Escambia County and I grow my own spring and fall gardens (organic, I might add). I even have my own egg laying hens. the only fertilizer my lawn sees is of the horse / chicken variety.
So yeah, I am trying to do my small part and I encourage others to do the same – all without being insulting. Cool huh?
That said – between BP bumping the cap off for a full day, and the tropical wave it is going to be a long summer. My heart breaks for the sugar white sands, emerald waters, endangered species / wildlife and the businesses / employees hit so hard by this disaster. If you can fit it in your budget, please join those of us who have committed to weekly trips to beach side restaurants, etc
Yes, AL, as a matter of fact, I do have some actual input.
Limit your driving to necessary trips and consolidate them all. Get a fuel efficient vehicle. Reduce your consumption footprint. Reuse products when practical. Recycle your waste. Buy local produce. Avoid poisonous chemicals for cleaning your home. Learn your watershed and how your green lawn fouls our waterways. Limit your use of pesticides and herbicides.
If that’s not enough to get you started, just ask for more, friend. It’s really not that hard.
Don’t forget dying baby dolphins washing up onshore as well.
i hate gossip on here…but i hate bp..seriously..i mean come one.they said president obama was being to critical of them and critizing them too much and we were causing them to loose money from their stocks n retirement funds..personally idc.they should have to suffer something ya know.we loose our clean white beaches they should loose something too!
Meagan said ??” Microbes completely give us an environmently sound solution to this problem by virtually “eating” the oil
——
actually, it is not environmentally sound at all – because small fish / plankton eating whales eat the microbes thereby ingesting the oil / dispersants, etc. Please believe me, pretty much anything is better than what we have now… but just an FYI.
Jeff Etheridge – we are ALWAYS humbled and honored when someone of vast intelligence graces us with their presence. Thank you for your enlightening rant. Now, do you have any actual input?
Yes, indeed. We have experts– poli-sci superstars, arm-chair Physics luminaries and biology brainiacs. The same people who live among us and shop at Wal-Mart while popping out three babies they can’t afford and looking to the rest of us to support their uneducated posteriors. ‘Cause God tells them they are the Chosen. Pffft!
Plus their 4X4s with 36’s on it that sucks 2 gallons to the mile.
And for the rampant ignorant who cannot fathom the reality that GW Bush and Dick Cheney are the authors of this horror show.
Stacking the MMS with so-called inspectors who were actually industry insiders doesn’t look so good now, does it? Perverts assigned by the God-fearing (lol!) Bush-Cheney reign to have sex with industry prostitutes, ignore violations and allow the oil company to perform it’s own inspections?
Yeah–it’s all the fault of Obama. Please–learn to read critically.
I received an email with what appeared to be a Walton county official along with a farmer demonstrating how simple, every day HAY would solve MUCH of the oil spill problem. In fact, it was noted in the video that this method is a part of Walton County’s emergency plan for the oil.
Here is the link (please watch the entire video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5SxX2EntEo
My brother is in upper management with Shell Oil & told me Friday that this hay method is in the Shell Oil emergency oil spill plan.
It seems to me that we could put A LOT of these teenagers with nothing to do this summer (including my own) to work cutting & baling hay for the oil spil. Then running the tractors to gather it once the hay made it to shore. The work could go toward community service hours which look VERY good on college applications.
Would someone please post if this is going on & where we can go to help?
Thanks,
Cyndi Vaughn
This just breaks my heart.
I grew up on these beaches, born and raised. I spent every summer in those waters and so many memories lay in our sands. How can we just let our beaches waste away and doing nothing? Where are the elected officals? Who is going to step up and do something! And another thing, why are they using harmful chemicals to try and cover the oil, its not working as one in a lab could come to the conclusion of just the same. Those chemicals can be just as toxic as the oil. All that the chemicals will do is dilute the oil which in return spreads it further. I know of many brillant scientists who are all saying “why arent we using the MICROBES??” Microbes completely give us an environmently sound solution to this problem by virtually “eating” the oil but BP and the GOVERNMENT will not use them! I dont understand it! Why would they deny a perfectly good solution to a devistating problem thats killing our animals and ocean as a whole? Call me crazy but something smells fishy! WAKE UP PEOPLE! Something is very wrong with this picture! I mean when did we as a society become so dumbed down? We cannot allow this to go on any longer! Who is with me?!
It’s sad that we aren’t prepared to deal with our own catastrophe and have to look to the European countries who had the forethought to be prepared. And look, they have another solution for us
Swiss Firm Says Its Fabric Can Clean Up Oil Spill
snip
The fabric, a nonwoven kind of fleece treated with a chemical compound, selectively absorbs oil while repelling water at the same time. In their Swiss lab, company representatives demonstrated on Swiss television how the product can soak the oil out of saltwater and even protect sand from the deposit of oil through wave action.
As they await a final go-ahead from U.S. authorities, HeiQ representatives explained how the vast impact of the oil spill was the “driving force” behind the development of the cutting-edge technology.
snip
They have come up with a solution to our problem of oil stained beaches.
to Joan in SC…. 11 innocent hard working PEOPLE lost their lives! I like animals too, but DANG!
Is it true that BP is renting boats from people and if they do not get they clean after they are used they will pay for the boat. This does not seem true.
Is it so that BP is renting boats from people to use in the clean up. If they do not get boat clean after the clean up they will replace the boat. I heard they were paying a lot to rent boats. This does not seem true.
Where are the skimmers…cant they see the slicks coming ? Then send the skimmers to the slick…especially in the beach areas…DUH ! Where are the elected officials…maybe they should be riding with the skimmers…oh thats right…there aint no A/C on them boats…they are sitting back smoking as fat cuban cigar paid for by BP making comments
President Obama – you are welcome to visit our Sugar White Beaches anytime….but could you come with a little integrity next time…OH…and bring a shovel. After your done scooping up some oil, you can clean up the bull you keep trying to shove in our faces.
You know this same situation happened back in 79′ it will get better, but the leak has to be stopped first, and I believe we may want to start with ourselves, if we didn’t need the oil, we would’nt be buying it. Its called supply and demand and until another source of fuel is found it may happen again, (I just dont see everyone parking thier vehicles) but I hope they have a plan by then because nothing has changed as far as what is being done to stop it. They have learned no new techniques since 79′ and the drilling is much deeper now. I have lived here most of my life and I remember when u could see the beach from the road, it has built up so much since then…………….
the judge in new orleans that overturned the moratorium is invested in offshore oil and bp can not handle this catastrophe
click here.
This is a mess, and BP could have done a much better job, but in truth, this should have never happened. If Trans Ocean’s BOPs would have worked, there would not have been a blowout. That’s what they are there for, to prevent a blowout when everything else fails!
As for the government, the administration is doing a very good job, while the Republicans are appoligizing to BP for having the pay to clean up this mess.
on the bright side (if there is one) – the dispersant’s may have stuck it together so that larger amounts can be cleared at one time.
we have not seen anything yet – if there are hurricanes much much more will come up. desperately trying to find a bright side – maybe better on the shores then in the water? really reaching here.
i to am very disappointed that obama is hiding unable to face this situation and reach out for help. like katerina the world is reaching out – and like katerina the presidents are hiding out.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m sorry for your loss… and painfully aware of how y’all must be feeling. We’ve been getting slathered with this toxic crap for weeks on end over here.
BP was the first major oil company and one of the first major corporations to jump on Al Gore’s green bandwagon. They changed their name from British Petroleum to Beyound Petroleum and painted all fo thier service stations green. The PR (BS) seemed to have worked well for them until now. They still take out full page ads in all of the major news papers. More PR (BS). It worked well for them the first time so why not try it again. Are we feeling just a little bit gullible about now for swallowing there go green, we love Al Gore, environmently friendly BS (PR)?
drill baby drill!
THANK YOU BP – NOT!!!!!
“Our beautiful beaches ruined forever…as there is no way to ever clean up all this mess.”
Are you speaking from experience, ie is this a FACT, or are you talking out of your *ss? Sure would like to know what your qualifications are to make a statement like this.
As a resident of Charleston, SC, also a beach town, I am so devastated to see what is happening along the Gulf Coast. Now it has reached Pensacola, which has some of the most beautiful beaches along the Gulf Coast. I can only hope that this disaster can be stopped and cleaned up before ruining the rest of Florida’s coast line. Also, I would like to say a prayer for all the innocent little animals, birds and fish who have lost their lives to this catastrophe.
Obama has dropped the ball again. He refused help from the Dutch govt. who had an abundance of skimming ships to help clean the oil. He also had the coast guard stop three barges that were equipped with skimmers to pick the oil up. This man is a disgrace to all the former presidents who held that office. First it was healthcare that is a BIG JOKE. If you pay for it you can’t use it. You would be better off to quit your job, go on welfare and hold your hand out like soooooo many do in this country. Next it will be cap and trade. Please wake up democrats and just admit you made a mistake by voting for the un qaulified , ego maniac. Your kids and grandkids will feel the pain of what he has already done !!!
This just absolutly breaks my heart =’( this is the only thing pensacola fl has to offer me and now its ruined! this is my happy place, most of my fun memories are from this beach i was raised at this beach… i am seriously depressed about this and even worse i really wish i could warn the innocent animals =(!!!
This make me so sick! Our beautiful beaches ruined forever…as there is no way to ever clean up all this mess.