Escalating Clash between Oceanographers and Obama Administration over Oil Spill Secrecy

[The Straight Story]

Escalating Clash between Oceanographers and Obama Administration over Oil Spill Secrecy


Scientists fear the Obama administration either doesn’t know or doesn’t want to know how much damage the Deepwater Horizon accident has caused the Gulf of Mexico. Experts are growing increasingly frustrated with how little scientific information has been released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on the amount of oil that has flowed from the broken well and what it might be doing to the marine ecosystem.

So far not a single water test result from the deep ocean, where much of the oil may be residing, has been publicly released by the NOAA. Some scientists believe the Obama administration has been reluctant to push BP, owner of the Deepwater Horizon, to turn over its own ocean samples and data.

“It seems baffling that we don’t know how much oil is being spilled,” said oceanographer Sylvia Earle at a congressional hearing. “It seems baffling that we don’t know where the oil is in the water column.”

Ian MacDonald, an oceanographer at Florida State University, who has questioned the official estimate that 210,000 gallons of oil a day have been discharged from the well, has accused BP of wanting to “hide the body” by withholding information about the spill.

The Obama administration has responded to criticism by citing the fact the government has deployed more than 1,100 ships to contain the spill from reaching the shoreline. But few of these vessels are conducting any kind of scientific research in the Gulf.

http://www.allgov.com/Top_Stories/ViewNews/Escalating_Clash_between_Oceanographers_and_Obama_Administration_over_Oil_Spill_Secrecy_100521

[Lerkfish]

1. just curious how these one thousand ships are stopping the oil

legit question.

[dgibby]

3. Obviously, they're not! n/t

[Lerkfish]

4. yes, obviously, since the oil is reaching shore, but seriously, what were they intended

to be doing? All I know for sure is the coast guard is being used to threaten to arrest reporters.

as far as I know, that is the only function I've heard of that these ships are doing.

I'm curious what logistically they were supposed to? booms? what?

[barbtries]

5. i think that's an excellent question

if they're not there to conduct research and be part of the solution, exactly what are they doing there? oh, yeah...protecting BP and keeping the truth from getting out? makes sense to me.

[dgibby]

7. Aiding and abetting BP and the Govt in keeping us in the dark,

as far as I can tell. God, this is sooo depressing (and maddening)!

[Karenina]

18. The Coast Guard DOES understand proper booming

Rant by a VERY ANGRY worker (WARNING GRAPHIC LANGUAGE):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx8kMXufu3w

[CrispyQ]

23. That bird on the beach was one of the saddest things I've ever seen.

I have no words.

[Webster Green]

2. So scientists and the media are both banned from reporting on this.

That's lovely.

WTF is going on? This is bullshit!

[bahrbearian]

6. I wonder if he is a share holder?

[bvar22]

8. And we thought we were getting rid of an "Anti-Science" White House...

...AND ushering in a "new era of transparency."

Which way to the "Hope" parade?
:shrug:

[HCE SuiGeneris]

9. There's been a "Change" in venues.

:grr:

[Bluebear]

24. .

[ima_sinnic]

10. but if we complain about this, we "want Obama to fail" and "blame him for the leak"

so I'll just be quiet like a good little Democrat and wait for the oil to get into my pond way up here in Maine.

[Bluebear]

12. You just wanted President Palin!

:cry:

[ima_sinnic]

14. at this point, would it have made any difference?

:argh:

[readmoreoften]

19. You want President Pony Clinton Leftbagger Edwards-Sex-Scandal Palin and you hate America.

[Bluebear]

21. That about covers it

:)

[blindpig]

11. k&r

Expropriate without compensation.

[kenny blankenship]

13. I am ashamed of this adminstration's complicity in covering for BP.

It's a disgrace to the country, and I would say for the Democratic Party too, but...

Well let's just say it's shames the memory of the Democratic Party.

[CrispyQ]

15. And this:

http://www.truthout.org/news-brief-the-dow-jones-falls-below-10000-and-more59722

snip...

As the federal government sends water and soil samples to labs to determine liability claims against BP for the growing oil spill, some people fear possible conflicts of interest, reported The New York Times. Most samples are being sent to a laboratory in Texas whose biggest clients are oil firms, including BP. Taylor Kirschenfeld, an environmental official for Escambia County, Florida, sent his water samples to a local laboratory instead, rebuffing instructions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to send them to the Texas lab. Kirschenfeld also said local animal rescue workers volunteered to help treat birds affected by the oil slick and collect data that will be used to calculate penalties for BP, but were told by federal officials that the work could only be done by a company hired by BP.

"Everywhere you look, if you look, you start seeing these conflicts of interest in how this disaster is getting handled," Kirschenfeld said. "I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but there is just too much overlap between these people."

[bettyellen]

20. oh no

[progressoid]

25. It just keeps getting worse and worse.

[TexasObserver]

16. This is becoming a tune that is all too familiar.

[Bluebear]

17. k/r

[amborin]

22. K&R