Is there an Administration explanation

[Another Bill C.]

for not accepting offers of help from other countries in cleaning up the BP spill? I see lots of conjecture on various forums but can't find the real thing.
http://www.topix.net/forum/source/twincities-pioneer-press/TOTJKHLK75V9RIVT2/p4

[sandnsea]

1. This is from May 19

It has been repeated in various forms, from various officials, since then and before. They're accepting booms now, because they're needed now. They just recently accepted booms from San Francisco. Did they refuse booms from San Francisco in May out of arrogance?? No. They didn't need them before. All this conjecture is such a stupid waste of time. If someone actually has something for the specific type of oil in the gulf, do share, just like Kevin Costner did.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2010/05/142017.htm


QUESTION: Can you update us on how many countries have offered assistance?


MR. DUGUID: It’s still at 17.


QUESTION: Still at 17?


MR. DUGUID: Yes.


QUESTION: Can you tell us why none of those have been accepted so far?


MR. DUGUID: I don’t know that none of them have been accepted. I know that BP has accepted some directly without going to the U.S. The offers were mostly for booms and dispersants. There are some offers of support which come in the form of “If you let us know what you need, we’ll be happy to see if we can provide that.” There are others that were for equipment that the U.S. or BP had in supply at the time and was not running short. So there were different types of offers, and I have an understanding that BP may have accepted one or two. I don’t have the details of that.


QUESTION: Just on what maybe they have accepted, I think when P.J. first told us about some of the things he listed as being offered were expertise. And it sounds like they could use as much as they can get right now, seeing that they haven’t been able to stop the damn thing. Can you tell us --


MR. DUGUID: We’ll let BP decide on what expertise they do need.


QUESTION: So it was up to BP earlier? It’s not your decision?


MR. DUGUID: The decision on what to accept is being done for the U.S. Government by the Coast Guard. They are the authoritative agency to make those decisions. BP, being a private company, can accept the help that is offered to it directly. We don’t control that. However, the expertise that is there in the Gulf is working very hard to try and contain this spill and to cap that – cap the well.


QUESTION: (Inaudible) tell us why the U.S. Government hasn’t accepted any of it yet?


MR. DUGUID: Again, we are ready to accept as soon as we feel we need the offers that are on the table. The booms and the dispersants on offer were not needed at the time, but they were made. We are keeping an eye on what supplies we do need. And as we see that our supplies are running low, it may be at that point in time to accept offers from particular governments. But we haven’t done so at this moment, as far as I know.


QUESTION: On Iran, after yesterday’s session, you got feedback from the members, and when

[customerserviceguy]

2. Whatever the reason

it's inexcusable. The Dutch were more than willing to help us from the get-go, were we worried about them spying on us?

[blm]

3. Check your facts, eh...or, rather, your repetitions of RW talking points

.

[Spazito]

4. It seems this is incorrect at least as far as Canada is concerned....

The Canadian Coast Guard will send at least 3,000 metres of oil boom to help with cleanup efforts in the Gulf of Mexico, Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea announced Sunday.

snip

The boom is in addition to technical and scientific support already being provided by Canada, Shea said.

Transport Canada has provided a Dash 8 aircraft, which has been assisting with aerial surveillance of the spill along the Louisiana coast since early May.

A Canadian marine aerial reconnaissance team is also in the area and experts from the Nova Scotia-based Centre for Offshore Oil and Gas Environmental Research are advising on the effectiveness of cleanup operations.





http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/06/06/ns-canadian-boom-helps-gulf-cleanup.html