Gulf coast oil spill

[ZenGum]

Take the blue pill.

It is normal and natural to have small, occasional leaks of oil from the sea floor. The ocean can deal with a few thousand gallons here and there. How much is coming from sources outside the main well-head?

the oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico is not just coming from the 22 inch well bore site being shown on American television, but from at least 18 other sites on the “fractured seafloor” with the largest being nearly 11 kilometers (7 miles) from where the Deepwater Horizon sank and is spewing into these precious waters an estimated 2 million gallons of oil a day.

This is potentially misleading. The well head is leaking appx 2 million gallons per day. The way it is written, one could easily think that the other leaks are leaking at that rate.
Further, the article suggests that the well hole is fractured beneath the surface and this is leaking though permeable shallow rock in the area to feed the other leaks. The article suggests that this means that capping the well won't contani the other leaks.
However, the mud/concrete plug is to fill the well hole for hundreds, maybe thousands of feet. If it goes as planned, it WILL cut off all oil to the near-sea-floor region.

Speaking as one of the worst doom-saying worrywarts in the Cellar, I think this article is BS. The plug should work, eventually - might take a few tries - and this will stop any major associated leaking. Minor leaking is tolerable. They will not nuke it. No way.

I'm more concerned about hurricane season. Alex went well off to the east, but still screwed with the containment operations. Sooner or later, a storm is going to make a direct hit. Gonna be ... interesting...

Oh while I'm at it ...

However, I believe that when it comes to protecting America - jobs, land, wildlife, industry etc ... that IS our Govt's responsibility.

Can't help but notice that things like people and rights aren't on this list ... but then, I'm a stinkin' socialist pinko type.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

I'm more concerned about hurricane season. Alex went well off to the east, but still screwed with the containment operations. Sooner or later, a storm is going to make a direct hit. Gonna be ... interesting...

I'm not worried about a hurricane. worst case scenario is that they have to remove the cap entirely and leave the area for several days while the hurricane passes through. That will increase the spill for those days, which is bad, but it's not like they are collecting all the oil spilling out anyway.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Can't help but notice that things like people and rights aren't on this list ... but then, I'm a stinkin' socialist pinko type.

Nice way to misrepresent my points. That alone was a key...
What do they have to do with the spill?