| The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill Prepared by the Joint Information Center UPDATED July 27, 2010 7 PM |
| * For a full timeline of the Administration-wide response, visit the White House Blog. PAST 24 HOURS Admiral Allen and NOAA Administrator Lubchenco Provide an Update on the BP Oil Spill Response National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen and NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco provided a briefing to inform the American public and answer questions on the administration-wide response to the BP oil spill. A full transcript is available here. Admiral Allen discussed the ongoing preparations for the static kill procedure and drilling the relief well. He also briefed on a barge that crashed into a state-owned well near Barataria Bay, La.—approximately 6,000 feet of boom has been positioned around the well to contain the oil. Dr. Lubchenco gave a detailed description of the scientific analysis NOAA is conducting to determine the fate of oil that has leaked into the Gulf. “NOAA scientists are deployed throughout the Gulf helping to assess where the oil has gone, where it will go and to determine the extent of the damages to the Gulf seacoast system,” Lubchenco said. “We know that a significant amount of the oil has disbursed and been biodegraded by naturally occurring bacteria. Bacteria that breaks down oil are naturally abundant in the Gulf of Mexico in large part because of the warm water there and the conditions afforded by nutrients and oxygen availability.” “While there’s more analysis to be done to exactly quantify the rate of biodegradation, early indications show that the light crude oil is being, is biodegrading quickly. When oil is dispersed into smaller bits from the use of dispersants or by weathering it’s even easier for the bacteria to get to it and to consume it,” she continued. “We’re currently doing a very careful analysis to better understand where the oil has gone and where the remaining impacts are most likely to occur. To do this we’re working with the best scientific minds in the government as well as independent scientific community to produce an estimate of just how much oil has been skimmed, burned, contained, evaporated and dispersed.” Seismic and Acoustic Testing Continue to Ensure the Integrity of the Wellhead In order to ensure the integrity of the wellhead and search for and respond to anomalies, the research vessel Geco Topaz is conducting seismic surveys of the seafloor around the wellhead, and the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter is conducting acoustic surveys—part of continued efforts to use the best scientific tools available in response to the BP oil spill. As of this morning, the pressure continues to rise, demonstrating that it has integrity, and is currently at 6,928 pounds per square inch. Preparations Continue to Resume Relief Well Drilling Development Driller III has completed running the riser and latched onto the wellhead and is preparing to remove the storm packer and perform a well conditioning run. Development Driller II is conducting maintenance and will hold operations and await results of the DDIII relief well. Before suspending operations, Development Driller III had drilled the first relief well to a depth of 17,864 feet below the Gulf surface and Development Driller II had drilled the second relief well—a redundancy measure taken at the direction of the administration—to a depth of 15,963 feet below the surface. EPA Continues to Monitor Air, Water and Sediment Quality along the Gulf Coast Sediment results collected along the Gulf Coast on July 14 found combined PAHs (poly-aromatic hydrocarbons) exceeding aquatic chronic water benchmarks. At this level, these oil related organic compounds may cause risk to aquatic life. To see all EPA data on air, water and sediment quality relating to the BP oil spill, click here. EPA officials also met with local elected officials and residents in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. FWS Personnel Continue Wildlife Rescue and Recovery Missions Across the Region At the St. Vincent’s National Wildlife Refuge, FWS staff excavated and relocated Loggerhead sea turtle eggs. From the Houma, La., Incident Command Post, 245 personnel, 84 vessels and 4 helicopters participated in reconnaissance and wildlife rescue and recovery missions. From the Mobile, Ala., Incident Command Post, 24 two-person wildlife recovery teams and 24 support personnel participated in wildlife recovery operations and received 24 calls on the Wildlife Hotline. To report oiled wildlife, call (866) 557-1401. Approved SBA Economic Injury Assistance Loans Surpass $17 Million SBA has approved 195 economic injury assistance loans to date, totaling more than $17 million for small businesses in the Gulf Coast impacted by the BP oil spill. Additionally, the agency has granted deferments on 707 existing SBA disaster loans in the region, totaling more than $3.7 million per month in payments. For information on assistance loans for affected businesses, visit the SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/ Administration Continues to Oversee BP’s Claims Process; More than $250 Million Disbursed The administration will continue to hold the responsible parties accountable for repairing the damage, and repaying Americans who’ve suffered a financial loss as a result of the BP oil spill. To date, 130,856 claims have been opened, from which more than $250 million have been disbursed. No claims have been denied to date. There are 1,230 claims adjusters on the ground. To file a claim, visit www.bp.com/claims or call BP’s helpline at 1-800-440-0858. Those who have already pursued the BP claims process and are not satisfied with BP’s resolution can call the Coast Guard at (800) 280-7118. Additional information about the BP claims process and all available avenues of assistance can be found at www.disasterassistance.gov. |
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