We only have 20 Skimmers off the coast cleaning this oil up when there are over 2000 in the United States. The reasoning is that they need to stay in other areas in case of an oil spill? Love what he says in this video about that. It is like saying we can't send a firetruck to your house because another house may burn down in that area. Obama acts as if he doesn't care. (heard he cut a stroke off his handicap in his two rounds of golf last week though.)
Not to mention we refused help for the first 5 weeks when we could have contained most of it and kept it off the shore. Obama said we are at war here and this is how he fights it? With one hand behind his back and a bitch slap? He is too weak and indecisive to run this country!!!
They stopped this even though 2 of them are almost done and asked them to move 2 miles further out to sea which will take 7-10 days to get going again. How much more of our coastline and wildlife will be destroyed in those 7-10 days when they have a good jump on it now? And no one seems to know who is making these decisions and why Obama won't return calls to tell them.
And in the meantime he went golfing twice last week. Serious? This is the leader of our country? He has no clue what is going on anywhere! He is totally lost! Either that or he really doen't care what is happening there. He has fumbled this every step of the way. Any President who knew how to take action rather than form committees telling him what to say and think, would have had Skimmers from other nations in here int he first week and had the Berm's being built weeks ago and not hesitated.
So what was Obama's definitive action? Shut down 33 rigs that will cost over $30 billion and over 50,000 jobs. Add to this all his failed policies, helping illegal immigrants, and spending more than all other Presidents in history to put us into a debt that we may never come out of and it really is looking like he is intentionally trying to hurt America.
rofllol I knew that was coming. Just wasn't sure who would do it. Glad I could give you a reason not to talk about the real issue and topic of the thread.
I'm sorry. I was posting after you posted "photo ops gone bad" Viking. What did that have to do with the real issue and topic of the thread? Huh? You went off topic first, I just gave equal time to another famous photo op.
So now back on topic. Is there anyone who wants to chime in on these two stories? How obama has continued to screw up this clean up and delay it and not accept help and only use 1% of the Skimmers available for the largest spill in US history? Why won't he really attack this and get it cleaned up before it huts the shores? Now they are stopping the Berms for over a week? Why? Why let all that oil get onto our shores?
Viking - while I will start by saying that I don't dispute that the cleanup response has been sadly underwhelming, I'd hesitate to totally believe Lemieux until I can find independently verified numbers. From what I've searched it seems that he's only counting far offshore skimmers sent to Florida. There are very likely more near-shore skimmers to include in the count, and other types of collection vessels, as well as other states that have them. Do you have any other source for the numbers he's quoting, including the total number of skimmers available in the U.S.?
I'd guess that part of the problem as to why there aren't enough boats is that the size of this spill was vastly underestimated (and under-reported by BP) and the response time in catching up and moving vehicles to the site is the rate-limiting step, not the lack of desire or incompetence. The Dutch offer was for 4 skimmers - doesn't seem like much help, but maybe they are larger capacity? There's also an issue with possible contamination with where they discard what they collect? I wasn't clear on those stories I saw - there was a reason that the Obama administration initally rejected their help and it seemed to go along those sort of lines, but clarification would help.
As for the sand berm dredging halt - here's the only story I could find explaining why it was halted (actually it weren't permanently halted, just the borrow site was moved further offshore and pipe must be added to reach the new site) but at least it gives another side to the picture.
http://www.louisianapreppersnetwork.com ... alted.html
Contractors are now working to extend the pipe a mile farther out to the alternative sand borrow site. Once that is done, likely within seven days, the state will be able to proceed with the dredging.
The concern with the current borrow site is that sand circulating in the island system could become trapped in the borrow pit, thus accelerating land loss throughout the Chandeleur chain. The federal government believes a site farther offshore would pose less of a risk.
By the Numbers to Date:
* Approximately 37,000 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife and cleanup vital coastlines.
* More than 6,300 vessels are currently responding on site, including skimmers, tugs, barges, and recovery vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts—in addition to dozens of aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units.
* Approximately 171 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled—approximately 34 miles in Louisiana, 41 miles in Mississippi, 42 miles in Alabama, and 54 miles in Florida. These numbers reflect a daily snapshot of shoreline currently experiencing impacts from oil so that planning and field
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
