VENICE, Louisiana, May 1, (AFP) - Oil from a giant Gulf of Mexico slick washed onto Louisiana shores Saturday, threatening an environmental calamity, as two neighbouring states declared a state of emergency. With up to 200,000 gallons of oil a day spewing into the Gulf of Mexico from a ruptured well, the accident stemming from a sunken offshore rig may soon rival the Exxon Valdez disaster as the worst oil spill in US history.
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| A pelican flies over the Gulf of Mexico where oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon wellhead continues to spread south of Venice. REUTERS |
US federal and state officials warned British Petroleum that its resources appeared insufficient for the task at hand as southeast winds blew the first oily strands of the slick directly onto coastal wetlands in Louisiana. “I do have concerns that BP's resources are not adequate,” said Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. “I urge them to seek more help from the federal government and others,” he said at a press briefing. As he issued his appeal, the neighbouring states of Alabama and Mississippi declared a state of emergency due to the imminent threat of the slick approaching their coastlines.
“With our natural resources, our businesses and our coastal communities in harm's way, Alabama can't afford to take anything for granted,” state governor Bob Riley said in a statement. Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi said he had ordered the Mississippi National Guard to help local officials with the emergency response.
The oil's approach forced Louisiana to close shrimping grounds and oyster beds, as a massive effort involving state, federal and BP resources struggled to combat the slick.
Officials declined to specify the size of the spill, which measured at least 600 squares miles (1,500 square kilometers) on Wednesday when the Coast Guard said oil was leaking at a rate of 5,000 barrels a day, five times faster than previously thought.
President Barack Obama said some 1,900 federal response personnel were in the area with 300 boats and aircraft.
“We've laid 217,000 feet of protected boom and there are more on the way,”he said in Washington. He said he had asked Interior Secretary Ken Salazar “to conduct a thorough review of this incident and report back to me in 30 days” on precautions required to prevent a recurrence of such a disaster. Salazar joined Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Environmental Protection Agency chief Lisa Jackson in surveying the slick and containment efforts in Louisiana on Friday.
The White House also put new domestic offshore oil drilling on hold until the disaster has been fully investigated and sent teams to the Gulf Coast “to inspect all deep water rigs and platforms to address safety concerns.” |
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