16 Burning Questions About The Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill That We Deserve Some Answers To

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is a national nightmare that seems to have no ending.  Every day new details come out that are even more shocking than what we learned the day before.  The truth is that life will never be the same in the Gulf of Mexico or for those who live along the Gulf coast.  Now Barack Obama has made a big Oval Office speech and has tried to convince all of us that he is in charge of the crisis.  Well, perhaps if he had tried to take decisive action a month ago the American people may have rallied around him.  But right now the BP/government response to this disaster remains completely and totally chaotic.  Nobody seems to be able to stop the leak, and BP has made the environmental nightmare far worse by dumping over a million gallons of highly toxic dispersants into the Gulf.  U.S. government officials are running around holding press conferences and waiting for BP to do something.  Meanwhile oil is pouring ashore and toxic gases are being detected at very alarming levels.  The biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history is also quickly becoming one of the biggest economic disasters and potentially one of the biggest public health disasters.
The truth is that the American people deserve some answers about what in the world is going on down there in the Gulf.  BP does not own the Gulf of Mexico and they have no right to keep the American people from seeing what is happening.  There are some very serious health and environmental questions that have been raised in the media recently, but both BP and the U.S. government are not giving us any answers.
But we need some answers.  People are getting sick.  Crops are dying.  Wildlife is being devastated.  Birds are flocking north by the thousands.
But BP and the U.S. government continue to treat us as though we are on a "need to know" basis and that what we "need to know" is not much.
Actually, much of what they have decided to tell us throughout this crisis has turned out to be lies anyway.
The truth is that it is about darn time that someone started telling it to us straight.
The following are 16 questions about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that we really need some answers to....
#1) Barack Obama has authorized the deployment of more than 17,000 National Guard members along the Gulf coast to be used "as needed" by state governors.  So what are all of these National Guard troops going to be doing exactly?  Are the troops going to be used to stop the oil or to control the public?
#2) Barack Obama has also announced the creation of a "Gulf recovery czar" who will be in charge of overseeing the restoration of the Gulf of Mexico region following the oil spill.  So is appointing a "czar" Obama's idea of taking charge of a situation?

#3) Because it is so incredibly toxic, the UK's Marine Management Organization has completely banned Corexit 9500, so if there was a major oil spill in the UK's North Sea, BP would not be able to use it.  So why is BP being allowed to use Corexit 9500 in the Gulf of Mexico?

#4) It is being reported that 2.61 parts per million of Corexit 9500 (mixed with oil at a ratio of 1:1o) is lethal to 50% of fish exposed to it within 96 hours.  That means that 1 gallon of Corexit 9500/oil mixture is capable of rendering 383,141 gallons of water highly toxic to fish.  So why was BP allowed to dump 1,021,000 gallons of Corexit 9500 and Corexit 9527 into the Gulf of Mexico, and why aren't they being stopped from dumping another 805,000 gallons of these dispersants that they have on order into the Gulf?
#5) If these dispersants are so incredibly toxic to fish, what are they going to do to crops?  What are they going to do to people?
#6) If the smell of the oil on some Gulf beaches is already so strong that it burns your nostrils, then what in the world is this oil doing to to wildlife that encounter it?
#7) Is it a bad sign that birds from the Gulf region are flocking north by the thousands?
#8) Why is BP being allowed to use private security contractors to keep the American people away from the oil cleanup sites?
#9) Why is BP openly attempting to manipulate the search results on sites like Google and Yahoo?
#10) Why has the FAA shut down the airspace above the Gulf of Mexico oil spill?  What don't they want the American people to see?

#11) Senator Bill Nelson of Florida says that there are reports that there are additional ruptures in the sea floor from which oil is leaking.  If there are quite a few of these additional ruptures, then how in the world does BP expect to completely stop this oil leak?
#12) Why are scientists finding concentrations of methane at up to 10,000 times normal background levels in Gulf waters?
#13) At some testing stations in the Gulf of Mexico, levels of benzene have been detected at over 3000 parts per billion, and levels of hydrogen sulfide have been detected as high as 1192 parts per billion.  Considering that these levels would be highly toxic to humans, why hasn't the general public been warned?
#14) Why are so many Gulf oil spill disaster workers showing up at local hospitals complaining of a "mysterious illness"?
#15) If "70% or 80%" of the protective booms are doing absolutely nothing at all to stop the oil, then what is going to stop the millions of gallons of oil in the Gulf from eventually reaching shore?
#16) It is being reported that the deepsea oil plumes are creating huge "dead zones" where all creatures are dying as they are deprived of oxygen.  If this oil spill continues to grow could the vast majority of the Gulf of Mexico become one gigantic "dead zone"?
***UPDATE***
A reader named Stacy has posted a very alarming comment regarding what is happening in her area down in Florida that we wanted to share with everyone....
We live in the navarre, florida area and in the past week almost every family we know has had vomiting and diarreha. This could just be anecdotal – maybe we just have a stomach bug circulating, but it is strange. We had a huge storm the week before it happened that blew in from the gulf so who knows.
Also, the city of destin, florida has taken it upon themselves to close the destin pass with their own purchased boom and barges. This is an elite destination and they are not waiting around for bp and their hired prison workers to clean the beaches. Apparently, the coast guard was at the meeting and told the locals that they will face criminal prosecution, but they don’t care. They are protecting their million dollar properties.


http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/16-burning-questions-about-the-gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill-that-we-deserve-some-answers-to



BP Death Clouds Already Onshore! Benzene-3400ppb & Hyrdrogen Sulfide-1200ppb

Published on 06-14-2010
Source: WWL4

http://www.blacklistednews.com/news-9254-0-6-6--.html

Number : FDC 0/5100 Download shapefiles Issue Date : June 09, 2010 at 2155 UTC Location : . GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL AND AFFECTED COASTLINE. THIS NO, United States Beginning Date and Time : Effective Immediately Ending Date and Time : Until further notice Reason for NOTAM : DUE TO CHANGE IN PHONE NUMBER IN PARAGRAPH 10 Type : Hazards Replaced NOTAM(s) : N/A Pilots May Contact : Houma air operations center (ZHU) Center, 985-493-7607 Jump To:       Affected Areas Operating Restrictions and Requirements Other Information Affected Area(s) Top Airspace Definition: Region bounded by: Latitude: Longitude: FRD: From: 29º05'00"N 90º40'00"W LEV258030.1 To: 30º00'00"N 89º00'00"W GPT169024.7 To: 30º00'00"N 87º00'00"W To: 28º00'00"N 87º00'00"W PFN208149.6 To: 28º00'00"N 90º40'00"W LEV201076.3 To: 29º05'00"N 90º40'00"W LEV258030.1 Altitude: From the surface up to and including 3000 feet AGL

Operating Restrictions and Requirements Top No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this NOTAM (except as described). Pursuant to 14 CFR section 91.137(a)(1) temporary flight restrictions are in effect for deepwater horizon/mississippi canyon (mc252) incident cleanup and reconstitution operations an area bounded by: 290500n/0904000w or the leeville /lev/ vortac 258 degree radial at 30.1 NM to 300000n/0890000w or the gulfport /gpt/ vortac 169 degree radial at 24.7 NM to 300000n/0870000w or the crestview /cew/ vortac 196 degree radial at 52.2 NM to 280000n/0870000w or the panama city /pfn/ vortac 208 degree radial at 149.6 NM to 280000n/0904000w or the leeville /lev/ vortac 201 degree radial at 76.3 NM to the point of beginning at and below 3000 feet AGL excluding the airspace outside of 12 nautical miles from the us coastline. This area is also depicted on U.S. Gulf coast VFR aeronautical chart id helgc as an area bounded from south pelto 2/sp02 then to south pass 6/sp06 then to chandler 39/ch39 then to pensacola 984/pe984 then to desoto canyon 635/dc635 to south timbalair 242/st242 and then back to original point. All aircraft operations are prohibited except those flights authorized by ATC, routine flights supporting offshore oil operations; federal, state, local and military flight operations supporting oil spill recovery and reconstitution efforts; and air medical and law enforcement operations. All pilots operating within and near this area including the shoreline should exercise extreme caution due to the numerous low level operations associated with the deepwater horizon/mc-252 incident 3000 feet and below. Aircraft involved in these operations may make sudden changes in direction, speed, and altitude. For additional information, participating aircraft altitude assignments and awareness, all pilots are recommended to review the following web site dedicated to the aviation cleanup efforts at: https://1afnorth.Region1.Ang.Af.Mil/deepwater_spill/default.Aspx The incident commander has directed that aircraft participating in the deepwater horizon/mc252 incident, operate at the altitudes assigned by mission type unless otherwise directed. Oil industry aircraft on routine support missions within the TFR area should not operate below 1500 feet weather permitting until within 2 nautical miles of their landing platform/site and remain on. Their assigned mode 3a code at all times. Flights within the temporary flight restriction area should be conducted under visual meteorological conditions (vmc). In the event instrument meteorological conditions (imc) conditions are encountered, pilot's should attempt to maintain VFR to the maximum extent possible or contact ATC for further instructions or exit the TFR via the safest route. Participating aircraft in the recovery efforts are required to contact houma air operations at 985-493-7607 for assigned work area and mode 3a beacon code assignments. Aircraft shall squawk the assigned mode 3a beacon code at all times while inside the TFR. With the exception of aircraft conducting aerial chemical dispersing operations;no fixed wing aircraft are authorized below 1000 feet above the surface unless for landing and takeoff For additional information on air operations within the deepwater horizon TFR see website: https://1afnorth.Region1.Ang.Af.Mil/deepwater_spill/default.Aspx. Pilots are advised to check notams frequently for possible changes prior to operating in this area. Exceptions: operations not covered by the above authorizations may be permitted on a case-by-case basis dependent upon safety issues, operational requirements, weather conditions, and traffic volume. Flights authorized under this exception must be conducted under visual flight rules. Pilots requesting flights under this exception must contact the houma deepwater horizon incident air operations center at 985-493-7804 between the hours of 0600-1800 cst, a minimum of 24 hours prior to desired flight time. Operators should be prepared to provide precise details of their requested flight including: pilots name and contact information, company/organization, purpose of flight, type aircraft, callsign, ingress/egress points and times, requested altitude and route of flight. Pilots will then be provided with additional instructions for obtaining final approval and beacon code assignment. Any aircraft observing oil while operating in the gulf of mexico should report the location to the oil reporting hotline at 866-557-1401 upon landing. Report should include lat/longs of the oil and time observed. Pilots should be aware that flights approved under this exception are subject to last minute change or cancellation due to the dynamic nature of this event. Houma air operations center at 985-493-7607 is the coordination facility. For information about this NOTAM contact the system operations support center (SOSC) at 202-267-8276

http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_0_5100.html