The Video BP & Big Oil Don't Want You to See
Could the Gulf Oil crisis trigger
New Madrid Seismic Zone?
The New Madrid Seismic Zone (pronounced /njuː ˈmædrɨd/), sometimes called the New Madrid Fault Line, is a major seismic zone and a prolific source of intraplate earthquakes (earthquakes within a tectonic plate) in the southern and midwestern United States, stretching to the southwest from New Madrid, Missouri.The New Madrid fault system was responsible for the 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes and may have the potential to produce large earthquakes in the future. Since 1812 frequent smaller earthquakes were recorded in the area.[1]
Earthquakes that occur there potentially threaten parts of seven U.S. states: Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi.
Geology
This weakness, possibly combined with focusing effects from mechanically stronger igneous rocks nearby, allows the relatively small east-west compressive forces that exist in the North American plate to reactivate old faults, making the area prone to earthquakes[16].
Since other rifts are known to occur in North America's stress environment but not all are associated with modern earthquakes, (for example the Midcontinent Rift System that stretches from Minnesota to Kansas), other processes could be at work to locally increase mechanical stress on the New Madrid faults. Stress changes associated with bending of the lithosphere caused by the melting of continental glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age, has been considered to play a role[17] , as well as downward pull from sinking igneous rock bodies below the fault[18]. It has also been suggested that some form of heating in the lithosphere below the area may be making deep rocks more plastic, which concentrates compressive stress in the shallower subsurface area where the faulting occurs[19]. There may be local stress from a change in the flow of the mantle beneath the NMSZ, caused by the sinking Farallon Plate, according to one model.[20]
When epicenters of modern earthquakes are plotted on a map, three trends become apparent. First is the general northeast-southwest trend paralleling the trend of the Reelfoot Rift, in Arkansas, south of where the epicenters turn northwest. This is a right-lateral strike-slip fault system parallel to the Reelfoot Rift.
The second is the southeast to northwest trend that occurs just southwest of New Madrid. This trend is a stepover thrust fault known as the Reelfoot Fault, associated with the Tiptonville dome and the impoundment of Reelfoot Lake. Epicenter locations on this fault are more spread out because the fault surface is inclined and dips into the ground, towards the south, at around forty degrees. Slip is towards the northeast. Motion on this fault in the 1811-1812 series created waterfalls on the Mississippi.
The third trend, extending northeast from the northwestern end of the Reelfoot Fault is another right-lateral strike-slip fault known as New Madrid North.
Potential for future earthquakes
In a report filed in November 2008, The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency warned that a serious earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone could result in "the highest economic losses due to a natural disaster in the United States," further predicting "widespread and catastrophic" damage across Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and particularly Tennessee, where a 7.7 magnitude quake or greater would cause damage to tens of thousands of structures affecting water distribution, transportation systems, and other vital infrastructure.[21]The potential for the recurrence of large earthquakes and their impact today on densely populated cities in and around the seismic zone has generated much research devoted to understanding in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. By studying evidence of past quakes and closely monitoring ground motion and current earthquake activity, scientists attempt to understand their causes and recurrence intervals.
Gulf of Mexico 2006 earthquake
See also: 2006 Gulf of Mexico earthquake
On September 10, 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center reported that a strong earthquake, ranking 6.0 on the Richter scale, occurred about 250 miles (400 km) west-southwest of Anna Maria, Florida, around 10:56 AM EDT. The quake was reportedly felt from Louisiana to Florida. There were no reports of major damages or casualties.[19] Items were knocked from shelves and seiches were observed in swimming pools in parts of Florida.[20] The earthquake was described by the USGS as a midplate earthquake, the largest and most widely felt recorded in the past three decades in the region.[20] According to the September 11, 2006 issue of The Tampa Tribune, earthquake tremors were last felt in Florida in 1952, recorded in Quincy, 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Tallahassee.Jack 2
Jack 2 is a test well in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Walker Ridge Block 758) that successfully extracted oil from the lower Tertiary area of the Gulf in the second quarter of 2006. The field owners Chevron, Devon Energy and Norway's Statoil drilled to about 20,000 feet below the sea floor, the wellhead being 7000 feet below sea-level,[1] for a total depth of 28,125 feet.[2] Oil flowed at more than 6,000 barrels per day.[3] At the time, it was the deepest ever successful test well in the Gulf of Mexico to date. Jack 2 is a joint venture between Chevron Corporation (50%), Devon Energy (25%), and StatoilHydro (25%).[1]Most oil in the Gulf of Mexico is found on a continental shelf in less than 1,700 feet (520 m) of water. Oil was known to exist in the deeper waters of the Gulf between 5,000 and 10,000 feet (3,000 m), but it had yet to be proven that enough could be extracted to make the venture economically successful. The Jack 2 well is 175 miles (282 km) offshore in more than 7,000 feet (2,100 m) of water. The oil was extracted after drilling through more than 20,000 feet (6,100 m) of rock beneath the ocean floor.
Jack 2 proved the existence of a new play in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The estimated oil reserves the play could contain range between 3 and 15 billion barrels. News of the find was credited for contributing to a drop in crude oil prices.[4][5] The maximum estimate of 15 billion barrels (2.4×109 m3) represents half of the total current estimate of U.S. reserves,[5][6] equal to slightly less than two years of U.S. consumption at present levels.[7]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_2
Deep sea mining
Deep sea mining is a relatively new mineral retrieval process that takes place on the ocean floor. Ocean mining sites are usually around large areas of polymetallic nodules or active and extinct hydrothermal vents at about 1,400 - 3,700 meters below the ocean’s surface.[1] The vents create sulfide deposits, which contain precious metals such as silver, gold, copper, manganese, cobalt, and zinc.[2][3] The deposits are mined using either hydraulic pumps or bucket systems that take ore to the surface to be processed. As with all mining operations, deep sea mining raises questions about environmental damages to the surrounding areas.Environmental impacts
Because deep sea mining is a relatively new field, the complete consequences of full scale mining operations are unknown. However, experts are certain that removal of parts of the sea floor will result in disturbances to the benthic layer, increased toxicity of the water column and sediment plumes from tailings.[17] Removing parts of the sea floor disturbs the habitat of benthic organisms, possibly, depending on the type of mining and location, causing permanent disturbances.[18] Aside from direct impact of mining the area, leakage, spills and corrosion would alter the mining area’s chemical makeup.Among the impacts of deep sea mining, sediment plumes could have the greatest impact. Plumes are caused when the tailings from mining (usually fine particles) are dumped back into the ocean, creating a cloud of particles floating in the water. Two types of plumes occur: near bottom plumes and surface plumes.[19] Near bottom plumes occur when the tailings are pumped back down to the mining site. The floating particles increase the turbidity, or cloudiness, of the water, clogging filter-feeding apparatuses used by benthic organisms.[20] Surface plumes cause a more serious problem. Depending on the size of the particles and water currents the plumes could spread over vast areas.[21][22] The plumes could impact zooplankton and light penetration, in turn affecting the food web of the area.[23][24]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_sea_mining
Oil Hurricanes May Cause Toxic Rain and Food Security Issues
- June 14th, 2010
Image courtesy of www.slate.com
With the current oil spill bleeding millions of gallons of toxic crude and threatening the U.S. Gulf coast, many are wondering why there is such a lapsed response time with this catastrophic emergency. Of course, a slow response time is nothing new for the government. In fact, didn’t President Bush come under fire for his lapsed response time to Hurricane Katrina? Officials are even saying that the response on the BP oil spill is worse in comparison to the response time of Katrina.
2010 Hurricane Season Will Be Very Active
Kerry Emanuel, a hurricane expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says that hotter water helps create more powerful hurricanes… Theoretically, the Gulf [water] underneath this oil slick should be getting hotter than it normally would be… You have this black surface, and it’s doing two things, Emmanuel says. “First of all it’s absorbing sunlight. And secondly, it is curtailing evaporation from the Gulf.”It’s Not What the Oil Would Do to a Hurricane, But What the Hurricane Would Do With the Oil
With the likelihood of there being multiple strong hurricanes this season, coupled with an oil spill that will not be cleaned up until the government stops dragging their feet (through the oil soaked waters), the impact of oil and dispersal agents coming ashore is a deadly combination. That brings us back to what the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources said about the oil spill threatening the eastern half of the North American Continent with ‘total devastation’.”
According to the The European Union Times, “Russian scientists are basing their apocalyptic destruction assessment due to BP’s use of millions of gallons of the chemical dispersal agent known as Corexit 9500 which is being pumped directly into the leak of this wellhead over a mile under the Gulf of Mexico water and designed, this report says, to keep hidden from the American public the full and tragic, extent of this leak that is now estimated to be over 2.9 million gallons a day.”
So what is Corexit 9500 that is being used to “pull the wool over our eyes”?
Corexit 9500 and Corexit EC9527A are chemical solvents that break up the oil into minuscule particles. The active ingredient in both Corexit 9500 and Corexit EC9527A is 60% 2-Butoxy-ethonal, a neuro toxin pesticide that can be absorbed through the skin and cause damage to both human and aquatic life, causes cancer, as well as damage to internal organs, has a history of damaging reproductive organs, as well as genetic mutations. Both of these chemicals are more toxic than oil, and can cause long term damage. The effectiveness of the chemical dispersants is mediocre at best. The effectiveness of Corexit 9500 is 54% and the effectiveness of Corexit EC9527A is 63%. Not only is the effectiveness an issue, but these dispersants do not eliminate the oil, nor do they decrease the oil’s toxicity. The worse part of this is, when mixed with the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, its molecules will transition from a liquid state into a gaseous state, which can be absored by clouds. Thus causing toxic rain.Toxic Rain Could Destroy Our Way of Life (TEOTWAWKI)
According to the European Union Times, the effects of toxic rain would theoretically destroy microbial life and potentially set off the death of our food chain as we know it. If this happens, the entire food chain would be effected by this — from beetles to birds to deer. In laymans terms, our way of life could be gravely threatened.Of course, this scenario depends entirely upon the timing of the hurricane and the direction it is headed. According to hurricane experts, if a hurricane passes to the east, the oil would be driven away from the coast. If the hurricane passes to the west of the oil slick it would bring oil ashore. And storm surges would further bring oil and chemical ladened water onto land, thus corrupting, and contaminating anything it touches. It would pollute vegetative marshes, as well as areas prone to wildlife, not to mention our food and water sources.
Due to the lack of information on this crisis, it is all speculation at this point. But what we do know is that if a person comes in contact with the fumes or dispersants from the crude, it can make them very sick and effect their respiratory system. Additionally, if a person gets crude on their skin, prompt measures need to be taken to thoroughly clean the oil off. Here is some information provided by the CDC on the effects of crude on the body and what symptoms to look out for.
The Gravity of the Situation
The reality of the situation is just as the temperature continues to increase, so does the potential threat of a hurricane or tropical storm. Those that live on the Gulf coastline should prepare earnestly for this year’s hurricane season and take preparing seriously. This situation is too big to gamble your life on. The coastlines are already vulnerable due to the crude damaging the vegetation off the coastal marshes (coastal marshes minimize the storm surges strength when it hits the coastline). Unfortunately, the government (in all of it’s infinite wisdom) is dragging their feet on yet situation another major disaster. But isn’t the lapsed response and mismanagement to major emergencies the reason most of us are prepping and becoming more self reliant? This is a potential TEOTWAWKI situation and preppers in this surrounding area should be made aware of the severity of the situation and prepare accordingly. Those that are in the area should prepare for madatory evacuations, toxic rain, stocking up on more storage food, water and medical supplies. Most importantly have a bug out location and a plan in place! Brace yourselves folks, it could get rough.
For more information regarding emergency evacuations, 72 hour bags, short term food supply and hurricane readiness go to Ready Nutrition.
Additional Reading:
Hurricanes and The Oil Spill
Track The Oil Spill
The Amount of Neurotoxin Pesticide Corexit Sprayed By BP Tops 1 Million Gallons
This article has been contributed by Tess Pennington of Ready Nutrition.Author: Contributing Author
Date: June 14th, 2010
Visit the Author's Website:
Light Crude Oil Information for Health Professionals
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About Light Crude Oil
Crude oil is a naturally occurring liquid composed mostly of hydrogen and carbon. It is usually found underground but can also be found above ground in oil seeps or tar pits. [1] Crude oil is called “liquid petroleum” as it comes out of the ground. Light crude oil is a complex mixture containing thousands of different chemicals. Light crude is relatively fluid (low viscosity), will float on water (low specific gravity). Because crude oil has a high proportion of light hydrocarbon fractions, it has a high American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity, which means it is lighter than some other types of oils.
When an Oil Spill Occurs
Light crude contains volatile organic compounds which evaporate. Thus, light crude oil will lose up to 10 to 15% of its volume immediately, and up to 25% of its volume within 24 hours. How much of its volume is lost depends on the surface-to-volume ratio of the bulk oil. Events that disperse the oil, such as a well blowout, can affect this. Thus, crude oil in a pool or tank will retain more of its volatile components than crude in an oil slick.[2]
When oil is spilled in the ocean, it initially spreads primarily on the surface of the water. How much it spreads depends on its relative density and composition. The oil slick formed may remain cohesive, or, if seas are rough, it may break up. Waves, water currents, and wind can force the oil slick to drift over large areas, impacting the open ocean, coastal areas, and marine and terrestrial habitats in the path of the drift.
Oil that contains volatile organic compounds partially evaporates, losing 20 to 40 percent of its mass and becoming denser and more viscous. A small percentage of oil may dissolve in the water. The oil residue also can spread almost invisibly in the water or combine with water to form a thick mousse-like substance. Part of the oil waste may sink with suspended particulate matter, and the remainder eventually congeals into sticky tar balls.
Over time, oil waste deteriorates (weathers) and disintegrates because of exposure to sunlight (photolysis) and biodegradation. The rate of biodegradation depends on the availability of nutrients, oxygen, and microorganisms, as well as temperature. [3]
Tar Balls and Health
Although not recommended, for most people, an occasional brief contact with a small amount of oil will do no harm. However, some people are especially sensitive to chemicals, including the hydrocarbons found in crude oil and petroleum products. They may have an allergic reaction, or develop dermatitis or a skin rash, even from brief contact with oil. In general, dermal contact with oil should be avoided.
If contact occurs, wash the area with soap and water; baby oil; petroleum jelly or a widely used, safe cleaning compound such as the cleaning paste sold at auto parts stores.
Avoid using solvents, gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, or similar products on the skin. These hydrocarbon-based products, when applied to skin, may present a greater health hazard than the smeared tar ball itself. [3]
Prolonged skin contact
Prolonged skin contact with crude oil and petroleum products can cause skin erythema (reddening), edema (swelling), and burning. The skin effects can worsen by subsequent exposure to sunlight, because trace contaminants in the oil, such as the PAHs, are more toxic when exposed to light. Skin contact can result in defatting of the skin, increasing the possibility of dermatitis and secondary skin infections.
Some persons may be, or may become, sensitive to the crude oil. Depending on the amount and duration of exposure, skin contact with crude oil may be mildly to moderately irritating; in a sensitive individual, the skin effects may be more pronounced after a smaller or shorter exposure.
Ingestion
Swallowing crude oil, unless in large quantities (e.g., > eight ounces) is unlikely to result in more than transient nausea, possibly vomiting, gastrointestinal tract disturbances, and self-limiting diarrhea. However, vomiting and subsequent aspiration of hydrocarbons such as crude oil may result in significant lung injury. [2]
Casualty Care Issues
Skin Contamination: Generally, the presence of crude oil on the patient should present no major complications; it can be wiped off whenever convenient in the treatment process. Even so, two warnings should be noted:
- Oil and oxygen-enriched atmospheres are potentially explosive. Hands oily from removing oily clothing from patients can be sufficiently contaminated to contaminate also fittings on oxygen-using treatment equipment, with potentially disastrous consequences. Oil on the face of a patient does not contraindicate O2 treatment, but it is important to remove oil-contaminated clothing and wipe the oil from the head, neck, and chest of the patient before placing the O2 mask. Because an oxygen-enriched atmosphere may exist for up to one foot from a nasal cannula or face mask, sources of ignition should not be used near oil-contaminated persons or clothing. In particular, before using a defibrillator, excess oil should be wiped off of the patient, particularly from the trunk and neck areas.
- Oil-contaminated clothing removed from patients, and oily cloths or rags used to wipe off patients, represent a potential fire hazard due to the risk of spontaneous combustion. Such material should be stored in a metal container with a tight lid. Contaminated clothing and rags should not be left to accumulate but should be disposed of frequently.
Ocular Exposure: Ocular exposure can result in slight stinging and temporary redness. No permanent damage should result. The immediate treatment is to flush the eye with copious amounts of water for 15 minutes. If the person wears contacts, these should be removed first.
Ingestion Exposure: Following ingestion of a small amount of crude oil clinical signs of toxicity are generally limited to mild stomach disturbances. The main danger of swallowing crude oil is that can also get into the lungs causing chemical pneumonitis for example if ingested oil is vomited and subsequently aspirated into the lungs. To treat patients exposed via ingestion, do not induce vomiting as this may lead to aspiration of the crude oil into the lung.
Inhalation Exposure: Inhalation of fresh crude oil could result in inhalation of associated volatile hydrocarbons. Symptoms including headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, or vomiting, may occur from breathing vapors given off by crude oil. Inhalation of weathered crude oil is of less concern because of the loss of volatile hydrocarbons. Remove the patient to a clear area and provide supplemental oxygen if needed.
References
- ATSDR, Toxicological Profile for Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH)
DHHS, Editor. 1999: Atlanta, GA. - D. A.Macys, R.L.C., J. F. Risher, A. Vinegar, D. E. Dodd, H. G. Wall, RESULTS OF A WORKSHOP ON HEALTH EFFECTS OF CRUDE OIL EXPOSURES RELATED TO OPERATION DESERT STORM, Defense, Editor. 1992, NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE: Bethesda, MD. p. 8-32.
- NOAA. Tarballs. Responding to Oil Spills 2005 October 15, 2008
Available from: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/topic_subtopic_entry.php?RECORD_KEY(entry_subtopic_topic)=entry_id,subtopic_id,topic_id&entry_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=154&subtopic_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=8&topic_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=1.
30 Shocking Quotes About The Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill That Reveal The Soul-Crushing Horror This Disaster Is Causing
It is incredibly hard to put into words the absolute horror that is happening in the Gulf of Mexico right now. The millions of gallons of oil that have gushed into the Gulf of Mexico and BP's efforts to fight the massive leak are turning the Gulf into a lifeless toxic stew of oil and chemicals. The damage caused to wildlife in the Gulf by this spill will be incalculable. Entire species are at risk of being wiped out. Scientists are telling us that the primary dispersant being used by BP ruptures red blood cells and causes fish to bleed. This is by far the greatest environmental disaster in U.S. history, and there is no end in sight. It is a worse environmental and economic disaster than all of the hurricanes of the past ten years combined. The great wetlands and beaches along the Gulf of Mexico will never be the same in our lifetimes. The seafood and tourism industries in the Gulf are being completely destroyed. The thousands of jobs and businesses being wiped out by this disaster could potentially throw the entire Gulf coast region into a depression. The damage already caused by this oil spill is beyond measure and yet the government tells us that up to 19,000 barrels (798,000 gallons) of oil a day continue to flow into the Gulf of Mexico.Federal officials have expanded the "no fishing" area in the Gulf of Mexico to 75,920 square miles. That is 31 percent of all federal waters in the Gulf. As the oil continues to spread out there may soon be nowhere to fish.
And the oil is starting to come ashore in more places. Red-brown oil was found on Alabama's Dauphin Island on Tuesday. As Gulf coast residents slowly watch this oil destroy everything around them they are starting to realize that this is it.
Life along the Gulf of Mexico will simply never be the same again.
The following are 30 shocking quotes about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that reveal the soul-crushing horror this disaster is causing....
#1) Councilman Jay LaFont of Grand Isle, Louisiana:
"As long as you have something to look forward to, a little glimmer of hope, you can move on. But this just drained everything out of us."
#2) Billy Nungesser, president of Plaquemines Parish:
"They said the black oil wouldn’t come ashore. Well, it is ashore. It’s here to stay and it’s going to keep coming."
#3) Prosanta Chakrabarty, a Louisiana State University fish biologist:
"Every fish and invertebrate contacting the oil is probably dying. I have no doubt about that."
#4) Marine toxicologist Dr. Susan Shaw, director of the Marine Environmental Research Institute on BP's use of chemical dispersants:
"They've been used at such a high volume that it's unprecedented. The worst of these – Corexit 9527 – is the one they've been using most. That ruptures red blood cells and causes fish to bleed. With 800,000 gallons of this, we can only imagine the death that will be caused."
#5) Dr. Larry McKinney, director of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies in Texas:
"Bluefin tuna spawn just south of the oil spill and they spawn only in the Gulf. If they were to go through the area at a critical time, that's one instance where a plume could destroy a whole species."
#6) Carol Browner, Barack Obama's adviser on energy and climate:
"This is probably the biggest environmental disaster we have ever faced in this country. It is certainly the biggest oil spill and we are responding with the biggest environmental response."
#7) Richard Charter of the Defenders of Wildlife:
"It is so big and expanding so fast that it's pretty much beyond human response that can be effective. ... You're looking at a long-term poisoning of the area. Ultimately, this will have a multidecade impact."
#8) Reverand Mike Tran:
"We don't know when this will ever be over. It's a way of life that's under assault, and people don't when their next paycheck is going to be."
#9) Louis Miller of the Mississippi Sierra Club:
"This is going to destroy the Mississippi and the Gulf Coast as we know it."#9) Louis Miller of the Mississippi Sierra Club:
#10) Dean Blanchard, owner of a seafood business:
"I hold Obama responsible for not making BP stand up and look at the people in the face and fix it."
#11) Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal:
"The day that we’ve been fearing is upon us."
#12) Billy Nungesser, president of Plaquemines Parish, about BP CEO Tony Hayward:
"We ought to take him offshore and dunk him 10 feet underwater and pull him up and ask him 'What's that all over your face?"
#13) Former Clinton adviser James Carville:
"The country feels like it's entitled to abuse this state and forget about us, and we are sick of it."
#14) An anonymous Louisiana resident:
"A hurricane is like closing your bank account for a few days, but this here has the capacity to destroy our bank accounts."
#15) U.S. Representative Edward Markey:
"I have no confidence whatsoever in BP . I think that they do not know what they are doing."
#16) Gulf coast resident Marie Michel:
"Immediately, it's no more fishing, no more crabbing, no more swimming, no more walking on the beach." #17) Brenda Prosser of Mobile, Alabama:
"I just started crying. I couldn't quit crying. I'm shaking now. To know that our beach may be black or brown, or that we can't get in the water, it's so sad."#18) Qin Chen, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge on the possibility that a hurricane could push massive amounts of oil ashore along the Gulf:
"A hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico this year would be devastating."
#19) Retired Army General Russel Honore on the effect this spill is having on residents of the Gulf coast:
"I'm sure, every time they hear a negative word, their skin crawls, 'cause they need these jobs. ... This is what's going to put their kids in school, and what pays the rent."
#20) A group calling itself "Seize BP":
"The greatest environmental disaster with no end in sight! Eleven workers dead. Millions of gallons of oil gushing for months (and possibly years) to come. Jobs vanishing. Creatures dying. A pristine environment destroyed for generations. A mega-corporation that has lied and continues to lie, and a government that refuses to protect the people."
#21) Louisiania Governor Bobby Jindal:
"There has been failure, particularly with the effort to protect our coast and our marsh. And that was the biggest topic of discussion in a very frank meeting we had with the president."#21) Louisiania Governor Bobby Jindal:
#22) BP’s chief operating officer, Doug Suttles:
"This scares everybody — the fact that we can’t make this well stop flowing, the fact that we haven’t succeeded so far."
#23) Doug Rader, chief ocean scientist for the Environmental Defense Fund:
"You simply cannot make more (reefs), unless you have a few thousand years to wait."
#24) Public Service Commissioner Benjamin Stevens:
"You get hit by a hurricane and you can rebuild. But when that stuff washes up on the white sands of Pensacola Beach, you can't just go and get more white sand.''
#25) Wilma Subra, a chemist who has served as a consultant to the Environmental Protection Agency:
"Every time the wind blows from the south-east to the shore, people are being made sick."
#26) Hotel Owner Dodie Vegas:
"It's just going to kill us. It's going to destroy us."
#27) Louisiana resident Sean Lanier:
"Until they stop this leak, it's just like getting stabbed and the knife's still in you, and they're moving it around."
#28) White House energy adviser Carol Browner:
"There could be oil coming up until August."
#29) Marine toxicologist Dr. Susan Shaw, director of the Marine Environmental Research Institute:
"We'll see dead bodies soon. Sharks, dolphins, sea turtles, whales: the impact on predators will be seen in a short time because the food web will be impacted from the bottom up."#29) Marine toxicologist Dr. Susan Shaw, director of the Marine Environmental Research Institute:
#30) Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser:
"We will die a slow death over the next two years as this oil creeps ashore."
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/30-shocking-quotes-about-the-gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill-that-reveal-the-soul-crushing-horror-this-disaster-is-causing
Urgent Update on UN Vehicles and Military Build Up (Get Ready)
Benzene exposure has serious health effects. Outdoor air may contain low levels of benzene from tobacco smoke, wood smoke, automobile service stations, the transfer of gasoline, exhaust from motor vehicles, and industrial emissions.[21] Vapors from products that contain benzene, such as glues, paints, furniture wax, and detergents, can also be a source of exposure, although many of these have been modified or reformulated since the late 1970s to eliminate or reduce the benzene content. Air around hazardous waste sites or gas stations may contain higher levels of benzene.
The short term breathing of high levels of benzene can result in death, while low levels can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. Eating or drinking foods containing high levels of benzene can cause vomiting, irritation of the stomach, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions, and death.
The major effects of benzene are manifested via chronic (long-term) exposure through the blood. Benzene damages the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and depress the immune system, increasing the chance of infection. Benzene causes leukemia and is associated with other blood cancers and pre-cancers of the blood.
The short term breathing of high levels of benzene can result in death, while low levels can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. Eating or drinking foods containing high levels of benzene can cause vomiting, irritation of the stomach, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions, and death.
The major effects of benzene are manifested via chronic (long-term) exposure through the blood. Benzene damages the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and depress the immune system, increasing the chance of infection. Benzene causes leukemia and is associated with other blood cancers and pre-cancers of the blood.
Maryann TobinHernando County Political Buzz Examiner
Sun, 09 May 2010 10:12 EDT
© FEMA
Trailer parks are waiting for their new occupiers
Trailer parks are waiting for their new occupiers
The plans would be announced in the event of a controlled burn of surface oil in the Gulf of Mexico, if wind or other conditions are expected to take the toxic fumes through Tampa Bay.
This practice is common for the US Forestry service, when fire and smoke threaten the health and well being of people.
The elderly and those with respiratory problems would be more susceptible to health risks, in the event of a controlled burn.
Estimates of the rate of BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill have varied. SkyTruth.com estimates the numbers at more than 1 million gallons a day, based on satellite and Coast Guard images.
Since the April 20th explosion, which resulted in the sinking of the rig, there have been more than 650,000 gallons of chemicals poured into the Gulf of Mexico in efforts to break up the spill. However, the chemicals have come under some scrutiny recently, because of their own toxic nature.
It is not certain if the massive slick will have to be set on fire near Tampa Bay, but the possibility has not been ruled out. BP has been using controlled burns as a way to control the oil spill since the crisis began more than a month ago.
The short term breathing of high levels of benzene can result in death, while low levels can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. Eating or drinking foods containing high levels of benzene can cause vomiting, irritation of the stomach, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions, and death.
The major effects of benzene are manifested via chronic (long-term) exposure through the blood. Benzene damages the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and depress the immune system, increasing the chance of infection. Benzene causes leukemia and is associated with other blood cancers and pre-cancers of the blood.
Human exposure to benzene is a global health problem. Benzene targets liver, kidney, lung, heart and the brain and can cause DNA strand breaks, chromosomal damage etc. Benzene causes cancer in both animals and humans. Benzene was first reported to induce cancer in humans in the 1920s. The chemical industry claims it wasn't until 1979 that the cancer-inducing properties were determined "conclusively" in humans, despite many references to this fact in the medical literature. Industry exploited this "discrepancy" and tried to discredit animal studies which showed benzene caused cancer, saying that they weren't relevant to humans. Benzene has been shown to cause cancer in both sexes of multiple species of laboratory animals exposed via various routes.[22][23]
Some women who breathed high levels of benzene for many months had irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in the size of their ovaries. It is not known whether benzene exposure affects the developing fetus in pregnant women or fertility in men.
Animal studies have shown low birth weights, delayed bone formation, and bone marrow damage when pregnant animals breathed benzene.
Benzene has been connected to a rare form of kidney cancer in two separate studies, one involving tank truck drivers, and the other involving seamen on tanker vessels, both carrying benzene-laden chemicals.
The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) classifies benzene as a human carcinogen. Long-term exposure to excessive levels of benzene in the air causes leukemia, a potentially fatal cancer of the blood-forming organs, in susceptible individuals. In particular, Acute myeloid leukemia or acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia (AML & ANLL) is not disputed to be caused by benzene.
Benzene, or benzol, is an organic chemical compound with the molecular formula C6H6. It is sometimes abbreviated Ph–H. Benzene is a colorless and highly flammable liquid with a sweet smell and a relatively high melting point. Because it is a known carcinogen, its use as an additive in gasoline is now limited, but it is an important industrial solvent and precursor in the production of drugs, plastics, synthetic rubber, and dyes. Benzene is a natural constituent of crude oil, and may be synthesized from other compounds present in petroleum. Benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon and the second [n]-annulene ([6]-annulene), a cyclic hydrocarbon with a continuous pi bond. It is also related to the functional group arene which is a generalized structure of benzene.
Now you know the purpose of the FEMA camps
WE HAVE ACHIEVED DOOM CONDITION RED!!
Could this be the 90% kill they have been longing for!!! Look at the players, US gov, the Queen, BP , Haliburton and God knows who else.
Benzene is a clear, colorless and highly flammable aromatic liquid that evaporates quickly into the air, and can dissolve in water. It is formed from both natural processes and human activities; natural sources of benzene include volcanoes and forest fires.
Benzene is present in crude oil, gasoline and cigarette smoke. It is industrially used as a solvent in paints and other chemicals and products such as dyes, detergents, nylon, plastics, drugs and pesticides. Benzene is widely used in the United States; it ranks in the top twenty chemicals for production volume and makes up about one percent of every gallon of gasoline.
Are there health hazards to benzene exposure, i.e. can benzene cause cancer?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that benzene is a human carcinogen, and can cause various forms of cancer from prolonged exposure. According to the IARC, benzene is often considered "the mother of all carcinogens," as a large number of carcinogens have structures that include benzene rings. Occupational studies of workers exposed to high levels of benzene show association with leukemia cancer; including acute myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, and chronic myelogenous leukemia. Benzene-related leukemias have been reported to develop in as short as nine months, and can remain dormant for as long as 25 years after initial exposure.
Even a small amount of benzene exposure can cause temporary nervous system disorders, immune system depression and anemia. Short term affects include skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation, headache, stomach irritation, drowsiness and dizziness. High levels of exposure can result in a rapid heart rate, excessive bleeding, tremors, vomiting, unconsciousness and death. Benzene can cause harmful effects on bone marrow, and can cause a decrease in red blood cells leading to myelofibrosis and myelodysplastic syndrome.
How can I be exposed to benzene? Who is most likely to be at risk?
Undoubtedly, the greatest risk for high level exposure to benzene is in the workplace. Occupational exposure to benzene is likely to occur in the rubber industry, oil refineries, chemical plants, and the shoe manufacturing industry, as well as in gasoline storage, shipment, and retail stations. However, most individuals are exposed to benzene through tobacco smoke, automobile exhaust and other environmental sources such as gasoline filling stations, industrial emissions, and food products that contain benzene naturally. Indoor exposure can result from glues, paints, furniture wax, adhesives and detergents.
In addition, certain industries may release benzene into the surrounding air. These include ethyl benzene and styrene-production facilities, petroleum refineries, chemical manufacturing plants, and recovery plants for coke oven by-products. Leakage from underground storage tanks or from hazardous waste sites containing benzene can also result in the contamination of well water.
Is benzene regulated by the U.S. government?
Yes. Because of the dangerous health effects benzene exposure is known to cause, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now regulates benzene in the air and water, as well as emissions by industry. The EPA has passed laws to limit the use and release of benzene to keep levels as low as possible. Regulations set by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, in association with the EPA, limit workplace exposure to a maximum of one part benzene per million parts air (ppm), averaged over an eight-hour workday.
Further, congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974 requiring the EPA to determine safe levels of chemicals in drinking water. Subsequently, benzene's level was set to zero.
Do I have legal rights if I have been occupationally exposed to benzene?
Yes. Despite being banned as a solvent in the U.S. for over twenty years, and the decrease of benzene in other manufactured products, workers continue to be exposed to direct and indirect sources of the chemical. The first thing to do if you suspect you've been exposed to benzene is to report the exposure to your employer, and seek immediate medical assistance. If you believe you have been harmed by benzene exposure, you can contact an attorney to learn of your rights, and to file a legal claim for injuries sustained. Individuals can file a lawsuit within two years of discovering a benzene-related illness, regardless of the last time of exposure. Compensation can cover factors such as loss of income, medical costs, pain and suffering, and in the case of Wrongful Death lawsuits, loss of life.
A qualified benzene attorney can provide the necessary tools and support to put together a strong case for a benzene-related illness. To find a skilled attorney who specializes in benzene-related claims.
Benzene is present in crude oil, gasoline and cigarette smoke. It is industrially used as a solvent in paints and other chemicals and products such as dyes, detergents, nylon, plastics, drugs and pesticides. Benzene is widely used in the United States; it ranks in the top twenty chemicals for production volume and makes up about one percent of every gallon of gasoline.
Are there health hazards to benzene exposure, i.e. can benzene cause cancer?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that benzene is a human carcinogen, and can cause various forms of cancer from prolonged exposure. According to the IARC, benzene is often considered "the mother of all carcinogens," as a large number of carcinogens have structures that include benzene rings. Occupational studies of workers exposed to high levels of benzene show association with leukemia cancer; including acute myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, and chronic myelogenous leukemia. Benzene-related leukemias have been reported to develop in as short as nine months, and can remain dormant for as long as 25 years after initial exposure.
Even a small amount of benzene exposure can cause temporary nervous system disorders, immune system depression and anemia. Short term affects include skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation, headache, stomach irritation, drowsiness and dizziness. High levels of exposure can result in a rapid heart rate, excessive bleeding, tremors, vomiting, unconsciousness and death. Benzene can cause harmful effects on bone marrow, and can cause a decrease in red blood cells leading to myelofibrosis and myelodysplastic syndrome.
How can I be exposed to benzene? Who is most likely to be at risk?
Undoubtedly, the greatest risk for high level exposure to benzene is in the workplace. Occupational exposure to benzene is likely to occur in the rubber industry, oil refineries, chemical plants, and the shoe manufacturing industry, as well as in gasoline storage, shipment, and retail stations. However, most individuals are exposed to benzene through tobacco smoke, automobile exhaust and other environmental sources such as gasoline filling stations, industrial emissions, and food products that contain benzene naturally. Indoor exposure can result from glues, paints, furniture wax, adhesives and detergents.
In addition, certain industries may release benzene into the surrounding air. These include ethyl benzene and styrene-production facilities, petroleum refineries, chemical manufacturing plants, and recovery plants for coke oven by-products. Leakage from underground storage tanks or from hazardous waste sites containing benzene can also result in the contamination of well water.
Is benzene regulated by the U.S. government?
Yes. Because of the dangerous health effects benzene exposure is known to cause, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now regulates benzene in the air and water, as well as emissions by industry. The EPA has passed laws to limit the use and release of benzene to keep levels as low as possible. Regulations set by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, in association with the EPA, limit workplace exposure to a maximum of one part benzene per million parts air (ppm), averaged over an eight-hour workday.
Further, congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974 requiring the EPA to determine safe levels of chemicals in drinking water. Subsequently, benzene's level was set to zero.
Do I have legal rights if I have been occupationally exposed to benzene?
Yes. Despite being banned as a solvent in the U.S. for over twenty years, and the decrease of benzene in other manufactured products, workers continue to be exposed to direct and indirect sources of the chemical. The first thing to do if you suspect you've been exposed to benzene is to report the exposure to your employer, and seek immediate medical assistance. If you believe you have been harmed by benzene exposure, you can contact an attorney to learn of your rights, and to file a legal claim for injuries sustained. Individuals can file a lawsuit within two years of discovering a benzene-related illness, regardless of the last time of exposure. Compensation can cover factors such as loss of income, medical costs, pain and suffering, and in the case of Wrongful Death lawsuits, loss of life.
A qualified benzene attorney can provide the necessary tools and support to put together a strong case for a benzene-related illness. To find a skilled attorney who specializes in benzene-related claims.
How can benzene affect my health?
Breathing very high levels of benzene can result in death, while high levels can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. Eating or drinking foods containing high levels of benzene can cause vomiting, irritation of the stomach, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions, rapid heart rate, and death.
The major effect of benzene from long-term (365 days or longer) exposure is on the blood. Benzene causes harmful effects on the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells leading to anaemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance for infection.
Some women who breathed high levels of benzene for many months had irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in the size of their ovaries. It is not known whether benzene exposure affects the developing foetus in pregnant women or fertility in men.
Animal studies have shown low birth weights, delayed bone formation, and bone marrow damage when pregnant animals breathed benzene. Back to Top
How likely is benzene to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that benzene is a known human carcinogen. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can cause leukaemia, cancer of the blood-forming organs.
[link to www.health-report.co.uk]
Benzene can pass into air from water and soil surfaces. Once in the air, benzene reacts with other chemicals and breaks down within a few days. Benzene in the air can also be deposited on the ground by rain or snow.
Lots of workers are getting sick from it.
It is a known fact that this massive oil spill has
helped bury the "audit the fed" movement and its recent
coverage in the msm.
Oil Washes Into Mobile Bay, on Fort Morgan, Ala.
Today the Louisiana Environmental Action Network released its analysis of air monitoring test results by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA’s air testing data comes from Venice, a coastal community 75 miles south of New Orleans in Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish.The findings show that levels of airborne chemicals have far exceeded state standards and what’s considered safe for human exposure.
For instance, hydrogen sulfide has been detected at concentrations more than 100 times greater than the level known to cause physical reactions in people. Among the health effects of hydrogen sulfide exposure are eye and respiratory irritation as well as nausea, dizziness, confusion and headache.
The concentration threshold for people to experience physical symptoms from hydrogen sulfide is about 5 to 10 parts per billion. But as recently as last Thursday, the EPA measured levels at 1,000 ppb. The highest levels of airborne hydrogen sulfide measured so far were on May 3, at 1,192 ppb.
Testing data also shows levels of volatile organic chemicals that far exceed Louisiana’s own ambient air standards. VOCs cause acute physical health symptoms including eye, skin and respiratory irritation as well as headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea and confusion.
Louisiana’s ambient air standard for the VOC benzene, for example, is 3.76 ppb, while its standard for methylene chloride is 61.25 ppb. Long-term exposure to airborne benzene has been linked to cancer, while the EPA considers methylene chloride a probable carcinogen.
Air testing results show VOC concentrations far above these state standards. On May 6, for example, the EPA measured VOCs at levels of 483 ppb. The highest levels detected to date were on April 30, at 3,084 ppb, following by May 2, at 3,416 ppb.
[link to buelahman.wordpress.com]
All aboard the FEMA train!!!
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