Accident Unleashes New Oil Torrent; Feds Halt Louisiana Sand Berms
June 23, 2010 – An undersea accident forced the removal of the cap partly containing the Gulf of Mexico oil gusher, but that didn’t stop federal officials from halting an operation designed to protect Louisiana from oil contamination.
A remotely operated vehicle early today slammed into the containment cap helping to contain the deep-sea gusher, causing BP engineers to remove the containment cap on the oil well riser located 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. The cap was expected to be replaced and operations resumed later today after engineers determined whether or not potentially deadly gas hydrate crystals were being forced to the surface.
While BP engineers continue struggling with the undersea oil gusher, Louisiana officials today had to contend with a federal order to cease construction of offshore sand berms designed to prevent oil from contaminating pristine barrier islands and wildlife refuges. Officials for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department halted the operation due to concerns about its location. They suggested the operation be moved two miles farther out to sea, but local officials concerned a hurricane could cause massive oil contamination are appealing the decision directly to President Barack Obama.
While local officials await a response from the President, the Obama administration is dealing with a federal issue of their own. A federal judge yesterday lifted the six-month ban on deepwater well drilling imposed by President Barack Obama, saying there was no justification to shut down several sites due to problems at one.
Obama announced the six-month drilling ban on 33 new well sites soon after the deadly April 20 offshore explosion that killed 11 workers and unleashed the undersea oil gusher that now is only partly contained. But federal Judge Martin L.C. Feldman today blocked the ban, saying the moratorium is unjustified and causes harm to drilling operations and suppliers who have done nothing wrong. Feldman suggested the Obama administration misled the public by suggesting experts at the National Academy of Engineering supported the moratorium when, in fact, they don’t.
“Much to the government’s discomfort and this Court’s uneasiness, the summary also states that ‘the recommendations contained in this report have been peer-reviewed by seven experts identified by the National Academy of Engineering.’ As the plaintiffs, and the experts themselves, pointedly observe, this statement was misleading,” Judge Feldman wrote in his 22-page ruling.
Officials for several companies transporting supplies and workers to offshore drilling rigs challenged the federal moratorium, which was placed on May 6 and intended to last through the month. Obama on May 27 extended it to six months. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and executives at several drilling companies said the moratorium would only force drilling operations to move other places beyond U.S. jurisdiction and hurt local economies.
Federal officials plan to implement another drilling ban, but President Barack Obama earlier this month said the federal government will issue new safety regulations soon so offshore drilling may resume.
Obama is bending to political pressure from lawmakers in the Gulf Coast region whose constituents have lost jobs and local communities have lost revenue after the six-month federal moratorium on offshore drilling was issued last month in the wake of the April 20 Deepwater Horizon explosion causing the massive oil contamination in the Gulf of Mexico, the Wall Street Journal reported today. New federal rules on offshore drilling might be released this month.
News of the likely resumption of offshore drilling comes as another offshore drilling operation has been leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico for more than a month. The drilling rig Ocean Saratoga has been leaking oil since about April 30 and has created a 10-mile long oil slick visible from space satellites. A May 1 federal document mentions the leaking Ocean Saratoga operation, which is located near the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded on April 20 and sank two days later, causing the largest oil spill in U.S. history. But federal officials on the scene apparently were unaware of the additional leak.
Louisiana Gets Okay to Build Sand Barriers
June 2, 2010 – After weeks of delay, federal officials have given the go-ahead to Louisiana officials to begin erecting sand berms designed to prevent oil from washing ashore, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal announced today.
State workers will dredge sand from the Gulf of Mexico to build 6-foot-high berms protecting barrier islands, and Jindal wants the BP corporation to foot the bill. Jindal wants to erect 128 miles of berms to protect Louisiana’s barrier islands and shoreline, but federal officials initially balked at the plan, saying they needed to study it first.
But with oil creeping closer to the coast, federal officials today announced their support of the plan after previously saying the project would take too long and might harm the local environment.
While Louisiana officials are preparing to take preventive measures, new reports indicate the large oil slick has come within 10 miles of Florida’s Pensacola Beach, and tar balls are starting to wash up on Alabama shores. BP engineers continue trying to quell the undersea oil gusher, but have run into problems with their latest attempt.
Engineers for the BP Corporation over the weekend abandoned attempts to plug the leaking well with a heavy mixture of concrete and mud and now are trying to cut off a section of oil pipe and cover it with a containment dome in order to siphon off any additional oil leakage and stop the already massive oil slick from becoming even larger.
Engineers gave up on the “Top Kill” approach after failing to stem the flow of oil, which remains pressurized. They now are trying to cut off a section of pipe and cover it in order to capture additional leaking oil. Unfortunately, the effort was stopped for a while today when the saw became stuck in the pipe.
News of the latest setback in trying to control the leaking oil well comes after federal officials last week declared the leaking oil well deep beneath the Gulf of Mexico tentatively plugged and appointed a new director of the federal regulatory body overseeing offshore drilling.
Engineers employed by the BP Corporation last week received the go-ahead from federal officials to proceed with the “top kill” plan to plug the leaking oil well with heavy sediment comprised of mud and concrete. A day later, the effort appeared to be working and seemed to have stopped the oil flow, raising hopes the operation would be successful. But video cameras indicated the sediment was leaking out along with oil and natural gas, and the process was halted for several hours.
Engineers resumed the process Thursday night, and U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen announced the flow of oil had been stopped as of Friday morning. But, engineers on the scene cautioned the process was not a complete success and warned the leak might resume. The process never had been done underwater – and especially at the extreme 5,000-foot depth at which the leaking well is located. BP workers also attempted a “junk shot” and injected large quantities of shredded tires, golf balls and knotted rope into the well in an attempt to plug the leak.
While temporary measures are being tried, BP engineers continue drilling two relief wells that would cut off the oil supply to the leaking well. But the two wells won’t be completed until August, raising the possibility the oil spill will continue unchecked for several more weeks during peak hurricane season.
The oil spill has been declared the largest in U.S. history, surpassing the nearly 11 million gallons of oil spilled into Alaska’s Prince William Sound after the supertanker Exxon Valdez struck an underwater shoal in 1989. BP officials said the company has spent nearly $1 billion trying to get the problem under control.
Louisiana Senate Initiates Chinese Drywall Protection
April 27, 2010 – The Louisiana Senate yesterday unanimously approved a measure preventing insurance companies from acting against homes or businesses with Chinese drywall installed.
The measure, Senate Bill 595, was introduced by Sen. Julie Quinn (R – Metairie) and met with rapid approval after having been contested during a committee hearing last week. The bill seeks to prevent insurance companies from increasing homeowners or commercial property insurance premiums, canceling insurance policies or refusing to renew insurance policies based on whether or not homes or commercial properties contain drywall manufactured in China.
The measure defines Chinese drywall as drywall manufactured in China before Jan. 1, 2010. Senate Bill 595 now goes to the Louisiana House of Representatives for consideration in the House Insurance Committee. More than any other state, Louisiana has had thousands of homes equipped with defective drywall manufactured in China, much of which was installed during massive rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and others Gulf Coast cities in 2005.
Officials for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently issued an official report recommending homeowners remove all traces of Chinese drywall and replace all electrical wiring and components, gas piping, fire-suppression systems and any smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors. The preventive, yet very costly, maintenance is designed to protect homes against potentially corrosive compounds found in thousands of U.S. homes equipped with Chinese drywall.
A recent federal study of 51 U.S. homes equipped with drywall manufactured in China indicates a “strong” link between in-home corrosion and drywall contents. Investigators from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission with the help of Chinese officials recently conducted an indoor air study of dozens of homes recently equipped with drywall manufactured in China. Researchers concluded there is merit to the thousands of complaints the federal agency has received from U.S. homeowners.
Studies indicate hydrogen sulfide gas emitted by contaminated drywall is the primary culprit in corroding copper and silver in homes equipped with Chinese drywall. Researchers also discovered elevated levels of formaldehyde in newer homes – whether or not they had Chinese drywall. Modern cabinetry and carpeting emit low levels of formaldehyde, according to researchers. Although formaldehyde and hydrogen sulfide gas amounts detected were too low to pose safety risks, federal investigators suspect a combination of them and other compounds commonly found in homes potentially might be harmful to structures and public health.
A more recent federal study showed various drywall samples manufactured in China emitted the most reactive hydrogen sulfide with some producing 100 times more of the potentially corrosive substance than drywall from other nations. Although the study discovered several acceptable samples of drywall manufactured in China, samples produced in China during 2005 and 2006 generally fared the worst against non-Chinese products. Samples of drywall manufactured in China in 2009 generally tested much better than earlier batches.
But even among samples of Chinese drywall judged unacceptable, the likelihood of damage is relatively remote. About 80 percent of samples of all kinds of drywall produced no potentially dangerous bacterial growth, even among samples with elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide.
A recent report by the Associated Press indicates some 500 million pounds of Chinese gypsum board was imported to meet domestic construction demands – particularly between 2004 and 2008 when thousands of homes along the Gulf of Mexico were being rebuilt in the wake of four hurricanes slamming into Florida during a month-long stretch in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita destroying large areas of New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities in 2005.
Federal officials estimate about 100,000 homes in the United States contain Chinese drywall. The total cost of replacing the faulty drywall could reach $25 billion, according to the Towers Perrin consulting firm. Some Chinese drywall manufacturers have said their products are safe and suggested bad gypsum tainted only some of the materials shipped to the United States in recent years. Many homeowners have blamed the Chinese drywall for corroding their homes’ copper pipes, causing other property damage and making family members ill.
Louisiana Lawmakers Act to Protect Homes with Faulty Drywall
March 24, 2010 – As one of the states strongly afflicted with a spate of homes suffering from faulty drywall manufactured in China, Louisiana officials have introduced legislation aimed at protecting homeowners dealing with drywall problems.
Separate bills introduced this week in the Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives prevent home insurers from raising homeowners insurance rates or canceling policies on homes in which owners file claims arising from drywall manufactured in China. Both measures also would prevent insurers from raising homeowners insurance rates of canceling coverage if an inspection shows the home contains contaminated drywall – whether or not an insurance claim had been filed. Although the bill in the House of Representatives seeks to protect only residential homes, the Senate bill would extend the same protections to commercial properties and would levy a $1,000 fine on insurers violating the proposed law.
Louisiana lawmakers said they have not heard of any cases in which homeowners had their homeowners insurance plans either canceled or premiums increased due to the problem with some Chinese drywall, but they have had many constituents express concerns they might have their premiums increased or homeowners insurance policies canceled because of the drywall problem, according to the Associated Press.
A recent federal study of 51 U.S. homes equipped with drywall manufactured in China indicates a “strong” link between in-home corrosion and drywall contents. Investigators from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission with the help of Chinese officials recently conducted an indoor air study of dozens of homes recently equipped with drywall manufactured in China. Without declaring results conclusive, researchers say there is merit to the more than 2,000 complaints the federal agency has received from U.S. homeowners.
“We now can show a strong association between homes with the problem drywall and the levels of hydrogen sulfide in those homes and corrosion of metals in those homes,” investigators for the Consumer Product Safety Commission said in their announcement of results.
Research results indicated hydrogen sulfide gas emitted by contaminated drywall is the primary culprit in corroding copper and silver in homes equipped with Chinese drywall. Researchers also discovered elevated levels of formaldehyde in newer homes – whether or not they had Chinese drywall. Modern cabinetry and carpeting emit low levels of formaldehyde, according to researchers. Although formaldehyde and hydrogen sulfide gas amounts detected were too low to pose safety risks, federal investigators suspect a combination of them and other compounds commonly found in homes potentially might be harmful to structures and public health.
Officials for the Consumer Product and Safety Commission intend to work with federal lawmakers to implement corrective measures and look into potential health problems tied to the substandard drywall.
As the U.S. housing boom hit its peak near the turn of the century, a shortage of construction materials forced many builders to utilize drywall manufactured in China. Unfortunately, some Chinese drywall contains gypsum and trace elements of strontium sulfide, which can emit corrosive sulfuric compounds and an odor similar to rotten eggs.
A recent report by the Associated Press indicates some 500 million pounds of Chinese gypsum board was imported to meet domestic construction demands – particularly between 2004 and 2008 when thousands of homes along the Gulf of Mexico were being rebuilt in the wake of four hurricanes slamming into Florida during a month-long stretch in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita destroying large areas of New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities in 2005.
Federal officials estimate about 100,000 homes in the United States contain Chinese drywall. The total cost of replacing the faulty drywall could reach $25 billion, according to the Towers Perrin consulting firm. Some Chinese drywall manufacturers have said their products are safe and suggested bad gypsum tainted only some of the materials shipped to the United States in recent years. Many homeowners have blamed the Chinese drywall for corroding their homes’ copper pipes, causing other property damage and making family members ill.
Louisiana Officials Tallying Chinese Drywall Problems
Dec. 9, 2009 – In light of a recent federal investigation, officials in Louisiana are encouraging homeowners who suspect they might have bad drywall manufactured in China and recently installed in their homes to report any suspected problems.
The Louisiana Recovery Authority is collecting information as part of a larger federal effort to assess the extent of problems in the United States. Some 415 Louisiana homeowners last week reported having contaminated drywall. Information is being collected online at www.lra.louisiana.gov/drywallform or by calling toll-free at (866) 684-1713 through Dec. 16
A recent federal study of 51 U.S. homes equipped with drywall manufactured in China indicated a “strong” link between in-home corrosion and drywall material.
Investigators from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission with the help of Chinese officials recently conducted an indoor air study of dozens of homes recently equipped with drywall manufactured in China. Without declaring results conclusive, researchers say there is merit to the more than 2,000 complaints the federal agency has received from U.S. homeowners.
“We now can show a strong association between homes with the problem drywall and the levels of hydrogen sulfide in those homes and corrosion of metals in those homes,” investigators for the Consumer Product Safety Commission said in their announcement of results.
Research results indicated hydrogen sulfide gas emitted by contaminated drywall is the primary culprit in corroding copper and silver in homes equipped with Chinese drywall. Researchers also discovered elevated levels of formaldehyde in newer homes – whether or not they had Chinese drywall. Modern cabinetry and carpeting emit low levels of formaldehyde, according to researchers. Although formaldehyde and hydrogen sulfide gas amounts detected were too low to pose safety risks, federal investigators suspect a combination of them and other compounds commonly found in homes potentially might be harmful to structures and public health.
Officials for the Consumer Product and Safety Commission intend to work with federal lawmakers to implement corrective measures and look into potential health problems tied to the substandard drywall.
As the U.S. housing boom hit its peak near the turn of the century, a shortage of construction materials forced many builders to utilize drywall manufactured in China. Unfortunately, some Chinese drywall contains gypsum and trace elements of strontium sulfide, which can emit corrosive sulfuric compounds and an odor similar to rotten eggs.
A recent report by the Associated Press indicates some 500 million pounds of Chinese gypsum board was imported to meet domestic construction demands – particularly between 2004 and 2008 when thousands of homes along the Gulf of Mexico were being rebuilt in the wake of four hurricanes slamming into Florida during a month-long stretch in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita destroying large areas of New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities in 2005.
Federal officials estimate about 100,000 homes in the United States contain Chinese drywall. The total cost of replacing the faulty drywall could reach $25 billion, according to the Towers Perrin consulting firm. Some Chinese drywall manufacturers have said their products are safe and suggested bad gypsum tainted only some of the materials shipped to the United States in recent years.
Many homeowners have blamed the Chinese drywall for corroding their homes’ copper pipes, causing other property damage and making family members ill. Among potential resolutions sought are having the Chinese government pay at least a portion of the cost to replace the faulty drywall and implementing regulatory standards to ensure similar products aren’t sold in the United States. But federal officials caution Chinese officials simply can refuse to cooperate.