Interior Secretary Salazar: US Gulf Oil Spill May Be Worse Than Valdez


WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The BP PLC (BP) oil spill in the U.S. Gulf of
Mexico may be worse that the 1989 ExxonMobil Corp. (XOM) Valdez spill in
Alaska, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said on CNN Sunday.

"The worst-case scenario is we could have 100,000 barrels or more of oil
flowing out," Salazar said on CNN's "State of the Union."

BP and the U.S. government have over the past week stuck to their raised
estimate of 5,000 barrels a day spilling out of the deepwater well.

But Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano said on ABC News that the
current spill rate could currently be much higher.

"Right now that could be in the tens of thousands of gallons per day, of
barrels per day," she said.

Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said their worst fear is that the well
could leak at 100,000 barrels a day, if the well head breaks. Industry
experts say that the well pipe appears to be crimped, curbing the
potential leak rate.

Friday, industry experts said based on satellite images and standard
measuring indexes, they estimate the spill rate at 20,000 barrels a day
to 25,000 barrels a day. If those rates are accurate, the spill could
already rival the 11-million gallon Valdez slick that economically and
environmentally devastated part of Alaska.

Allen said three leaks have now been found at the well.

Asked if the 25,000 barrel a day figures were accurate, head of BP
America, Lamar McKay, said on ABC that their own estimates were "very,
very uncertain."

Salazar said that he believed BP could stop the leak, but he fears that
it may take 90 days to do that. BP is placing a new rig over the leak
and will soon attempt to use drilling tools to close the leak.

If the 25,000 barrel-a-day estimate is accurate and the leak lasts for
90 days, that's 2.25 million barrels, or 94.5 million gallons.

Besides hitting sensitive wetlands, marshlands, bird migration stops,
and other wildlife, the leak is threatening major fishing and spawning
areas in the Gulf. Coastal towns from Louisiana to Florida are also
concerned that their beaches will be covered in oil tar, hurting their
tourism industries.


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Apparently, rec.boats' "Frogwatch" was not consulted. According to
Frogwatch, the spill is no big deal.

Moron.



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The Tea Party's teabaggers are just the Republican base by another name.