Gulf oil disaster enters final phase.
For the last week, Tropical Depression Number Five, not quite a hurricane but definitely a menace, has halted drilling on the relief wells that ultimately will seal Deepwater Horizon, ending history’s worst environmental catastrophe. As the tropical storm moved ashore and Gulf of Mexico weather improved over the weekend, BP officials announced they would resume drilling “as soon as possible,” and they remained cautiously optimistic they could complete their “bottom kill” by the end of the week.
Speaking with reporters on Sunday morning, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the government’s chief recovery official, said he had instructed BP engineers to complete another series of pressure testing in the main bore hole before they resumed drilling. He stressed the government’s concern for the well’s structural integrity, explaining that a successful bottom kill depends on the original well’s capacity for withstanding substantially increased pressure from a new infusion of mud and concrete.
First Family vacations in the Gulf.
President Obama, the First Lady, and their daughter Sasha spent the weekend on Florida’s Gulf coast, meeting with residents and businessmen, taking-in the attractions, dining on local seafood, and even swimming in the irresistibly warm blue waters. The White House obviously designed the visit to send a clear, unmistakable message that Gulf Coast tourist accommodations are open and ready for business. The President himself told reporters he hoped his visit would inspire people to take one last summer splash before school resumes. Hotels, restaurants, attractions, and fisheries in the region have suffered losses in excess of $30 billion(usd) since the spill began on April 20.
In character with the increasingly bitter, partisan tone of mid-term election campaigns, Obama’s critics alternately criticized the weekend visit as “too little, too late” and “nothing but an extended photo opportunity, a complete waste of time and money.” Aware that Obama would offer no new developments, the press centered speculation around whether or not President would appear sans chemise. The last time Obama bared his chest, pictures provided tabloid fodder for weeks, embarrassing the White House and distracting from the critical debate on health care reform. When the President and Sasha did swim in the Gulf, White House press officials devoted extra attention to keeping the First Family appropriately attired.
Speaking publicly on Saturday morning, Obama repeated, “There is still much work left to be done,” and he reassured his audience that the administration and BP would remain fully engaged with Gulf coast clean-up and recovery efforts to their satisfactory conclusion. Obama offered nothing new in his remarks, but he reiterated the administration’s pledge to compensate disaster victims fairly, equitably, and efficiently from the independently administered fund BP established. The President also emphasized his faith and confidence in the fund’s administrator, staff, and procedures.
