Oil may leak until August

Obama administration and BP officials said oil could continue flowing into the Gulf of Mexico until August, when relief wells are finished. Presidential adviser Carol Browner said on the CBS show Face the Nation that the American people need to know that's possible. The spill, already the worst in U.S. history, could get worse for several days as BP cuts a pipe that rises from the seabed, said Browner. The cut would remove the kink that’s been limiting the flow of oil. As much as 20 percent more oil could come out over four to seven days while a new containment method is put in place. BP gave up on the "top kill" method Saturday, and it now hopes to cap the well with a containment structure from which oil can be channeled to the surface and collected. (Source: Washington Post, 05/30/10)

BP's top kill fails

BP says the "top kill" method to stop the leak in the Gulf of Mexico has failed. The company tried for three days to stop the flow of oil by pumping heavy drilling mud into the leak, but most escaped from the riser. The company will now try a "lower marine riser package" that won't plug the well but instead capture most of the oil on the sea floor and channel it to the surface for collection. It will take four days to put in place. The rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil has leaked into the Gulf of Mexico since then, and each effort to stop the flow has failed. It's now the worst spill in U.S. history. (Source: Multiple, including AP via Sun Herald, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, 05/29/10)

Universities offer research help

Gulf Coast universities are lining up to help study the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Mississippi's higher education commissioner, Hank Bounds, was on Capitol Hill during the week touting the state's research capabilities. "I think we have an obligation to make certain that we bring our intellectual capabilities into play," he said. (Source: Clarion Ledger, 05/27/10) Michael Carron, director of the Northern Gulf Institute at Stennis Space Center, Miss., was also in Washington. NGI is a consortium of universities that study the Gulf of Mexico. Carron said it will take years before the impact is fully known, along with millions in research dollars. He said BP has already committed $500 million. (Source: Sun Herald, 05/28/10) The BP well exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil and gas has leaked into the Gulf of Mexico ever since. BP is currently trying to stop the leak by forcing heavy mud and debris into the pipe. NOAA has extended the closed fishing area in the Gulf of Mexico. It now represents about 25 percent of Gulf of Mexico federal waters.

Study: Hurricanes can snap pipelines

A study by scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory at Stennis Space Center, Miss., shows currents from hurricanes can reach deep underwater and rupture oil and natural gas pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico. Results of the study will be published next month by the American Geophysical Union. Researchers found that currents became so strong that they triggered mudslides big enough to break pipelines or other underwater equipment, and the stress can persist up to a week. Disruption of the seafloor, including mudslides, can reach depths of 300 feet. They came up with the findings after installing six sensors on the seafloor to record changes induced by hurricanes. The sensors looked at 2004's Hurricane Ivan, which disrupted several underwater pipelines in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Ivan damaged or destroyed 22 platforms and damaged and disrupted 13 undersea oil and natural gas pipelines. Researchers found that even storms far weaker than Ivan could disrupt the ocean floor, and that some breaks can go undetected. (Sources: Reuters, BBC, Discovery, 05/27/10) The Gulf of Mexico is already trying to cope with the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon, and hurricane season begins next month.

Officials hopeful for "top kill"

Officials remain hopeful the "top kill" procedure to stem the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico is working as planned, but they're not ready to declare success. Early Thursday Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said BP had stopped the flow of oil. But BP's chief operating officer later said petroleum was still flowing. Once it stops, cement will be pumped in to seal the well. (Source: Los Angeles Times, 05/27/10) In other oil-related events Thursday, an underwater oil plume was found by University of South Florida researchers, adding to fears much of the spill is beneath the surface. (Source: Washington Post, Associated Press, 05/27/10) Thirty-three exploratory rigs operating in deep water in the Gulf of Mexico were told they'll have to shut down pending a review; and the director of Minerals Management Service, S. Elizabeth Birnbaum, resigned. (Sources: Multiple, 05/27/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Since then, oil from the well has flowed into the Gulf of Mexico and efforts to contain it have been unsuccessful. The spill is now called the worst in U.S. history. Louisiana has been impacted the most so far, with oil washing into marshlands.

Scientists: Gulf leak bigger than Valdez

Scientists say the amount of oil that's flowed into the Gulf of Mexico from a damaged BP well is much greater than originally believed, and has surpassed the 11 million gallons that spilled during the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska in 1989. U.S. Geological Survey Director Dr. Marcia McNutt said at a news conference Thursday that two teams of scientists using different methods have preliminarily determined that between 17 million and 27 million gallons of oil have gushed into the ocean so far. (Source: Washington Post, 05/27/10) Meanwhile, reports about the "top kill" method to stop the flow indicate it is working. The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil has flowed into the Gulf of Mexico since then. Coastal communities have made preparations to brace for oil coming ashore. Louisiana has been hardest hit so far.

Top kill procedure working

Workers have stopped the flow of oil and gas into the Gulf of Mexico from a BP well, according to U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen. The "top kill" effort, launched Wednesday, had pumped enough drilling fluid to block oil and gas spewing from the well and drop the pressure, Allen said. Once the pressure drops to zero, workers will begin pumping cement into the hole to entomb the well. (Sources: Multiple, including Tribune Washington Bureau via Sun Herald, Los Angeles Times, 05/27/10)

NAVO, NOAA partner to monitor spill

The NOAA ship Thomas Jefferson is underway on a mission to deploy a variety of ocean monitoring instruments in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The instrumented floats, drifters and gliders, operated by the Naval Oceanographic Office at Stennis Space Center, Miss., will help researchers monitor the surface and deep currents, including the Loop Current, that are distributing the oil. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations operates the 208-foot hydrographic ship, homeported in Norfolk, Va. It was initially deployed to the Gulf in early April to conduct surveys to update nautical charts and to baseline benthic habitats in the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary. The data from the Naval Oceanographic Office instruments will be shared with the scientific community and used to improve the accuracy of circulation models in the Gulf of Mexico. A NOAA Lockheed WP-3D Orion also has been gathering data on the Loop Current while other NOAA aircraft have been mapping the spill's extent and surveying marine mammals in the affected area. (Source: NOAA, 05/26/10)

Anger over spill grows

Anger over the inability to stop the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico has been building for a long time, and now it's gushing out like the oil itself. There have also been numerous reports about angry fishermen who have offered to use their boats to help skim the oil, but they are sitting idle. (Source: Multiple, 05/26/10) Democrat strategist James Carville on "Good Morning America" lashed out at the Obama administration's "lackadaisical" response. "It just looks like (Obama is) not involved," Carville said. "Man, you got to get down here and take control of this, put somebody in charge of this thing and get moving. We're about to die down here." (Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, 05/26/10) Commerce Secretary Gary Locke on Monday declared the Gulf of Mexico a national fisheries disaster, citing the damage to the region's multibillion-dollar fishing industry by oil. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has closed nearly 20 percent of the commercial and recreational fisheries in the area because of the spill. Fisheries of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are covered by the disaster declaration, making them eligible for federal relief funds. (Source: CNN, 05/24/10, New York Times, 05/26/10)

Top kill procedure begins

BP has begun a critical maneuver to stop the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. BP engineers with 50,000 barrels of dense mud and a robotic submarines started the "top kill" maneuver around 1 p.m. CDT. Oil has been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. The procedure involves pumping thousands of pounds of heavy fluids into a five-story stack of pipes in an effort to clog the well and stop the leak. (Source: New York Times, 05/26/10)

BP to try top kill Wednesday

BP engineers say they have the equipment in place and on Wednesday will try to stem the flow of oil with the “top kill” method - pumping heavy drilling mud into a massive device on top of the gushing well. The top kill has proven successful in aboveground wells, but has never before been tried a mile beneath the sea. (Source: AP via Mobile Press-Register, 05/25/10) The company is also looking at contingency plans should the top kill fail, including replacing the damaged riser pipe at the well, an option that would be available by the end of May. (Source: Bloomberg, 05/25/10) The April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon killed 11 workers. Oil has flowed into the Gulf of Mexico ever since. The oil slick has penetrated the marshes of Louisiana.

Shrimp season opening gets new test

The opening of the brown shrimp season in Mississippi waters should occur within the first two weeks of June. William Walker, executive director of the state Department of Marine Resources, was given authority to open the season when test trawls yield 68 shrimp per pound. Walker said he has added an additional test for the opening of shrimp season: testing shrimp for petroleum hydrocarbons. The test for petroleum hydrocarbons in shrimp tissue is a first, he said. "We think our seafood is just fine, We want to verify that," he said. Mississippi shrimp landings in 2008 were valued at $8.6 million. (Source: Mississippi Press, 05/24/10)

New attempt to stop leak upcoming

BP will try this week to dump heavy mud on the well leaking in the Gulf of Mexico, but whether that will work remains to be seen. Some 6 million gallons of crude has flowed into the Gulf, though some scientists think the amount is higher. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he's not completely confident BP knows what it's doing. The spill's impact now stretches across 150 miles, from Dauphin Island, Ala. to Grand Isle, La., with 65 miles of Louisiana oiled. BP said Sunday that the amount of oil siphoned by the mile-long tube inserted into the well had sharply dropped over a 24-hour period. (Source: AP, 05/23/10)

Oil leak update

It will be early next week before BP attempts to use heavy mud to stem the flow of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. The method, called "top kill," involves pumping heavy drilling mud into the well. The well has been gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico since the rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. In other oil-related events: booms filled with hair will not be used to keep oil from the shoreline because they get water soaked and sink; BP says it has no alternative dispersant to use after the EPA told it to find a less toxic dispersant; BP, after agreeing more oil is seeping into the water than reported, now says the higher estimates don't take into account the gas that's mixed in with the oil. (Source: Multiple, 05/22/10)

EPA wants less toxic dispersant

The Environmental Protection Agency told BP late Wednesday that the company has 24 hours to pick a less toxic form of chemical dispersants to break up its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, according to government sources familiar with the decision. It must apply the new form of dispersants within 72 hours of submitting the list of alternatives. The move suggests federal officials are concerned that the unprecedented use of dispersants could pose a significant threat to the Gulf of Mexico's marine life. An announcement is expected later today. (Source: Washington Post, 05/20/10)

Portion of oil enters loop

Federal scientists say a small portion of the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico has entered the powerful loop current that will take it around the tip of Florida and up the east coast. The oil from the leaking well has generally stayed away from shorelines so far, save for parts of Louisiana. In a bid to stem the flow, officials from BP plan to shoot drilling mud into the Deepwater Horizon well, perhaps Sunday. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, Sun Herald, 05/19/10 and 05/20/10) An explosion April 20 at the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig killed 11 workers and left an uncapped well spewing oil. About 19 percent of Gulf is now closed to fishing. Several methods to stem the flow have failed, with the exception of the insertion of a siphon pipe that's capturing a portion of the oil.

VT Halter Marine fined

MOSS POINT, Miss. - VT Halter Marine must pay fines of $1.3 million for a 2009 explosion and fire that killed two workers and injured two others, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The incident occurred in November of that year in the inner bottom void of a tugboat that was being built at the company's Escatawapa facility. OSHA cited the company for 17 willful and 11 serious violations. (Source: Sun Herald, 05/19/10)

BAE Systems to buy Atlantic Marine

ARLINGTON, Va. - BAE Systems today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Atlantic Marine Holding Co. from JFL-AMH Partners LLC, a portfolio company of the private equity firm J.F. Lehman and Company for a cash consideration of $352 million. Atlantic Marine is a privately held vessel maintenance, repair, overhaul and conversion, marine fabrication, and ship construction services provider with operations at Mayport and Jacksonville, Fla., Moss Point, Miss., and Mobile, Ala. The acquisition does not include Atlantic Marine's Boston and Philadelphia operations. The acquisition will be funded from BAE Systems' existing cash resources. (Source: BAE Systems, 05/18/10)

Amount of oil recovered increasing

BP says it's siphoning about 40 percent of the 5,000 barrels of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. The mile-long siphon tube was put in place over the weekend. The oil rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil has spewed into the water since then, despite multiple attempts to stem the flow. The tube is the first effort to have any measure of success. (Source: Reuters, AP via Mississippi Press, 05/18/10) Meanwhile, concerns are increasing that the oil will be picked up by the Gulf loop current and bring oil to sensitive areas in the Florida Keys and east coast of Florida. (Source: Multiple, including Los Angeles Times, 05/17/10)

NGI holds conference next week

The Northern Gulf Institute Annual Conference is scheduled for May 18 to 20 at the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel in Mobile, Ala. The conference will include updates on the activities and direction of the institute, with an emphasis on research presentations by NGI project teams. One of the hot topics that will be discussed will be the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. NGI, a NOAA cooperative institute, focuses on research about the northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. Led by Mississippi State University, partners are the University of Southern Mississippi, Louisiana State University, Florida State University and the Dauphin Islana Sea Lab in Mobile. NGI has offices at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: NGI agenda, 05/13/10)

NOAA NE fisheries chief sent to Gulf

NOAA sent one of its top fisheries science directors to the Gulf to lead its effort to assess, test and report findings about risks posed to fish in the Gulf of Mexico by contaminants from the BP oil spill and clean-up activities. Nancy Thompson, director of NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center, will be in Pascagoula, Miss., to lead NOAA's response team. Thompson will work with Bonnie Ponwith, director at the agency's Southeast Fisheries Science Center, who is leading an intensified effort to monitor and assess the spill's effects on important species in the Gulf of Mexico. Thompson’s arrival will allow Ponwith to focus on both her oil spill duties as well as high-priority regional issues in fisheries management, including leading stock assessments for red snapper stocks and working with the Gulf, Caribbean and South Atlantic fishery management councils. (Source: NOAA, 05/11/10)

Signal gets $30M contract

MOBILE, Ala. - Signal International won a $30 million contract to build two power generation barges at its Orange, Texas, shipyard for Waller Marine of Houston. Each of the 300-foot-by-100-foot barges will be capable of generating 171 megawatts of electricity. When the barges are finished in August, Waller plans to take them to Venezuela. Signal, which recently bought Bender Shipbuilding and Repair of Mobile, also has yards in Pascagoula, Miss. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 05/12/10)

Dispersant probe stepped up

Federal officials said Tuesday that they are stepping up contaminant testing of the Gulf of Mexico's marine life to monitor the potential buildup of petroleum compounds and the chemical dispersants used to break up oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill. Testing will determine if Gulf seafood is safe for human consumption. The dispersants are being used to break up the oil gushing from the well. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 05/12/10) Meanwhile, wildlife officials are investigating whether the spill had anything to do with the recent deaths of six dolphins in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. But one local expert said six deaths this time of year over such a large area containing thousands of dolphins could be natural and that initial inspection of the bodies has showed no oil contamination. (Source: Sun Herald, 05/11/12)

Report: Natural gas in leak increasing

In the last few days, the spill from the well in the Gulf of Mexico has changed. Sources told ABC News the amount of natural gas coming out of the well is increasing, which could mean less oil spewing into the water. BP confirmed the report. Satellite images of the oil slick from May 1 compared with the slick today show it appears smaller. (Source: ABC News, 05/11/10) The problem began April 20 with the explosion of a drilling rig. Eleven workers died. Since then oil has gushed from the well. Efforts to cap it with a dome failed when ice crystals formed on the dome. A smaller one was lowered onto the ocean floor Tuesday and will be placed over the leak Thursday. Work also continues on a relief well. BP may also try injecting pieces of tires, golf balls and rubber debris into the top of the well to plug it. BP is now using oil dispersing chemicals near the leak, but the ecological effects are not fully known.

Four fisheries stock now rebuilt

Four fisheries stocks, including Atlantic swordfish, have now been rebuilt to healthy levels, according to a report issued Monday to Congress from NOAA’s Fisheries Service. For the first time since the report was issued in 1997, no stocks were added to the overfishing list. In Status of U.S. Fisheries, NOAA scientists reported that 85 percent of the stocks examined, 212 of 250, were free from overfishing. "By working with our regional fishery councils and commercial and recreational fishermen, we are getting closer every year to ending overfishing in our waters," said Eric Schwaab, NOAA assistant administrator for NOAA's Fisheries Service. "With annual catch limits coming into effect this year, we expect our progress to accelerate." (Source: NOAA, 05/10/10)

Sea Grant group to undergo scheduled review

The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium will undergo a scheduled four-year review June 8-9 at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab on Dauphin Island, Ala., and at the International Trade Center in Mobile, Ala. A federal site review team will review and discuss MASGC management and organization, stakeholder engagement and collaborative network/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration activities. The mission of MASGC is to enhance the sustainable use and conservation of ocean and coastal resources in Alabama and Mississippi. Members include Auburn University, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Mississippi, University of Southern Mississippi and University of South Alabama (Source: MASGC, 05/07/10)

Contract: Gulf Island Fabrication, $9.4M

Gulf Island Fabrication Inc., Houma, La., was awarded a $9,410,156 contract to obtain marine services to modify the dredge Potter. The modification includes replacing the existing upper deckhouse and pilothouse areas. This project requires engineering and design, fabrication, testing, and delivery services to provide the required modifications. The dredge Potter is in support of dredging efforts for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District. Work is to be performed in Houma, La., with an estimated completion date of July 23, 2011. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/10/10)

Ship launched in Pascagoula

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - The Navy amphibious ship that will be named San Diego was launched Friday in Pascagoula. It’s the fourth Navy vessel to be named for the city and will be delivered to the Navy in 2011. The 684-foot amphibious transport dock ship built by Northrop Grumman will be christened in June. The LPD 17 class of amphibious transport dock ships can carry up to 720 troops along with air-cushioned and conventional landing craft, expeditionary fighting vehicles, helicopters and vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. (Sources: San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego News Network, 05/07/10)

Ice crystals crush dome hopes

The best hope for sharply cutting back the amount of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico has hit a major problem. The 100-ton containment dome had to be removed from its resting spot atop the oil leak when ice crystals formed and began clogging the opening that would have brought the oil to ships on the surface. BP officials are working on a solution, but say it will be Monday before a decision is made on the next step. (Sources: Multiple, including AP, New York Times, 05/08/10) BP operated the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico which sank April 20 after an explosion that left 11 people missing and presumed dead. The underwater well has been spewing oil since, threatening sensitive beaches and marsh lands along the Gulf Coast. Some of the oil has washed ashore in Louisiana and Alabama.

Containment dome on well

A concrete-and-steel funnel has been placed over a blown-out oil well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico in a bid to contain oil leaking from it. BP said it might take up to 12 hours for the containment device to settle in place, but that everything appeared to be going as planned. It's hoped it will be able to collect as much as 85 percent of the oil and begin funneling it to ships above by Monday. (Source: BBC, 05/07/10) BP operated the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico which sank April 20 after an explosion that left 11 people missing and presumed dead. The underwater well has been spewing oil since then. The oil threatens to harm the sensitive beaches and marsh lands along the Gulf Coast. Some of the oil has washed ashore in Louisiana.

NOAA extends closure to fishing

NOAA Fisheries Service has modified the boundaries of the closed fishing area to coincide with the current extent of oil pollution stemming from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and spill. All commercial and recreational fishing is prohibited in the closed area that is slightly less than 4.5 percent of the Gulf of Mexico federal waters. The closure is in effect for 10 days to May 17. (Source: Sun Herald, 05/07/10) Meanwhile, that four-story containment dome that is designed to capture much of the gushing oil and bring it to ships on the surface is now on site and is being lowered to the gushing well. That work is expected to last into the weekend. (Source: CNN, 05/07/10)

Bait fish turn up dead

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Thousands of dead bait fish surfaced in the two waterways, but officials are still waiting to find out if the deaths are related to the oil spill. A resident who noticed the odor Tuesday and Wednesday reported it to city officials, who alerted the Bureau of Marine Resources and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. "I don't think we can automatically assume it has anything to do with the spill," Pascagoula Mayor Robbie Maxwell said. (Source: Sun Herald, 05/05/10). BP operated the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico which sank April 20 after an explosion that left 11 people missing and presumed dead. The underwater well has been spewing oil since then.

Inspector shortage cited in weld issue

A shortage of Navy inspectors contributed to quality problems with ships built at the Gulf Coast yards of Northrop Grumman, a Navy official said Wednesday. Brian Persons, executive director of Naval Sea Systems Command, said that after the Navy looked into the weld problems on destroyers and amphibious ships built as far back as 2002 in Avondale, La., and Pascagoula, Miss., officials concluded there were too few inspectors from the Supervisor of Shipbuilding to ensure the work. NavSea has been adding inspectors over the past several months. (Source: Navy Times, 05/05/10)

One oil leak capped; dome nears site

The Coast Guard says BP PLC has capped one of three leaks at a deepwater oil well, but the work is not expected to reduce the overall flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. BP officials have said that fewer leaks will make it easier to drop a containment box on the breach. The well has been spewing at least 210,000 gallons per day since an April 20 explosion at a rig 50 miles off Louisiana. (Source: AP via Washington Post, 05/05/10) The containment box should be arriving Wednesday in the form of a specially built giant concrete-and-steel box designed to siphon the oil away. Crews for contractor Wild Well Control were putting the finishing touches Tuesday on the 100-ton containment dome. BP spokesman John Curry said it would be deployed on the seabed by Thursday. (Source: AP via Mobile Press-Register, 05/05/10) In Gulfport, Miss., wildlife officials say that at least 35 endangered sea turtles washed up on Gulf coast beaches, but it's not clear what’s killing them. Moby Solangi, director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, said Tuesday necropsies had been completed on the turtles and found no oil. (Source: AP via WLOX-TV, 05/04/10)

Navy gets first EME for DDG 1000

Raytheon Co. delivered the first Electronic Modular Enclosure for the Zumwalt-class destroyer to the U.S. Navy. The EME unit, which houses ruggedized and commercial electronic equipment for the ship's external communications, was shipped from Raytheon's facility in Largo, Fla., to Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., where it will be integrated into DDG 1000's advanced composite deckhouse. There are 16 EMEs on each Zumwalt destroyer, and each unit contains more than 235 individual electronics cabinets. An EME weighs up to 18 tons and measures close to 35-feet long, 8-feet high and 12-feet wide. (Source: PRNewswire, 05/04/10)

Ground broken for center

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - A groundbreaking was held today for the $9 million Mississippi State Science and Technology Center at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center. It will be the new home of the multi-university Northern Gulf Institute. The 40,000 square-foot building will also provide space for staff and researchers from MSU's Geosystems Research Institute, other university research units and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Coastal Data Development Center. NGI, a NOAA cooperative institute, focuses on research about the northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. Member organizations are MSU, the University of Southern Mississippi, Louisiana State University, Florida State University and Dauphin Island Sea Lab. (Source: NGI, 05/03/10)

Chemicals reducing oil flow

BP says it's been able to reduce the amount of oil reaching the surface from an underwater oil leak by using chemicals at the gusher. CEO Tony Hayward said on NBC "Today" show that BP is injecting dispersant chemicals into the oil as it pours out of the undersea well. (Source: AP via Sun Herald, 05/03/10) BP operated the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico which sank April 20 after an explosion that left 11 people missing and presumed dead. The underwater well has been spewing oil since then. BP hopes to stop the gusher in a week through a containment dome. Areas from Louisiana to Northwest Florida have been taking steps to mitigate the impact of the spill through a range of activities, from placing booms to cleaning up beaches beforehand.

Fishing closed due to spill

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is closing commercial and recreational fishing from Louisiana to parts of Florida because of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The closure begins immediately and will last for at least 10 days. The fishing ban extends between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida's Pensacola Bay. (Source: AP via Sun Herald, 05/02/10) BP Plc operated the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico which sank April 20 after an explosion that left 11 people missing and presumed dead. The underwater well has been spewing oil since the accident.

Dome over leak possible

The chairman of BP, Lamar McKay, told ABC's "This Week" that he can't say when the well might be plugged, but said he believes a dome that could be placed over the well is expected to be deployed in six to eight days. The dome has been made and workers are finishing the plan to get it deployed. (Source: AP via Press-Register, 05/02/10) In Gulfport, Miss., the state director of the Mississippi chapter of the Sierra Club, Louie Miller, described the spill as "America's Chernobyl" in a news conference Saturday, a reference to the power plant explosion in 1986 that resulted in a plume of radioactive fallout across a large area of Europe. (Source: Mississippi Press, 05/02/10) But count Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., as one who doesn't see it quite that way. After a three-hour flight over the Gulf of Mexico Saturday, Taylor concluded, "This isn't Armageddon." (Source: Mississippi Press, 05/02/10) BP Plc operated the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico which sank April 20 after an explosion that left 11 people missing and presumed dead. The underwater well has been spewing oil since the accident. Communities along the Gulf Coast have been doing what they can to prevent the oil slick from reaching sensitive shores and marsh lands.