Cap recovering 10,000 barrels a day

The cap that was placed on the well that's been spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico is capturing some 10,000 barrels per day, about half the estimated flow. That's according to Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, who is commanding the federal response to the spill. (Source: New York Times, 06/06/10) NOAA has opened more than 16,000 square miles of previously closed fishing area off the Florida coast, including a 13,653-square mile area just west of the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas. It was initially closed June 2 as a precaution, but the review of satellite imagery, radar and aerial data indicated that oil had not moved into the area. Additionally, the agency closed a 2,275-square mile area off the Florida panhandle federal-state waterline, extending the northern boundary just east of the western edge of Choctawhatchee Bay. The closed area now represents 78,182 square miles, about 32 percent of Gulf of Mexico federal waters. (Source: NOAA, 06/04/10)