Gulf oil spill: White House accused of spinning report

[IndianaGreen]

Gulf oil spill: White House accused of spinning report

Scientists say it is 'just not true' that the vast majority of oil from the BP spill has gone

Suzanne Goldenberg, US environment correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 5 August 2010 23.17 BST

The White House was accused today of spinning a government scientific report into the amount of oil left in the Gulf of Mexico from the BP spill which had officials declaring that the vast majority of the oil had been removed.

As BP workers finished pouring cement into the well as a first step to permanently sealing it today, environmental groups and scientists – including those working with government agencies to calculate the scale and effects of the spill – said White House officials had painted far too optimistic a picture of a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (Noaa) into the fate of the oil.

"Recent reports seem to say that about 75% of the oil is taken care of and that is just not true," said John Kessler, of Texas A&M University, who led a National Science Foundation on-site study of the spill. "The fact is that 50% to 75% of the material that came out of the well is still in the water. It's just in a dissolved or dispersed form."

With work progressing on the final phase of the "static kill" sealing of the well, Thad Allen, the Obama administration's top official on the spill, told reporters there would be no new oil in the Gulf.

But those assurances failed to satisfy scientists and environmental groups, who disputed the claim by Carol Browner, the White House energy and climate adviser, that "the vast majority of oil is gone".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/05/oil-spill-white-house-accused-spin

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Looks like the unreccers have already stopped by.

[katandmoon]

2. K&R.

[nenagh]

3. Wrong spin from the White House in my opinion...

Whether that is what they meant, I do not know..

Hope Obama spends some time reading TheOilDrum... :) for a reasoned look at people's reactions...

I'm sure he gets all the info he needs.. but the heart of the people is often revealed on TOD..

[Aramchek]

4. nobody ever said the vast majority of the oil is gone. they said it was no longer on the surface

You sure enjoy your particular brand of spinning.
Don't you?

[jenmito]

5. K&U for dishonesty and misleading statements. According to this quote in the article:

"The fact is that 50% to 75% of the material that came out of the well is still in the water. It's just in a dissolved or dispersed form," that's exactly what the White House said:

"In summary, it is estimated that burning, skimming and direct recovery from the wellhead removed one quarter (25%) of the oil released from the wellhead. One quarter (25%) of the total oil naturally evaporated or dissolved, and just less than one quarter (24%) was dispersed (either naturally or as a result of operations) as microscopic droplets into Gulf waters. The residual amount — just over one quarter (26%) — is either on or just below the surface as light sheen and weathered tar balls, has washed ashore or been collected from the shore, or is buried in sand and sediments. Oil in the residual and dispersed categories is in the process of being degraded. The report below describes each of these categories and calculations. These estimates will continue to be refined as additional information becomes available."

http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/posted/2931/Oil_Budget_description_8_3_FINAL.844091.pdf

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

6. You mean Obama isn't a liar?

Wait till the Democrats on this board find out. They're going to be terribly, terribly disappointed.

[jenmito]

7. Sadly...

my post which showed exactly what the White House DID say got no rebuttal from those who claimed they're "spinning" the Gulf situation. I'm sure it's because it goes against their narrative that they WISH were true-that Obama is a liar/"corporatist"/big-business buddy/etc.