Oil is continuing to pour into the sea, polluting the Gulf of Mexico.
And drastic measures may now need to be taken after unmanned mini-submarines failed to plug the leaks on the sunken oil rig ‘Deepwater Horizon’ – the coastguard wants to set fire to the oil slick!
Some 140 tonnes of crude oil are being pumped out into the water every day. What damage the disaster has done to the ecosystem is as yet unknown.
But an oil spill twice the size of the Saarland is lying just a few kilometres off the coast of Louisiana.
THE SLICK COULD BE SET ALIGHT ON WEDNESDAY
Rear Admiral Mary Landry of the US Coast Guard said: “If we don't secure the well, yes, this will be one of the most significant oil spills in US history”.
In particular, the nearby ecologically significant Mississippi River Delta is under threat.
But the full repercussions off setting the oil alight are unknown: A fire would create substantial air pollution, and its effect on marine life is hard to estimate.
Another possibility to keep the catastrophe under control would be to cover the leaks with an enormous dome. Rescue squads have already begun building it, but it is set to take two to four weeks according to the US Coast Guard.
With the help of the dome, it is hoped the oil can be isolated and removed. Coast Guard spokesman Prentice Danner said: “This is the first time this has ever been done. This idea didn't exist until now. It has never been fabricated before”.
The ‘clumping’ of the oil has also sparked concerns. Samples have revealed a sticky tar-like substance.
Ed Overton, a professor emeritus of environmental sciences at Louisiana State University who is studying the oil spill, said: “I'm not super optimistic. This is tarry crude that lies down in the water.
“But it’s something that has got to be tried”.
Greenpeace has warned of a massive threat to the ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico.
“If the leak is not closed and a large quantity of oil seeps out each day, then there will be a contamination like that of the ‘Prestige’ tanker accident in 2002,” said Greenpeace spokesman and oil expert Christian Bussau. The accident saw several hundred kilometres of coastline affected in the north west of Spain.
A massive explosion took place on the ‘Deepwater Horizon’ on Tuesday April 20, and the platform later sank.
There are still 11 workers officially listed as missing, although there is no practical hope of them being found alive
Bild.com
