Federals Stall Gov. Jindall Again: Stop Taiwanese "Whale" Vacuums 21 Million Gallons
Largest Oil Skimmer in the World makes it the "gamechanger" in the fight but federal agencies will not allow it in the fight.
In the gulf of Mexico "..... response crews awaited the launch of
the "whale," a Taiwanese supertanker retrofitted as a giant skimmer
-- measuring the length of three football fields and capable of
vacuuming 21 million gallons of oily water a day."
"That vessel (the Whale) is currently in New Orleans," Diorio said, "and it's being inspected by a team of personnel, both Coast Guard and BP and other agencies trying to figure out the best way to employ it, if we can employ it at all. Hopefully, that will be decided within the next day or so."
Other resources poised to join the response effort are U.S. Navy and private aircraft, including a blimp, which will survey the region from above and direct ships to the moving oil slick.
Portland Press Herald
http://www.pressherald.com/news/nationworld/gushing-oil-hits-record-setting-proportions_2010-07-02.html
And this report:
The Taiwanese vessel dubbed "A Whale," which its owners describe as
the largest oil skimmer in the world, began showing its
capabilities on Saturday just north of the Macondo Deepwater well
site
The U.S. Coast Guard, along with BP, are waiting to see if the vessel, which is 10 stories high and as long as 3 1/2 football fields, can live up to its makers' promise of being able to process up to 21 million gallons of oil-fouled water a day.
(The EPA is stalling the process also as it reviews the "leftover water for traces left from the filtering process which removes most but not all of the oil")
GIANT SKIMMER A GAME CHANGER IN WAR AGAINST SPILL
During a Thursday tour of the inlet to Barataria Bay, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said it was exasperating to have A Whale anchored offshore instead of being put to immediate use.
"They've used the war rhetoric," Jindal said aboard a Louisiana state wildlife boat floating in oil-slicked waters near Grand Isle. "If this is really a war, they need to be using every resource that makes sense to fight this oil before it comes to our coast."
Most of the above from Yahoo Finance
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Giant-oil-skimmer-being-apf-1205767274.html?x=0&.v=3