Louisiana Oil Spill Reaches Wildlife Refuge

This article is about two parts of the oil spill. One is the oil spill reaching a Wildlife Refuge and the other is about efforts to contain the oil spill and clean up the oil.

The uninhabited Chandeleur Islands, off the coast of Louisiana, are part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, which is the second oldest Wildlife Refuge in America. Pelicans and other birds that are covered in oil have been found on these islands, and a federal Maritime agency said there was "oiling all over"the islands. There is also an oily substance that is washing up on New Harbor Island, which serves as a roosting place for thousands of frigate birds. Everyone is worried about the impact that this oil spill will have on the fishing economy since the area is a vital spawning ground for fish, shrimp and crabs. One fisherman is quoted saying, "It's all over the place... that's our whole fishing ground. That's our livelihood". The effects of this oil spill on the environment are, and will be, awful - especially if the oil continues to affect Wildlife Refuges like the Chandeleur Islands.

Ever since the explosion, 18 days ago, oil has been leaking non-stop into the Gulf of Mexico. People have been criticizing BP on its slow response time, and BP has argued back that they have sent out 100 boats to skim the oil off the water (including 20 of the worlds largest skimming vessels), thousands of feet of boom are trying to contain the oil and planes are flying over deploying dispersants. Apparently the smallest of the three leaks has been sealed and crews are burning off some of the oil in the parts where there is a heavy concentration. BP is attempting to contain the leaking oil by putting a giant iron funnel over the leak. It'll try to capture about 85% of the leaking oil and funnel it up to a barge. This has been used in shallower waters but they're hoping it'll work for this leak too. A few problems may occur while using this funnel - the device may damage the well and make the leak worse, ice may clog the drill pipe, and explosions may occur at the surface while trying to separate the mix of oil, gas and water.

Hopefully the funnel will work because the oil spill is bad enough without the continuous leaking of even more oil into the gulf. This article is pretty optimistic that the funnel will work but didn't say much about how helpful the methods of cleaning up the oil will be and how bad the threat against the Wildlife Refuges is. I hope they'll be able to clear up as much oil as possible and that the ecosystems won't be too badly damaged, but I guess we can't tell how bad it will be until the oil is cleared up.

Link to article from the BBC