Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner today met with BP executives Bob Dudley, Lamar McKay, David Nagel and Karen St. John to discuss a number of key issues, including containment, redundancy, the claims process and scientific monitoring. Dudley recently assumed the lead role for BP in the Gulf restoration.
Browner reiterated the President’s commitment to the people of the Gulf—that the administration will not rest or be satisfied until the leak is stopped at the source, the oil in the Gulf is contained and cleaned up, and the people of the Gulf are able to go back to their lives and their livelihoods—and reminded them that their work and response will be based on that bar.
Regional Incident Commanders Provide Operational Update on the BP Oil Spill Response
Coast Guard Captains Steven Poulin and Roger Laferriere, the Regional Incident Commanders for the Mobile and Houma sectors, respectively, today provided operational updates to inform Gulf Coast residents on the progress of the administration-wide response to the BP oil spill.
Containment Cap Operations Resume; Preparations are Made for Third Vessel
Yesterday, as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of operations, the use of the lower marine riser package (LMRP) containment cap was temporarily suspended when a discharge of liquids was observed. Upon completion of the inspection, the LMRP was reconnected to the Discoverer Enterprise around 8 p.m. last night and resumed operations this morning.
The capture of oil and gas through the blowout preventer’s choke line to the Q4000 vessel on the surface has continued without interruption.
The first of four free-standing risers has been installed and is being tested. The vessel Helix Producer, which is expected to be operational by late June, will be used to produce oil and gas through the first free-standing riser.
FWS and NPS Continue Their Efforts to Recover and Rehabilitate Oiled Wildlife
U.S. Fish and Wildlife and National Park Service personnel continue efforts to protect Gulf Coast wildlife and habitats from the effects of the BP oil spill. On Wednesday, FWS rescue and recovery teams responded to calls to the Wildlife Hotline reporting oiled or injured wildlife along the Gulf Coast. To report oiled wildlife, call (866) 557-1401.
Approved SBA Economic Injury Assistance Loans Top $6 Million
SBA has approved 101 economic injury assistance loans to date, totaling more than $6 million for small businesses in the Gulf Coast impacted by the BP oil spill. Additionally, the agency has granted deferments on 481 existing SBA disaster loans in the region, totaling more than $2.2 million per month in payments. For information on assistance loans for affected businesses, visit the SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance, call (800) 659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), or email [email protected].
Administration Continues to Oversee BP’s Claims Process; Payments Surpass $125 Million
The administration will continue to hold the responsible parties accountable for repairing the damage, and repaying Americans who’ve suffered a financial loss as a result of the BP oil spill. To date, 75,106 claims have been opened, from which more than $125.9 million have been disbursed. No claims have been denied to date. There are 787 claims adjusters on the ground. To file a claim, visit www.bp.com/claims or call BP’s helpline at 1-800-440-0858. Those who have already pursued the BP claims process and are not satisfied with BP’s resolution can call the Coast Guard at (800) 280-7118. Additional information about the BP claims process and all available avenues of assistance can be found at www.disasterassistance.gov.
On Wednesday, a meeting was held with representatives from the State of Florida, top BP claims officials and the Integrated Services Team—which was established by the National Incident Command to coordinate interagency support services for individuals and small businesses impacted by the BP oil spill—to ensure that BP’s claims process is transparent, prompt, and responsive to the unique needs of the impacted communities citizens and businesses.
By the Numbers to Date:
* The administration has authorized the deployment of 17,500 National Guard troops from Gulf Coast states to respond to this crisis; currently, 1,640 are active.
* Approximately 37,000 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife and cleanup vital coastlines.
* More than 6,200 vessels are currently responding on site, including skimmers, tugs, barges, and recovery vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts—in addition to dozens of aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units.
* Approximately 2.6 million feet of containment boom and 4.24 million feet of sorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill—and approximately 850,000 feet of containment boom and 2.26 million feet of sorbent boom are available.
* Approximately 25.6 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.
* Approximately 1.48 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied—977,000 on the surface and 502,000 subsea. More than 422,000 gallons are available.
* 275 controlled burns have been conducted, efficiently removing a total of more than 10 million gallons of oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife. Because calculations on the volume of oil burned can take more than 48 hours, the reported total volume may not reflect the most recent controlled burns.
* 17 staging areas are in place to protect sensitive shorelines.
* Approximately 179 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled—approximately 34 miles in Louisiana, 42 miles in Mississippi, 42 miles in Alabama, and 61 miles in Florida. These numbers reflect a daily snapshot of shoreline currently experiencing impacts from oil so that planning and field operations can more quickly respond to new impacts; they do not include cumulative impacts to date, or shoreline that has already been cleared.
* Approximately 78,600 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters remain closed to fishing in order to balance economic and public health concerns. More than 67 percent remains open. Details can be found at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/.
* To date, the administration has leveraged assets and skills from numerous foreign countries and international organizations as part of this historic, all-hands-on-deck response, including Canada, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization and the European Union’s Monitoring and Information Centre.
Resources:
* For information about the response effort, visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.
* For specific information about the federal-wide response, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/deepwater-bp-oil-spill.
* To contact the Deepwater Horizon Joint Information Center, call (713) 323-1670.
* To volunteer, or to report oiled shoreline, call (866) 448-5816. Volunteer opportunities can also be found here.
* To submit your vessel as a vessel of opportunity skimming system, or to submit alternative response technology, services, or products, call 281-366-5511.
* To report oiled wildlife, call (866) 557-1401.
* For information about validated environmental air and water sampling results, visit www.epa.gov/bpspill.
* For National Park Service updates about potential park closures, resources at risk, and NPS actions to protect vital park space and wildlife, visit http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm.
* For Fish and Wildlife Service updates about response along the Gulf Coast and the status of national wildlife refuges, visit http://www.fws.gov/home/dhoilspill/.
* For daily updates on fishing closures, visit http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.
* For information on assistance loans for affected businesses, visit the SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance, call (800) 659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), or email [email protected].
* To file a claim with BP, visit www.bp.com/claims or call BP’s helpline at (800) 440-0858. A BP fact sheet with additional information is available here. Those who have already pursued the BP claims process and are not satisfied with BP’s resolution, can call the Coast Guard at (800) 280-7118. More information about what types of damages are eligible for compensation under the Oil Pollution Act as well as guidance on procedures to seek that compensation can be found here.
* In addition, www.disasterassistance.gov has been enhanced to provide a one-stop shop for information on how to file a claim with BP and access additional assistance—available in English and Spanish.
* Any members of the press who encounter response personnel restricting their access or violating the media access policy set forth by Admiral Allen should contact the Joint Information Center. Click here for more information, including a list of regular embed opportunities.
For information about the response effort, visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.
