nancyk58 Posted May 24, 2010 Author Share Posted May 24, 2010 NEWS ON 21 and 23 MAY 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8696211.stm Page last updated at 07:10 GMT, Friday, 21 May 2010 08:10 UK CYCLONE LAILA 'KILLS 23' IN SOUTHERN INDIA At least 23 people have died over the last two days as a powerful cyclone caused widespread havoc across the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Cyclone Laila toppled power lines and landslides and heavy rains stalled transport networks around the state. The storm is now weakening and is reported to be moving east to neighbouring Orissa state but officials say it can still cause more damage. More than 50,000 people were evacuated as the storm closed in. Cyclone Laila made landfall in coastal Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, plunging the area into darkness and battering it with heavy rains and strong winds. Winds of 100km/h (60mph) uprooted trees and electricity poles and massive waves lashed the coast. Officials say at least 55 fishermen are reported missing. The army and navy are on high alert. It is the worst storm to hit Andhra Pradesh in 14 years. In 1977, more than 10,000 people were killed when a cyclone hit Andhra Pradesh. ----------------------------------- Danish DR1 Text-TV: LANDSLIDE KILLS 19 IN CHINA A massive landslide in eastern China triggered a landslide that derailed a train. At least 19 passengers were killed and 71 injured, as a Chinese passenger train have overturned and consequently was derailed in the eastern province of Jiangxi. The train was en route from Shanghai to the tourist area of Guilin in the south-western region, Guangxi as it was hit by a landslide when passing the city of Fuzhou in Jiangxi's mountainous area with many occurrences of bad weather. The number of passengers in the train is not clear, but the death toll is expected to rise. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10143258.stm Page last updated at 13:35 GMT, Sunday, 23 May 2010 14:35 UK LANDSLIDE IN JIANGXI CHINA DERAILS TRAIN KILLING 19 A landslide has caused the derailment of a passenger train in south-east China, with at least 19 people killed and 71 injured. The train crashed into dirt and debris blocking the tracks in a mountainous area of Jiangxi province at 0210 (1810 GMT), the railway ministry said. It had been making its way from Shanghai to the tourist area of Guilin. Jiangxi has been hit by heavy rains in recent days, causing landslides and flooding low-lying farms. An investigation has been opened into the crash and the provincial governor, Wu Xinxiong, was reportedly at the scene to oversee the rescue operations. HEAVY CUTTING EQUIPMENT The locomotive and eight of the 17 carriages appear to have overturned in the crash near the city of Fuzhou. Some 2,000 rescuers including fire-fighters, police and soldiers worked through the night to free survivors and extract bodies, using heavy cutting equipment to reach them, China's state news agency Xinhua reports. Officials did not know how many passengers were on board at the time of the derailment. More than 280 passengers were evacuated from the train and 53 had been freed from the wreckage as of 0900 local time on Sunday. A railway police officer told Xinhua that each carriage had had 118 seats and four of them had been "severely damaged". A survivor was quoted by the agency as saying his carriage had been less than half full. President Hu Jintao urged the railway authorities to re-open the lines as soon as possible, and they are expected to be functioning again early on Monday. About 8,000 cu m (10,460 cu yds) of mud and rock have been cleared from the tracks. More than 40,000 residents in the area have been evacuated as a result of the flooding. OTHER NEWS SITES CBC :China derailment kills 19 - 8pm CET CTV.ca : Nineteen dead, 70 hurt, in China train derailment - 4pm CET Houston Chronicle : Train hits landslide, derails in China, killing 19 - 4pm CET Los Angeles Times : 19 killed in China as train hits landslide, derails - 1pm CET SINA : Passenger train derails in east China, at least 10 dead, 55 injured - 11am CET ----------------------------------------------------- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/europe/10144911.stm Page last updated at 18:51 GMT, Sunday, 23 May 2010 19:51 UK ICELAND's EYJAFJALLAJOKULL VOLCANO REDUCES ACTIVITY The Icelandic volcano which has been disrupting air traffic for more than a month is showing a marked drop in activity, new measurements suggest. Heat camera footage from early on Sunday indicated the temperature in the crater had fallen to just 100C, a leading volcanologist said. This means Eyjafjallajokull is now producing steam, not magma, he said. But he warned that it was too early to say whether the eruption was over completely. Huge ash clouds from the volcano grounded thousands of flights in Europe during the early part of the eruption, and there has been fresh disruption since then. "What I can confirm is that the activity of the crater has stopped," Magnus Gudmundsson told AFP news agency. "No magma is coming up." Iceland's Meteorological Office said eruption activity was "minimal", and Civil Protection Agency official Iris Marelsdottir was quoted by AP news agency as saying the volcano was "quiet". 'DIFFICULT TO SAY' Mr Gudmundsson said it would be a long time before the eruption, which began on 14 April, could be said with certainty to be over. He pointed out that the previous eruption at the volcano had lasted 13 months, from 1821-23. "It stopped and started again several times with different intervals, so it's difficult to say, difficult to give a timeline," he added. He also judged it impossible to say whether the neighbouring and much larger and fiercer Katla volcano might also erupt. At the height of its activity, the volcano sent out ash which led to airlines grounding their planes for fear it could interfere with jet engines. It was the biggest aerial shutdown in Europe since World War II, and affected at least 10 million passengers worldwide. Similar articles found on Danish DR1 Text-TV and Swedish SVT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10145011.stm Page last updated at 21:23 GMT, Sunday, 23 May 2010 22:23 UK US WARNS IT MAY 'PUSH BP ASIDE' ON GULF OIL CLEAN-UP Oil firm BP may be "pushed out of the way" if it fails to perform in the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster clean-up, a top US official has warned. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the British company had missed "deadline after deadline" in its efforts to seal a blown-out oil well. But he said BP had agreed to pay clean-up costs beyond the current US $75m (£52m) liability limit. Mr Salazar is due to visit the disaster site on Monday with other officials. The oil leak began more than a month ago, when a drilling rig operated on behalf of BP exploded, killing 11 people. Millions of barrels of oil have spewed into the ocean since then from the well's ruptured riser pipe, 1,524m (5,000ft) beneath the surface The spill has reached Louisiana and is threatening Florida and Cuba. LIMITED OPTIONS "If we find they're not doing what they're supposed to be doing, we'll push them out of the way appropriately," Mr Salazar told reporters after visiting BP's US headquarters. The BBC's Madeleine Morris in Washington says Mr Salazar's comment is the strongest language yet used by a US official towards BP. Although it is within the government's power to push BP aside, our correspondent says BP is the only organisation with the knowledge to deal with a situation like this at such a depth. Washington is coming under increasing criticism for its response to the disaster, as well as pressure to assume control from BP. Most of the information about the extent of the spill as well as measures to plug the leak have come from BP itself, leading to allegations the American government has been too reliant on the company for dealing with the spill, our correspondent adds. Mr Salazar said the government had sent a team of scientific "all-stars" to BP's headquarters in Houston. They have pushed BP in every way that they can to kill the well and they have pushed BP in every way that they can to stop the pollution," he said. "If there is a way to kill this well, they will find it. If there is a way to stop this pollution from spreading, they will find it." He said the best option at the moment was to proceed with a "top kill" which involves injecting heavy drilling fluids into the ruptured pipe. Mr Salazar added that there was "no question" that BP was doing its utmost to resolve the situation "because this is an existential crisis for one of the world's largest companies". "Do I have confidence that they know exactly what they're doing? No, not completely." SHORT-TERM OPTIONS Speaking on Saturday, President Barack Obama blamed the spill on "a breakdown of responsibility" at BP. BP's efforts suffered a new setback when it reported that its containment method on the ocean floor was capturing much less of the leaking oil than three days ago. Its managing director, Bob Dudley, said it would press ahead with a series of short-term options while working on a relief well not due to be completed before August. "We will keep trying, we will not wait until August," he told CNN. "There is no certainty at these kinds of depth." The chief of the US coast guard, Admiral Thad Allen, acknowledged on Sunday that the government was forced to rely on BP and the private oil sector to try to plug the spill. "They have the eyes and ears that are down there. They are necessarily the modality by which this is going to get solved," he said. OTHER NEWS SITES CNN : In Louisiana, anger grows for cleanup action - 1am CET. Reuters UK : U.S. government slams BP for missed deadlines on spill - midnight CET. CNN Money : WRAPUP 5-US gov't slams BP for missed deadlines on spill - midnight CET. TheStar.com.my : U.S. says must rely on BP to stop oil;Iran offers help - 9pm CET. Mail Online UK : Evidence of oil spill's devastating ecological impact emerges as Obama sends in senior officials - 7pm CET. German ARD text and ZDF text: BP CONTINUES USING CONTROVERSIAL CHEMICAL The BP group will continue using the controversial chemical Corexit in the fight against the oil pollution in the Gulf of Mexico, thus ignoring a decree issued by the US authority EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). The chemical is the best solution according to BP's Chief Operating Officer (COO), Doug Suttles. EPA had asked BP to use less poisonous chemicals, because the long-term consequences of using the chemical are unknown. The chemical is used for dissolving the oil and prevent it from rising to the surface of the Gulf. BP, but also the US government are under increasing pressure due to the oil pollution. Since the explosion on the drilling rig on 20 April 2010, an estimated 25 million litres of oil have leaked into the Gulf. Danish DR1 and TV2 text-TV: FRACTION OF THE OIL POLLUTION WILL BE CAPTURED In spite of many attempts to limit the pollution after the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, only a fraction of the oil will be captured, says an expert. "The oil is out there, and it will stay there", says Lisa Suatoni, marine biologist at the American Natural Resources Defense Council. "History is miserable and pitiful when it comes to cleanup after oil leaks. Generally, less than 1 per cent of the oil spill will be captured, she says. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- German ARD text (latest update from the evening): HIGH WATER REACHING POLISH CAPITAL WARSAW In Poland the high water has reached WARSAW. River Weichsel overflowed its banks in a district in the capital. Sunday before noon, by Plock 100 km north-west of Warsaw, river Weichsel burst a dyke. Several villages on the river bank were flooded; 160 people were evacuated to safer places. The authorities sent additional fire-fighters and soldiers to the flooded region. In BRESLAU in Lower Silesia large parts of the Kozanow district in the north-western Breslau were under water Sunday morning. Apartment houses and one-family houses were flooded - the water level was up to 2 m high according to broadcaster TVN24. Saturday, the river Oder and its tributary river Sleza burst a dike and - in spite of an immediate relief operation - flooded the region. So far 12 have died due to the flood in Poland. In BRANDENBURG in Germany, river Oder's water level continues to rise. The first tidal wave is expected tonight. German ZDF text: BREACH OF DYKES IN POLAND / FLOODING IN BRESLAU The tidal wave moves towards the North: The high water in the rivers Weichsel and Oder caused substantial damage in Poland. By Plock, 100 km from Warwaw, Weichsel burst a dike Sunday before noon according to a spokesman for the emergency staff. Several villages were flooded. 160 had to be evacuated to safer places. In BRESLAU a district was partly under water. River Oder and its tributary river Sleza flooded the district after the dyke had collapsed. The water level in the district was up to 2 m high. The water level was rising. The lowest alarm level was still in force in a 28 km long part of the river close to the town, Schwedt. In BRANDENBURG the high water is expected to culminate in the middle of the new week, i.e. on Wednesday. THE PERIOD WITH THE HIGHEST WATER LEVEL IS EXTREMELY LONG. On Whitsunday, River Weichsel passed Warsaw with the highest water level. The water level fell before noon, but according to the authorities it was too early to relax. The period with highest water level is extremely long. The river Weichsel is scheduled to float towards the North with a very high water level on Tuesday. It is feared that the water is going to penetrate the dikes. Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz decreed the closure of schools and kindergardens on Monday in particularly threatened parts of Warsaw City. Saturday night, 120,000 new sandbags were transported to the capital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted May 24, 2010 Author Share Posted May 24, 2010 NEWS ON 24 MAY IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS Swedish SVT text: POLISH FLOODING WORSENING / 15 DIED IN POLISH FLOODING Poland has been struck by the worst flooding in the country in more than 160 years. At least 15 died in the Polish flooding. In spite of reinforced river banks and walls built around important places, the capital WARSAW is threatened by rising water masses. The damage to crops and buildings are substantial. Poland has asked the EU for financial assistance to handle the costs. The flooding and heavy rain caused damage amounting to about 20 billion SEK and forced people to leave their homes along Poland's longest river WISLA. Thousands of Poles have been ordered to leave their homes, but many hesitated out of fear of looting. In southern Poland the situation is becoming increasingly stable, but the problems have moved towards the north. Danish TV2 TTV: 15 DIED IN POLISH FLOODING Water masses are threatening the Polish capital, WARSAW. 15 have so far died due to the flooding which has lasted for more than one week. More than 1,000 have been evacuated, and the mayor closed schools and kindergardens in Warsaw. More than 100 fire-fighters and rescuers are fighting the water masses - the result of a Polish river which overflowed its banks. German ZDF text: RIVER "WEICHSEL" FLOODS 18 VILLAGES After breach of a dike north-west of Warsaw, river Weichsel has flooded 18 villages. An 8,000-hectare-long area is under water according to news agency PAP on Monday. 4,000 have been evacuated to safer places. In worst case even 10,000 inhabitants in Gabin and Slubice municipalities are threatened. The situation in WARSAW is also tense. Due to the risk of high tide / flood 120 schools and kindergardens are closed. The water level of river Weichsel has fallen slightly since Sunday. As a consequence of the high tide and flood from Poland, river Oder overflowed its banks in Brandenburg. German ARD text: HIGH WATER / FLOOD THREATENS WARSAW In Poland the high water continues to threaten Warsaw. The river Weichsel overflowed its banks in a district. 120 schools and kindergardens remained closed, an important artery of traffic is blocked. About 100 km north-west of Warsaw a dike collapsed. Thousand people and animals were evacuated to safer places near Plock. Breslau an der Oder is partly under water. So far at least 15 have died due to the flooding in Poland. The first ODER tidal wave has reached BRANDENBURG. The highest ODER tidal wave in Germany is expected on Wednesday or Thursday. In Ratzdorf and Eisenhüttenstadt the first of 4 alarm levels = alarm level 1 has been declared. Since Friday alarm level 1 is in force for a section of the river near Stützkow. THE FOUR HIGH-WATER WARNING LEVELS (alert levels) ALARM LEVEL 1: REPORTING SERVICE Information on water levels are recorded and communicated to cities/towns and municipalities. ALARM LEVEL 2: CONTROL SERVICE Buildings and streams at high risk are controlled. Dikes and weirs (walls/barriers) are examined to ascertain the extent of damage and functioning. Small streams are observed. ALARM LEVEL 3: WATCH SERVICE Dikes, weirs (walls/barriers) and streams are constantly observed. Any damage to installations is repaired immediately. ALARM LEVEL 4: PREVENTION OF DISASTER Dikes and dams/embankments might be flooded. Measures are taken to evacuate the threatened population. ------------------------------ German ARD: EARTHQUAKE SHAKES PERU In Peru various regions were shaken by an earthquake. In the capital LIMA the Institute for Geophysics stated that the earthquake's magnitude was 6.0. The epicentre was about 85 km south of the city / town of Ayacucho in a depth of about 110 km. The coastal regions Lima and Ica were affected by the quake. There was no report of damage. The region is often affected by tremors according to geologists. --------------------------------- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10149233.stm Page last updated at 19:53 GMT, Monday, 24 May 2010 20:53 UK GULF SPILL: US TO KEEP BOOT ON BP's NECK - SALAZAR The US government has toughened its rhetoric towards BP as frustration builds about the company's inability to plug a leaking Gulf of Mexico oil well. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar pledged to "keep our boot on their neck until the job gets done". BP Plc would be accountable, "civilly and in whatever way is necessary", he said on a tour of the Gulf. Earlier on Monday, BP pledged $500m (£346m) to study the spill's impact on the environment. The company says it will be Wednesday before it tries a so-called "top kill" bid to plug the leak - firing heavy mud and cement down into the blown out well 5,000ft (1,524m) below the surface of the Gulf. A BP official said the bid - which comes more than a month after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, killing 11 - stood a 60-70% chance of success. BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said if the "top kill" failed there was a chance the flow of oil could temporarily be increased. He said if that happened BP would immediately install a new containment device to go over the old riser. FAMILIAR MANTRA A delegation of White House officials and senators - led by Mr Salazar and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano - flew over the Louisiana coastline on Monday to assess the extent of the pollution. The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington says the officials both repeated a now-familiar mantra: BP is responsible for the damage and the administration will maintain pressure on the oil company until the crisis is over. Ms Napolitano said: "We are going to stay on this and stay on BP until this gets done and it gets done the right way." Meanwhile, the Republican governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, is voicing frustration at aspects of the federal government's response. It seems likely that the longer this environmental crisis drags on, without any convincing end in sight, the more vulnerable the administration will be to suggestions that it could and should be doing more, our correspondent says. It is also fending off charges that offshore drilling permits and environmental waivers continue to be granted despite a moratorium announced by the president. Mr Salazar said the pause was still in effect and would be until lessons had been learnt and additional safety measures put in place. Also on Monday, BP pledged to fund a 10-year research effort aimed at studying the long-term effect of the spill on the shoreline and marine environments in the Gulf of Mexico, and the impact of the response efforts. "This will be a key part of the process of restoration, and for improving the industry response capability for the future," BP chief executive Tony Hayward said in a statement. 'MISSED DEADLINES' In a round of appearances on US television news programmes on Monday morning, Mr Suttles said BP was aware that frustration with the company was growing over its inability to stop the leak. "We are doing everything we can, everything I know," Mr Suttles told NBC's Today show. "Everyone is frustrated," he added. "I think the people of the region are frustrated. I know we are, I know the government is. The fact that it's taken this long is painful to everybody." Meanwhile, the US government regulators who oversee offshore oil drilling have granted at least 19 environmental waivers for gulf drilling projects and 17 drilling permits since the oil leak began more than a month ago, the New York Times reported on Monday. The new permits and waivers would appear to contradict President Barack Obama's declaration of a moratorium on new offshore drilling, issued soon after the rig explosion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted May 25, 2010 Author Share Posted May 25, 2010 News on 25 May 2010 in relation to natural disasters / Poland, Germany + USA NEWS ON 25 MAY IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS Danish TV2 NEWS: GIRL KILLED BY TORNADO IN GERMANY Last night, a 6-year-old girl was killed when a falling tree hit the car she was sitting in. Today the clean-up started in Sachsen and Brandenburg after stormy weather last night in eastern Germany. The storm triggered a powerful tornado which uprooted trees, toppled pylons and tore off house roofs. In the town Mühlberg the tornado tore off the spire of the church. German ARD text: AFTER TORNADO IN GERMANY: THE WORK WITH REPAIRING DAMAGE IN SACHSEN AND BRANDENBURG CONTINUES After bad weather and tornado in Sachsen and Brandenburg the result is as follows according to the affected regions: 40 injured in Grossenhain and one 6-year-old girl killed by a falling tree. The county provided emergency financial assistance / aid (= made financial means available) amounting to 250,000 Euro. According to the Chief Burgomaster (the supreme mayor) in Grossenhain, it will take weeks to repair the damage. The tornado had ravaged a stretch of up to 100 km. German ZDF text: AFTER TORNADO IN BRANDENBURG AND SACHSEN: DEAD LITTLE GIRL MOURNED Monday's tornado resulted in one dead girl, dozens of injured and substantial damage in Sachsen and Brandenburg. The 6-year-old girl was sitting in a car in Grossenhain in Sachsen, when a tree landed on the car. According to estimates made by the German Weather Service, DWD, the tornado ravaged a stretch of between 80 and 100 km. According to the authorities almost 40 people were injured in Grossenhain alone. Overhead wires/cables were torn, roofs were torn off the houses, and trees came down. The clean-up started in the night. Danish DR1 TTV: FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO FLOOD VICTIMS IN POLAND Financial assistance is on the way to ten thousands of Poles who were forced to leave their homes after one of the worst floods in a decade. Each household affected by the flood will receive the equivalent of about 10,000 Danish Kroner. This should enable the victims to buy basic things such as clothes and food. There is still an enormous amount of water in the Polish rivers including river Vistula (called Wisla in Poland and Weichsel in Germany) which flows through Warsaw and threatens up to 100,000 Polish households. Particularly in the north, there is fear of new floods - now that the water is floating towards the Baltic. German ZDF text: HIGH WATER ALARM LEVEL 4 IN BRANDENBURG EXPECTED The high water in river ODER is quickly coming closer to Germany. The highest level of the flood reached Nowa Sol near Grünberg and flowed through Niederschlesien (Lower Silesia) towards the German border. In BRANDENBURG, it is expected that the highest alert level, i.e. high-water alarm level 4 will be declared next week-end, says Matthias Freude, the president/head of Brandenburg's environmental authority. In POLAND, the highest water level of river River Vistula (called Wisla in Poland or Weichsel in German) reached Pomerania. The situation is under control and the dikes were reinforced, said Jerzy Miller, Poland's minister of the Interior. German ARD text: THE ODER WATER LEVELS IN BRANDENBURG RISING QUICKLIER THAN EXPECTED The high-water reporting centre in Frankfurt/Oder expects the highest alarm level to be declared - not on Friday, but already on Thursday. Yesterday the first of four alarm levels was declared in Ratzdorf. Level 3 is recommended for Wednesday. Brandenburg does not expect flooding. But the dikes will be under pressure. German ARD text: VISTULA (WISLA) TIDAL WAVE IN POLAND IS COMING CLOSER TO THE BALTIC / HIGH WATER FALLS The Vistula (Wisla) high water is slowly getting closer to the mouth after days of flooding. The authorities expect the highest level of the tidal wave to reach the Baltic tonight (i.e. the night between Tuesday and Wednesday). So far 16 have been killed due to the flood. Poland's government is planning financial assistance to the flood victims. 2 billion Euro will be provided / made available. The clean-up starts when the water has receded: Then the water will be pumped out of the houses. ------------------- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10156009.stm Page last updated at 19:18 GMT, Tuesday, 25 May 2010 20:18 UK GULF SPILL: BP REVEALS OIL SPILL PROBE DETAILS BP has begun sharing details of its internal inquiry into the causes of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill with the US government. It said its investigation was focused on seven control mechanisms that should have prevented the 20 April oil rig explosion and resulting spill. The oil giant will try to plug the leaking well in a so-called "top kill" operation on Wednesday. US President Barack Obama is to tour the Gulf state of Louisiana on Friday. The announcement of his visit - scheduled a day after he is due to be given a report into the spill - comes as the administration faces growing scrutiny over its oversight of efforts to handle the disaster. Eleven workers killed in the explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig are being remembered at a memorial service in Jackson, Mississippi. The service is being held by Transocean, the company that owned the rig. HEAVY MUD As a growing quantity of oil washes onto the shores of US states including Louisiana and Alabama, BP is coming under increasing pressure to stem the flow. It is pinning its hopes on the "top kill" operation, which involves firing heavy mud and cement down into the blown-out well 5,000ft (1,500m) below the surface of the Gulf. BP engineers have the equipment in place and will run a series of tests over the next 12 hours to prepare for the attempt, the Associated Press news agency quoted BP Senior Vice-President Kent Wells as saying on Tuesday. A day earlier, BP's chief operating officer Doug Suttles said the process - never attempted at such depths before - stood a 60-70% chance of working. If the "top kill" failed there was a chance the flow of oil could temporarily be increased, he said, in which case BP would immediately install a new containment device to go over the old riser. BP is also looking at alternative short-term methods to stem the flow, including a new way to siphon oil from the well, Reuters news agency reports. The Senate Energy and National Resources Committee will hold a hearing later to discuss who bears the responsibility for the oil spill clean-up and recovery. Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said a report detailing how staff in the Louisiana office of the Minerals Management Service (MMS), which regulates the oil industry, had violated ethics rules by accepting sports tickets and free lunches from oil and gas companies was very worrying. "This deeply disturbing report is further evidence of the cosy relationship between some elements of MMS and the oil and gas industry," he said. BLOWOUT PREVENTER In a statement late on Monday, BP said much investigation remained to be done into the causes of the spill, including examining large pieces of equipment - such as the blowout preventer - which are scattered on the seafloor. It is sharing the findings of its investigation with administration officials. "A number of companies are involved, including BP, and it is simply too early - and not up to us - to say who is at fault," chief executive Tony Hayward said in a statement. Of the seven control mechanisms under scrutiny, four involve the blowout preventer - owned by Transocean - and the other three the cementing and casing of the wellhead, which was the responsibility of Halliburton, AP reports. Transocean is also carrying out its own investigation. The White House said on Tuesday that BP was complying with the government's request to use smaller quantities of a toxic dispersant to fight the spill, following concerns over its impact on marine life. But BP said it was finding it hard to source readily available supplies of an alternative, less toxic dispersant. At a meeting on Capitol Hill, Mr Obama urged Senate Republicans to work with him to pass energy legislation currently before Congress, the White House said. "The president told the conference that the Gulf oil disaster should heighten our sense of urgency to hasten the development of new, clean energy sources that will promote energy independence and good-paying American jobs," it said in a statement. The report on the spill due to be sent to Mr Obama on Thursday may influence whether or not the Interior Department starts to issue offshore drilling permits again. The administration has fended off charges that offshore drilling permits and environmental waivers continue to be granted despite a moratorium announced by the president. The US government stepped up its rhetoric towards BP on Monday, when three cabinet secretaries and senators toured the region. BP has taken out a number of full-page newspaper advertisements in a bid to reassure the public it is working to mitigate the effects of the spill. It has also promised $500m (£346m) to study the impact of the spill and response efforts on the environment over the next 10 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted May 26, 2010 Author Share Posted May 26, 2010 News in relation to natural disasters / UNICEF and Flood in Poland / high water in Germany NEWS ON 26 MAY 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS Danish DR1 ttv: RECORD HIGH AMOUNT TO NEEDY CHILDREN UNICEF Denmark sends more money to needy children of the world than ever before - in spite of the global economic & financial crisis. In 2009, Danes donated more than 133 million Danish Kroner (DKK) to UNICEF according to the annual report from UN's children fund. "It's an impressive amount, which will make a difference for millions of children in the world, says Steen M. Andersen, who is the Secretary-General for Unicef Denmark. In 2009 Danes have contributed to the vaccination of 74 million children against polio in 11 African countries and to rebuilding of 473 schools in Pakistan. --------------------------- Danish DR1 ttv: DANES FIGHTING WATER MASSES IN POLAND The clean-up in Poland after the worst flood in 100 years continues. The water began to recede in many places. Many homes have been evacuated, and even though the water level has started to fall near Warsaw, there is still a risk of the soaked, very wet river dikes bursting and consequently flooding the homes of 100,000 people. 240 foreign rescuers including 10 Danes from the Danish Emergency Management Agency have arrived in Poland where they are to help out stay for 14 days. Danish TV2 news: POLAND FEARS NEW FLOODING The clean-up after the flooding in southern Poland is going on, but there is fear of new floodings in northern Poland. In the last couple of days Poland has been hit by its worst flooding in more than 100 years, and 15 have died. The water level in river Vistula has begun to fall in Poland's capital, Warsaw, whereas it is rising in northern Poland. The authorities are working at high pressure on new dikes and pumps that are to prevent houses from being destroyed by water. German ZDF text: BRANDENBURG: ALARM LEVEL 3 DECLARED ALONG RIVER ODER Oder's high water is becoming more dangerous: In Oder-Spree county, alarm level 3 has been declared. The indicative value of 5.60m was passed in Ratzdorf according to the High Water Reporting Centre in Frankfurt (Oder). There is a total of 4 high water alarm levels - the highest is a disaster alarm: Dikes may be flooded. In Brandenburg it is expected that alarm level 4 will be declared on Thursday before noon - one day earlier than originally expected. Record water levels in Vistula (Weichsel/Wisla) and Oder have triggered massive flooding in Poland and the Czech Republic. German ZDF text: ALARM LEVEL 3 DECLARED ALONG RIVER ODER The tidal wave is coming to Germany - and what a tidal wave! "It will be the second highest tide experienced with river Oder in historic times", said the head (president) of Brandenburg's environmental authority, Matthias Freude today, Wednesday 16 May. In "Oder-Spree County", alarm level 3 was declared. The highest alarm level - level 4 - will soon be declared. Now day and night, the "dike runners" are patrolling the weirs protecting the villages and fields from the floods. In Poland the situation has become less tense after Vistula's highest tide had flowed into the Baltic. According to a forecast made by the Hydrometeorological Institute in Warsaw, Oder's high tide is not to reach the mouth until on 3 June 2010. German ZDF text: ALL-CLEAR DECLARATION ALONG RIVER VISTULA (WEICHSEL / WISLA) Relief along the river Vistula threatened by high water: "Everything is under control" according to the Polish Minister for the Interior, Jerzy Miller in Warsaw. Nowhere is there any longer any risk of the river overflowing its banks. But people should continue to be on the alert, because the extremely long tidal wave has undermined the embankments. In the Polish capital, Warsaw, the supreme mayor, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz released the blocked streets and closed schools and kindergartens. Due to the risk of diseases or even an epidemic, it is still forbidden to svim in the river. German ARD text: LEVEL 3 DECLARED IN SECTION OF ODER IN BRANDENBURG Due to rapidly rising water levels in Brandenburg, alarm level 3 - the second-highest alert level - has been declared for a section of Oder. Dikes, weirs and streams must be observed constantly. Alarm level 4 indicating danger of flood was expected to be declared Thursday according to the high water reporting centre in Frankfurt/Oder. Brandenburg's environmental authoritiy estimates the high water level to be brief and thus not so devastating as the flood in 1997. German ARD text and ZDF: POLAND: HIGH WATER RECEDES / VISTULA REACHES THE BALTIC The high water in river Vistula (Wisla/Weichsel) has reached the mouth. The tidal wave is flowing into the Baltic according to Polish radio citing the crisis management staff. In Tczew, the last major town before the mouth, the water level has fallen by 10 cm since last night according to broadcaster TVN24. The dikes were able to hold back the water masses. The water recedes near Plock northwest of Warsaw, where several villages were flooded after a dike burst and was penetrated by water masses. Along river Oder the dike between Glogow and Nowa Sol is at risk, and helpers/rescuers are reinforcing the dikes with sandbags. Yesterday the number of victims had risen to 19 (ZDF - ARD only mentioned 16 dead). On Tuesday, Poland's government has decided to make ½ billion = 500 million Euro available to the flood victims. German ARD text (in the afternoon): HIGHEST ALERT LEVEL - LEVEL 4 - DECLARED IN BRANDENBURG / VISTULA (Weichsel/Wisla) TIDAL WAVE HAS REACHED THE BALTIC / POLAND'S GOVERNMENT PASSES RELIEF / FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE The highest alert level - level 4 - was declared in Brandenburg at 18 o'clock. In Ratzdorf the critical threshold / limit value of 5.90m was reached according to a spokeswoman for "Elbe-Elster County". The crisis management staffs of the municipalities are working round-the-clock. Only this morning (i.e. 26 May 2010), alarm levels 2 and 3 were declared in the region. Alarm level 3 means that dikes, weirs, and streams must be observed constantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted May 28, 2010 Author Share Posted May 28, 2010 News on 27 May 2010 in relation to natural disasters / USA, Poland, Germany, Pacific NEWS ON 27 MAY 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10134964.stm Page last updated at 16:28 GMT, Thursday, 27 May 2010 17:28 UK US PREDICTS BUSY HURRICANE SEASON As many as 14 hurricanes could hit the Atlantic basin this year, the top US climate agency says. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts 14 to 23 named storms. Eight to 14 of these could develop into hurricanes, it says. The season could be one of the most active on record, with between three to seven major hurricanes, the NOAA said. "In short, we urge everyone to be prepared," added a spokesperson for the agency. Major hurricanes can reach category three or higher, which means they bring sustained winds of at least 111mph (178km/h). The NOAA says the seasonal forecasts have a 70% probability. The hurricane season begins on 1 June and runs until the end of November. Swedish SVT: WARNING AGAINST A DEVILISH YEAR OF HURRICANES The West Indies may face a devilish year in relation to hurricanes, said William Gray, Professor of Atmospheric Science and a pioneer in techniques of forecasting hurricanes. According to him the Colorado State University (CSU) will sharpen the forecast before this summer's hurricane season. - The number of hurricanes will go up. This looks like a devilish year, said Gray. CSU forecasts at least 8 hurricanes above average of which 4 very powerful. A total of at least 15 hurricanes will be so powerful that they are named compared with about 10 in normal cases. ---------------------------------------------- Danish TV2 News and Swedish SVT: USA: OIL POLLUTION IN AT LEAST 160 KM OF SHORELINE Oil from the gigantic leak in the Gulf of Mexico has polluted more than 160 km of Louisiana's shoreline, says state Governor Bobby Jindal. It is more than twice as much as expected. Earlier Wednesday Louisiana's Governor had estimated the shoreline polluted by oil to be 72 km. The polluted stretch is longer than the combined shoreline of the two neighbouring states Alabama and Mississippi. The Governor has criticized BP and the (federal) authorities claiming that they did not do enough, but acted too little and too late. "We cannot wait any longer", says Jindal who presses for a federal approval of the construction of a high barrier of mud which is to protect Louisiana's swampy areas and the fry. German ZDFtext: USA: OIL LEAKING A LITTLE SLOWER According to the US coast guard, oil group BP has made some progress in connection with its latest attempt to stop the leak of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The leak has, however, not been completely stopped, said coast guard commander Tony Russell. Admiral Thad Allen who monitors the operation has been reported to have said that the operation was a success - this is not true. The mud has clearly made the leaking of oil somewhat slower. It is too early to say that the leak has been successfully stopped. German ARDtext: USA: SO FAR THE OIL LEAK HAS BEEN STOPPED According to the US coast guard, the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico could be stopped by a massive injection of a mud mixture into the ruptured oil well. "So far the operation is running as planned, but it has not been successfully completed", said a spokeswoman for the authority US-Media. Earlier "Los Angeles Times" had reported that the "Top Kill" operation had been a success. Since the explosion on an oil rig almost 5 weeks ago, hundred thousand litres of oil are daily leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. Danish TV2 News / DR1 TTV: OIL LEAK WORSE THAN EXPECTED / USA's LARGEST OIL LEAK EVER Crude oil has been spewing out of the ruptured well on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico at a speed of between 12,000 and 19,000 barrels per day. That is 4 times as much as estimated according to an expert panel put together by the US government. The leader of the panel, Marcia McNutt is an official from the US Geological Survey (USGS). She says that the estimate is based on the results of 2 studies using various methods and the amount of oil captured/recovered by means of an oil endoscope probe on 25 May 2010. The US government approved of the construction of a "barrier island" to protect a part of Louisiana's coastal area. The decision is a consequence of the gigantic oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. BBC World News: BP has suspended pumping heavy mud into the ruptured well in order to assess the effect of its "top kill" operation. ------------------------------ German ZDFtext / ARDtext: BRANDENBURG: HIGHEST ALARM LEVEL DECLARED - WATER LEVELS RISE In Brandenburg the Oder high water is approaching its peak / highest level. The peak is expected this evening or maybe even before, said a spokesman of Potsdam's Ministry for the Interior. Since yesterday the highest alarm level, i.e. alarm level 4 is in force for the southern section of the river / in all of Oder-Spree county. Level 4 means that dikes and embarkments/dams might be flooded. The water levels are on the rise. This morning (27 May), south of Frankfurt/Oder - in Ratzdorf (Oder-Spree), the water level reached 6.18 m. The water level reached 6.27 in Eisenhüttenstadt. By the high tide / flood in 1997 the water level in Ratzdorf was measured at 6.91m. Since then the dikes have been reinforced. German ZDFtext: MORE THAN 100 "DIKE RUNNERS" ON DUTY More than 100 "dike runners" control the Oder dike day and night in Oder-Spree county. They report damaged sections so that these can be repaired immediately - according to the county administration. In addition, 150 fire-fighters are ready to assist. They fill sandbags and reinforce the dike in Neuzeller lowland. 2 per 5 km long dike sections are regarded as weak links / places. German ZDFtext: BRANDENBURG: THE ODER-DIKES ARE STILL HOLDING THE WATER MASSES BACK Critical sections along river ODER are protected with thousands of sandbags against the advancing water masses. 15,000 sandbags were used by helpers/rescuers alone at one section of the dike in Neuzeller lowland. All walls and barriers seem to hold the water masses back. Yesterday evening the highest level of alert - alarm level 4 - was declared in Oder-Spree county. "The water rises at a much slower speed than yesterday", said Matthias Freude who is President of the State Environment Office / Brandenburg's Environmental Authority. German ARD: ODER: WATER LEVELS ON THE RISE So far the dikes in Brandenburg have been able to withstand the pressure from the water masses. According to Brandenburg's Ministry for the Interior rescuers/helpers have reinforced particularly threatened sections of the dikes. Representatives of several authorities stressed that the present situation cannot be compared to the 1997 flood, as most dikes have been replaced since then. For the southern section of ODER in Brandenburg the highest alarm level - alarm level 4 - was declared yesterday. The peak of the tidal wave is expected tonight in Ratzdorf, where rivers ODER and NEISSE meet. German ARD: POLAND: CRITICAL SITUATION IN SLUBICE In Poland the high tide situation is less tense. Minister of the Interior, Miller declared that everything is under control. In spite of falling water levels, people were asked to remain on the alert because the very long tidal wave has undermined (weakened) the embarkments (dams). The situation is critical in Slubice which is the Polish neighbouring town of Frankfurt/Oder. The hospital was evacuated due to the flood risk. The mayor appealed to the inhabitants to leave the town next week-end. German programme "Tagesschau" at noon: Lots of rain falling in southern Poland. The hospital in Slubice has been evacuated. Bodies of dead animals carried away by the flood are threatening the beaches just before the start of the summer season, because the dead bodies carry bacteria. Consequently the beaches might be closed due to the occurrence of bacteria and the risk of diseases following the flood. Danish DR1 TTV: GERMAN RIVER THREATENS TO OVERFLOW ITS BANKS The East German state of Brandenburg is on top alert. So far the river is more than 6 m above its normal water level. The authorities have confidence in the reinforcements of the dikes being sufficient to hold the water masses back. The water level is expected to be high for additional 2 or 3 days. Germany seems to be not so hard hit by the floodings as Poland where 15 persons have lost their lives, and where thousands have been forced to leave their homes due to floodings. ------------------------------------------ Danish DR1 TTV: TSUNAMI ALERT IN THE PACIFIC LIFTED A powerful magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit an area in the Pacific near the island of Vanuatu and triggered tsunami alerts for nearby islands. These alerts were later lifted. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in the USA warned against a possible tsunami on the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia and stated that the quake occurred in a depth of 36 km around 244 km north-west of Santo in Vanuatu. The quake occurred at 4.14 Friday local time (at 19.14 Thursday Central European Time). An earthquake of this magnitude has the potential to generate a devastating tsunami. Swedish SVT: EARTHQUAKE IN THE PACIFIC A tsunami alert was issued after a quake at sea 20 mile north-west of Vanuatu in the Pacific on Thursday evening. The quake occurred in a depth of 3.6 mile and was measured at 7.2 on the Richter scale. No damage was reported. A quake of this magnitude might generate a devastating tsunami which can reach the coasts in the region near the epicentre according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The tsunami alert war later lifted. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10177721.stm Page last updated at 19:40 GMT, Thursday, 27 May 2010 20:40 UK EARTHQUAKE ROCKS SOUTH PACIFIC REGION An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 has struck off the nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. A tsunami warning was issued to the Solomon islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia, but has now been lifted. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said the quake - which was initially reported of 7.4 magnitude - did not pose a threat. Vanuatu lies on the Ring Of Fire, a zone of volcanic arcs and oceanic trenches encircling the Pacific basin. The earthquake struck 300 miles (485 km) northwest of Port Vila on Vanuatu at 1714 GMT at a depth of 22 miles. "Sea level readings do not show any tsunami signals," the tsunami centre told AFP. "If a tsunami was generated it does not pose a threat to any areas outside the epicentral region. The tsunami warning is now cancelled for all areas covered by this centre." The centre had earlier alerted the islands of the threat. The so-called Ring of Fire has one of the world's most active fault lines and is notorious for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. More than half of the world's active volcanoes above sea level are part of the ring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted May 28, 2010 Author Share Posted May 28, 2010 NEWS ON 28 MAY 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS / Guatemala - USA - Poland - Germany NEWS ON 28 MAY 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS Swedish SVT: VOLCANO IN GUATEMALA GROUNDED FLIGHTS Since the volcano "Pacayas" started to spew rocks, lava and ash and stopped the air traffic, Guatemala's president has declared state of emergency in that area. At least one person - a curious TV reporter - died in connection with the eruption, and 3 children are missing. Ash and minor rocks (stones) rained upon the capital, Guatemala City, and the country's largest airport was forced to close. The distance from there to the volcano is only 4 miles. About 1,600 people have been evacuated from areas surrounding Pacayas. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/latin_america/10186112.stm Page last updated at 18:26 GMT, Friday, 28 May 2010 19:26 UK HUNDREDS FLEE GUATEMALA VOLCANO Hundreds of Guatemalans have been forced to flee their homes, amid an eruption by one of the country's most active volcanoes. Pacaya began spewing lava, rocks and debris on Thursday, leaving one person dead and three children missing. At least 1,600 people have fled the eruption, some 30km (19 miles) south of the capital city. The volcano covered parts of Guatemala City in ash, forcing the closure of the country's main international airport. Officials said La Aurora airport would remain closed into Saturday, and flights were being diverted to other parts of the country. REPORTER KILLED President Alvaro Colom declared a state of emergency in Escuintla region, Guatemala City and areas surrounding the capital. "The emergency system has been activated and is working as planned," he told reporters. Officials said TV reporter Anibal Archila had been killed by falling rocks from the volcano; three children were said to be missing. At least 1,600 people from villages near to the volcano were evacuated - with officials saying 600 had been housed in temporary shelters. Experts said the volcano's activity decreased on Friday, but the government was still telling residents of the capital not to leave their homes unless there was an urgent need. Pacaya has erupted intermittently for decades - the last major one was in January 2000. ----------------------------------------------- German ZDFtext: USA: WORST OIL POLLUTION EVER According to US government experts, the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is the worst oil pollution ever in the USA. Since the explosion on the "Deepwater Horizon" drilling rig on 22 April 2010, more than 36,700 barrels of oil have leaked into the Gulf. This means that in terms of amount, this oil pollution has exceeded the oil pollution in 1989 when the tanker "Exxon Valdez" was wrecked off Alaska and about 35,000 barrels of oil leaked. Scientists estimate that every day between 1,600 and 3,400 barrels of crude oil are spewing into the Gulf, said Marcia McNutt, the director of US Geological Survey (USGS). German ARDtext: OIL POLLUTION: RUBBER PIECES FIRED INTO THE DRILL HOLE In the Gulf of Mexico the BP group has begun to fill the drill hole with pieces of rubber and fibre materials. The so-called "junk-shot" method supplements the "top kill" procedure where it is attempted to fill the drill hole with heavy mud and cement, said Hayward, BP's Chief Executive. It will take 48 hours before we know whether the procedure was a success. So far the operation has been as planned. This oil pollution is the largest in the US history. Since the end of April 2010, every day 1.9 million litres of oil have spewed into the Gulf according to recent estimates. Danish DR1 TTV: NEW METHOD TO STOP THE OIL POLLUTION IN THE USA The US government has approved of an ambitious plan which will lead to the construction of various islands of barriers that are to reduce the amount of oil from the Gulf of Mexico hitting the coast / shoreline and Louisiana's marshland. The US Coast Guard Adm., Thad Allen, says that he has approved of a number of prototypes. If they work, they can become an enormous construction that is to separate Louisiana's mainland from the enormous oil pool in the Gulf. The construction of islands of barriers is no quick solution to the immediate oil threat. Swedish SVT: NORWEGIANS: BP KEPT THE EXTENT OF THE OIL LEAK SECRET Norwegians participating in the rescue operation in the Gulf of Mexico claim that BP and the US coast guard tried to hush up the extent of the oil leak. For a week after the accident BP said that 5,000 barrels of oil per day leaked. An expert group set up by the USA estimated the leak at 12,000 barrels of oil per day. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10179369.stm Page last updated at 20:48 GMT, Friday, 28 May 2010 21:48 UK OBAMA PLEDGES TO TRIPLE OIL RESPONSE MANPOWER IN GULF US President Barack Obama has ordered a tripling of manpower in coastal areas where oil has washed ashore or threatens to within 24 hours. Speaking on a tour of oil-hit areas, Mr Obama said the US would "do whatever it takes" to help people whose lives had been affected by the disaster. He said the outcome of the "top kill" procedure to seal the leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico was not yet known. But scientists were working on a back-up plan in case it failed, he said. Earlier, BP's chief executive Tony Hayward said the outcome of the process would not be clear for another 48 hours. But Mr Hayward said the "top kill" effort - untested before at this depth of 5,000ft (1.5km) - was "going pretty well according to plan". Mr Obama said that the additional manpower, to be deployed by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and coast guard Adm Thad Allen, would lay more booms, clean beaches and monitor stricken wildlife. He said that US Energy Secreatry Dr Steven Chu, a Nobel laureate, was leading a team of "the world's top scientists, engineers and experts" in devising a contingency plan should the "top kill" attempt fail. "Our response will continue with its full force regardless of the outcome of the top kill approach," he told reporters. Mr Obama took pains to assume responsibility for "solving this crisis", though he said BP would be held financially responsible for the "enormous damage". "I'm the president and the buck stops with me," he said. "I give the people of this community and the entire gulf my word that we're going to hold ourselves accountable to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to stop this catastophe, to defend our natural resources, to repair the damage and to keep this region on its feet." Earlier, Mr Obama visited a beach guarded by a protective boom, and was seen stooping to inspect the sand and picking up a handful of tar balls. The president then visited a US Coast Guard station in Grand Isle, Louisiana, where he talked to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, Louisiana Senators Mary Landrieu and David Vitter and others, who later joined him at a news conference. Earlier, Mr Hayward said that BP engineers had successfully completed a second phase - pumping in debris, known as a "junk shot" - which would next allow them to pump in more heavyweight mud. If the mud works in stopping the flow, BP can then pour cement to seal the well for good. "Clearly I'm as anxious as everyone in America is to get this thing done," Mr Hayward said. The thick crude oil has already permeated more than 110km (70 miles) of Louisiana's coastline, threatening fragile wetlands and putting the vital fishing industry at risk. New estimates from a panel of US scientists said at least 12,000 barrels (504,000 gallons) were leaking into the gulf every day, far exceeding the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. In a shake-up of the offshore oil industry, Mr Obama on Thursday suspended test drilling on 33 rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as halting exploratory deepwater drilling for another six months. In addition, he cancelled the sale of some offshore leases off the coasts of Alaska and Virginia. Correspondents say the move marks a shift in policy since March, when President Obama gave the go-ahead to widen the scope for offshore drilling in order to reduce dependency on oil imports. US officials warned the coming hurricane season could be one of the worst on record. -------------------------------------------------------- German ARDtext: POLAND: INCREASING FEAR OF DISEASES In the Polish areas with high water levels the situation along rivers ODER and VISTULA (Weichsel / Wisla) remains tense. According to official information, there is no imminent breaches of dikes. But it is feared that epidemics might break out. "The water in water pipes and wells is infected", said Kozlowski who is the head of the county Mazowsze in central Poland. By Plock, about 100 km north-west of Warsaw, the first vaccination campaign against tetanus in wounds has begun according to news agency PAP. German ZDFtext (in the afternoon) and same contents in article from ARDtext: FEAR IN BRANDENBURG: FRANKFURT: HIGHEST ALARM LEVEL / LEVEL 4 Not only Oder-Spree county, but now also Frankfurt (Oder) has declared level 4 - the highest alarm level for high water. Frankfurt (Oder) did so this afternoon (28 May 2010). Oder's water has reached the critical high water mark of 6m according to a spokesman for the authorities. There is no imminent flood risk. In Frankfurt - already in the middle of last week, the authorities had taken all precautionary measures to protect the area against high water, i.a. constructed sheet piling / walls of aluminium to make the dikes higher. For 47 river kilometres in Brandenburg the highest alarm level has been declared. German ZDFtext: HIGH WATER REACHED ITS PEAK / HIGHEST LEVEL Oder's high water in Brandenburg has reached its peak. That was announced by the High Water Reporting Center in Frankfurt (Oder). You can talk of the peak (highest level) in connection with the critical water level in Ratzdorf where rivers Oder and Neisse meet. At 8 o'clock the water level there was 6,28m. Earlier it was 1-2 cm higher. During the Oder flood in 1997, the water level had a peak of 6.91m. Experts expect the flood in Ratzdorf to keep its current peak for 2-4 days. The highest alarm level - level 4 - has been declared in Oder-Spree county. German ARDtext and ZDFtext: DIKE BURST BY RATZDORF - NO DANGER In spite of the damaged Oder dike by Ratzdorf, the situation seems to be under control. The enormous water pressure causes damage to the dike which is repaired immediately according to the Frankfurt/Oder-based centre monitoring the situation. Brandenburg's leader, Ministerpräsident / "Prime Minister" Matthias Platzeck (SPD), talked about a crack in a 25 m long section of the dike which was repaired at high pressure. A spokesman of the centre monitoring the situation said that dike runners were in action. They reported at once if the dike was undermined. This has, however, no significance for the safety of the dikes. TV2 News, live: The water level in Ratzdorf is critical - more than 6m above the normal water level. The dikes are under high pressure by the water masses. There is a crack in an old dike which will be reinforced by sandbags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted May 30, 2010 Author Share Posted May 30, 2010 NEWS ON 29 MAY 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS / Ecuador, Guatemala, China, Germany, Poland, USA NEWS ON 29 MAY 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS German ZDFtext and ARDtext: SOUTH AMERICA: 2 VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS Thousands flee a volcanic eruption in ECUADOR on Friday 28 May 2010. The authorities moved 500 families to safer places and diverted / redirected flights due to the ash cloud. The column of smoke from the volcano Tungurahua situated 130 km south-east of Quito was about 10 km high according to the Institute for Geophysics in Ecuador. In GUATEMALA, after a powerful eruption on Thursday, 27 May 2010 the Pacaya volcano continued to spew large amounts of black ash and rocks. Even 40 km north of the volcano - in Guatemala City - the inhabitants had to remove ash and pebbles/cobbles from the house roofs. 2,000 people were evacuated. German ZDFtext: AIRPORTS CLOSED - BULLDOZERS REMOVE LAYER OF ASH No flights are allowed to take off from Guatemala City, the runway is covered with volcanic sand. The disruption of the air traffic cannot be compared with the consequences of the Icelandic ash cloud, said experts. In Guatemala City, bulldozers remove a 8 cm thick layer of ash from the streets. German ZDFtext (evening) + ARDtext: PANIC AFTER 2 VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA In Latin America 2 volcanoes are in a state of eruption and frightened thousands of people. In GUATEMALA where the 2.500 m high volcano Pacaya has spewed ashes, rocks and lava since Thursday, a reporter died. 3 children are missing. 20 were injured. President Alvaro Colom has declared a 15-day-long state of emergency in the area surrounding the Pacaya volcano. In ECUADOR the 5.010m high Tungurahua started its eruption with a gigantic explosion. It spewed lava and ashes. The airports closed in Guatemala City and in Ecuador's sea port Guayaquil both experiencing "ash rain". Flights with Guayaquil as destination were re-routed to Quito and Manta. The threatened villages surrounding the volcanoes in the two countries have been evacuated. Danish TV2 and DR1 text-TV: THOUSANDS FLEEING VOLCANOES IN GUATEMALA AND ECUADOR / VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS CLOSE SEVERAL AIRPORTS Volcanic eruptions in GUATEMALA and ECUADOR have closed several airports in those 2 countries where thousands have been evacuated and 3 have lost their lives. The 2.5 km high Pacaya volcano in GUATEMALA is situated only 40-45 km south of the capital, Guatemala City, which has been coloured black by the ash. The eruption started on Wednesday, but then seemed to stop until Friday. President Alvaro Colom has declared a 15-day-long state of emergency in the area surrounding the Pacaya volcano. In ECUADOR in South America the TUNGURAHUA volcano has been active since Friday when it began spewing ash 10 km up into the air. 7 villages have been evacuated. The airport and schools in GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador's largest city, have been closed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/latin_america/10189054.stm Page last updated at 11:00 GMT, Saturday, 29 May 2010 12:00 UK BBC: THOUSANDS FLEE VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes as volcanos erupted in GUATEMALA and ECUADOR. In GUATEMALA, the Pacaya volcano began spewing lava, rocks and debris on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring more than 50. In ECUADOR, the Tungurahua volcano forced the evacuation of seven villages and shut the airport and schools in Guayaquil, the country's largest city. There is no suggestion that the two eruptions are related. In Guatemala, at least 1,700 people have fled the eruption, some 30km (19 miles) south of the capital city. President Alvaro Colom has declared a state of emergency in Escuintla region, Guatemala City and areas surrounding the capital. He said two people had died and three children were missing. One man was killed when he fell from a building while sweeping up the ash. A TV reporter also died while covering the eruption. In the village of Calderas, close to the eruption, Brenda Castaneda said her family hid under furniture as molten rocks fell on her house. "We thought we wouldn't survive. Our houses crumbled and we've lost everything," she told the Associated Press from a temporary shelter. The volcano has covered parts of Guatemala City in ash - up to 7cm (2.7in) thick in some areas - forcing the closure of the country's main international airport. Seismologists have warned of more eruptions "in the coming days" from Pacaya - one of the most active volcanos in Central America. HEALTH CONCERNS In ECUADOR, the Tungurahua volcano sent ash plumes six miles (10km) into the air. Several thousand people have evacuated their homes in the area, 95 miles (150km) south-east of the capital Quito. Strong winds blew the ash over the country's most populous city, Guayaquil, and forced aviation officials to close the country's main airport. Julio Castro, who lives in Guayaquil, said he was worried about the health of children. "Suddenly, without warning, the ash started to fall, and it was heavy, some even got into my eyes," he told the Associated Press. "I can't see well now, it is annoying and we are worried for the children, above all." There were reports that the ash cloud was dissipating as it drifted out over the Pacific Ocean. _____________________ German ARDtext: CHINA: AFTERSHOCK IN JIEGU1½ month after the powerful earthquake in CHINA, the region has been shaken by an aftershock. According to the state news agency Xinhua, the magnitude of the earthquake was 5.7, whereas the US Geological Survey (USGS) had measured the quake at 5.4. The epicentre was in a depth of 50 km. There are no reports of casualties. The tremor could be felt in i.a. the city of JIEGU in the western Chinese province of Qinghai. More than 2,000 were killed in the same region by the powerful earthquake on 14 April 2010. _____________________ German ZDFtext: BRANDENBURG ASSISTS POLAND Brandenburg's Minister of Finance, Helmuth Markow has released financial means for helping 2 Polish provinces - the Lebuser Land and Western Pomerania - to receive immediate, concrete assistance from Brandenburg. The Lebuser Land receives 3 boats and 3 emergency power units. In addition 600,000 sandbags are made available to Western Pomerania. The centre monitoring the high water (flood) situation confirmed that the consequences of Oder's high water would have been much worse for Germany, if not long stretches in Poland had been flooded by water. In Poland 21 died due to the high water in several rivers. German ARDtext: ODER: DIKES WITHSTAND THE WATER MASSES / MERKEL VISITED THE FLOOD AREA Oder's high water has reached its peak in southern Brandenburg. According to the authorities, the water levels have fallen slightly in Ratzdorf and Eisenhüttenstadt, and the water level is constant in Frankfurt (Oder). So far the dikes withheld the pressure from the water masses. Yesterday, marshland was flooded by Schwedt to reduce the pressure on the dikes on the Polish riverside. Saturday, 29 May 2010 the German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the area to make a picture of the situation in Brandenburg. She and Platzeck, Brandenburg's leader (ministerpräsident) visited Frankfurt (Oder) together. German ZDFtext (evening): ODER's HIGH WATER LEVEL FALLS One day after ODER reached its highest water level (peak), the water level continued to fall in the most threatened section of the river by Frankfurt. The water level fell in the entire 47 km long section with alarm level 4. Alarm level 4 is still in force, because the flood continues until Wednesday or later. German ARDtext: CHANCELLOR MERKEL VISITS DISASTER AREA AND PRAISES "FLOOD HELPERS" German chancellor Merkel has formed an idea of the high-water situation. She praised the "flood helpers" and the replacement and reinforcement of dikes since the 1997 flood. It was worth the effort. The situation remains tense: The highest water level has been reached in Frankfurt (Oder). The water level is 5.97m and thus lower than in 1997. There and in Ratzdorf the highest alarm level 4 is still in force. ----------------------------- Danish DR1 TTV: THE EU ASSISTS THE USA IN FIGHTING THE OIL DISASTER The oil pollution in the Gulf of Mexico is so massive that the United States do not have the sufficient equipment to handle it. In an official request for assistance, the US coast guard asked the EU to provide specific types of oil recovery equipment. The request was complied with. "We stand shoulder to shoulder with our US friends as they work to deal with this environmental disaster", says Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, in a press release. http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/georgieva/index_en.htm EU OFFERS SPECIAL OIL RECOVERY EQUIPMENT TO SUPPORT THE US IN COMBATING THE ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER IN THE GULF OF MEXICO - 28/05/2010 On 27th of May in the late afternoon, the European Commission’s Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) received a request for assistance from the United States Coast Guard to provide specific types of oil recovery equipment. Within a few hours, the MIC was able to put together a consolidated European offer with equipment available from Spain, the Netherlands and the European Maritime Safety Agency. "We stand shoulder to shoulder with our American friends as they work to deal with this environmental disaster. We have already developed an excellent cooperation on emergency response and this positive reaction from Europe to the call for equipment for the Gulf of Mexico is an international solidarity in dealing with environmental disasters." said Kristalina Georgieva, Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. German ARDtext: OBAMA PROMISES ADDITIONAL MANPOWER US President Obama has visited the areas hit by the oil pollution on the southern US coast for the second time./COLOR] He has decreed that the number of people deployed to contain and clean up the spill in the immediately affected regions should be tripled. He said that in the US state of Louisiana where he inspected a threatened section of the beach. In the fight against the oil disaster, the BP group attempts to close the drill hole leak in a depth of 1,500m with special mud. Whether the method is successful, is not clear until later the week-end. German ARDtext: USA: OIL SPREADS UNDER WATER The oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico has already - under the water - moved about 120 km away from the drill hole according to "Washington Post" referring to Louisiana State University. A thick, brown and kilometer-long "cloud" under the water has been discovered. It is the third discovery of this kind. BP is endeavouring to close the leak by means of special mud. Whether the method is successful, is not clear. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10191622.stm Page last updated at 22:52 GMT, Saturday, 29 May 2010 23:52 UK 'TOP KILL' BP OPERATION TO HALF US OIL LEAK FAILS The latest attempt to stop the Gulf of Mexico oil leak has failed, the oil giant BP has said. BP chief operating officer Doug Suttles said the firm was now shifting to a new strategy to stop the spill. In the failed procedure - known as "TOP KILL" - the firm had been blasting waste material into a ruptured well, after pumping heavy mud into it. The worst oil spill in US history began when a drilling rig exploded last month, killing 11 people. The thick crude has already permeated more than 70 miles (110km) of Louisiana's coastline, threatening fragile wetlands and putting the vital fishing industry at risk. NEW OPERATION Mr Suttles said BP had determined that the "top kill" method - which had been going on since Wednesday - had failed after studying the results for three days. "We have not been able to stop the flow," he told reporters on Saturday. The BBC's Andy Gallacher in Louisiana says the failure is another blow for the region. BP says the next option - called the lower-marine-riser-package cap - involved an underwater robot using a saw to hack off the leaking pipe and place a cap over it. The operation is expected to last four days. On Friday, President Obama toured oil-hit areas, saying the US would "do whatever it takes" to help those affected. He said the additional manpower would lay more booms, clean beaches and monitor stricken wildlife. A total of 20,000 people have already been deployed to contain and clean up the spill. Mr Obama said he would take responsibility for "solving this crisis", though he said BP would be held financially accountable for the "enormous damage". "I'm the president and the buck stops with me," he said. OTHER NEWS SITES Telegraph : BP admits attempt to stem oil leak is failing Guardian.co.uk : BP may switch tactic to plug oil well - Reuters Citizen.co.za : Bid to plug oil leak continues amid uncertainty Melbourne Age : Obama steps up fight against oil spill The Scotsman : The deadly billion-dollar disaster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted May 31, 2010 Author Share Posted May 31, 2010 News on 30 May 2010 in relation to natural disasters: Guatemala and El Salvador; Germany and Poland; USA NEWS ON 30 MAY 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS, Part I BBC: GUATEMALA LASHED BY DEADLY STORM http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/latin_america/10191957.stm Page last updated at 1:52 GMT, Sunday, 30 May 2010 2:52 UK DEADLY STORM STRIKES VOLCANO-HIT GUATEMALA A powerful tropical storm has struck Guatemala, bringing torrential rains that have added to the disruption caused by an erupting volcano. At least 12 people have died in mudslides and floods caused by tropical storm Agatha, which is moving in from the Pacific Ocean. The rains are complicating efforts to clear up ash from the Pacaya Volcano, which began erupting on Thursday. Guatemala's main airport will remain closed for at least five days. Tropical storm Agatha - the first named storm of the Pacific Hurricane season - is expected to dump at least 50cm (20in) of rain on Guatemala, as well as El Salvador and southeastern Mexico. BURIED ALIVE Some rivers have already burst their banks, destroying bridges and forcing more than a thousand people to flee their homes. Four children died when a mudslide buried their home in Santa Catarina Pinula, on the outskirts of Guatemala City, officials said. Elsewhere in the capital, four people died and 11 are missing after floods swept through their homes. A state of emergency declared because of the volcanic eruption has been extended across Guatemala. Hundreds of people are in shelters after the Pacaya volcano erupted on Thursday. Officials are warning that flooding could be worse than usual because ash from the volcano has blocked drainage systems. They fear the rains will turn the black volcanic ash into cement-like mud. FROM OTHER NEWS SITES Reuters UK: Storm Agatha kills at least 16 in Central America - 20 o'clock Central European Time CTV.ca: Tropical Storm Agatha's torrential rains kill 16 - 18 o'clock Central European Time FOXNews.com: Tropical Storm Agatha Triggers Deadly Landslides - 18 o'clock Central European Time Al Jazeera: Deadly storm strikes Guatemala - 9 o'clock Central European Time TheStar.com.my: Pacific storm Agatha slams into Guatemala, 13 dead - 7 o'clock Central European Time Danish DR1 TTV: TROPICAL STORM KILLS 12 The first tropical storm of the Pacific Hurricane season has struck Guatemala and has cost at least 12 human lives. 11 people are missing. Torrential rains and powerful gusts of wind have caused more than 12 rivers to burst their banks. Many streets are impassable and bridges have collapsed. More than 1,000 have been evacuated, and 600 houses have been damaged by flooding according to reports. Danish DR1 TTV (evening) + TV2 News: 19 KILLED IN TROPICAL STORM The first tropical storm of the Pacific Hurricane season has struck GUATEMALA and EL SALVADOR. 19 people were killed according to the authorities in these two Central-American countries. The tropical storm has been named "Agatha" and was downgraded early Sunday, but the damage it caused made the government in El Salvador declare state of emergency. According to Jorge Melendez, El Salvador's Minister for the Civil Defense, 6 are confirmed dead due to the storm. 2 are missing. German ZDFtext: 14 DEAD IN TROPICAL STORM IN GUATEMALA 14 died in Guatemala in connection with the first tropical storm of the Pacific Hurricane season. Floods and landslides due to the tropical storm named "AGATHA" damaged hundred houses according to the authorities. Guatemala in Central America is also affected by the eruption of the PACAYA VOLCANO which grounded flights in Guatemala City. Guatemala's President Alvaro Colom declared state of emergency. According to the US Hurricane Centre, "Agatha" reached wind speeds of 65 km per hour. German ARDtext: TROPICAL STORM IN GUATEMALA KILLS 12 A tropical storm in Guatemala kills 12 people, including 6 children. "Agatha" has triggered LANDSLIDES . Within one day Guatemala has had the same amount of rain as normally falls in one month, said meteorologists. There has been power failures in large parts of Guatemala City. 11 are missing. Tropical storm Agatha moved in from the Pacific Ocean with wind speeds of 75 km per hour when hitting the coast. Swedish SVT: SEVERAL DEAD IN TROPICAL STORM At least 12 people died (UPDATED TO 14), and 11 are missing since Guatemala was struck by the first tropical storm of the Pacific Hurricane season. Powerful gusts of wind, torrential rains, mudslides and floods have forced at least 3,000 to leave their homes. Among the dead were four children who were buried alive when a mudslide destroyed their home in San José Pinula east of the capital, Guatemala City. Swedish SVT (evening): AT LEAST 20 DEAD IN TROPICAL STORM The death toll for the first tropical storm of the Pacific Hurricane season, named AGATHA, has risen to 20. In EL SALVADOR in Central America 6 have been killed due to "Agatha". From the neighbouring country, GUATEMALA, 14 are reported dead. ------------------------------------------- German ZDFtext: ODER-HIGH WATER: THE SITUATION SLIGHTLY LESS TENSE Also in the night between Saturday and Sunday the situation has been quiet in the high water area by/along river Oder. Alarm level 4 is still in force, but the situation is slightly less tense. The water levels in southern Brandenburg are constant/stable or have fallen slightly, while the tidal wave/flood has reached the North, where the water levels rose slightly during the night. Saturday Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the area. The flood will not be over until Wednesday at the earliest. German ZDFtext: ODER-HIGH WATER: 2 MORE DIKES SLIGHTLY DAMAGED The high water has damaged the dikes along/by Oder. "Affected were sections by Criewen in Uckermark and Neuranft in Oderbruch. It is not dramatic", said president of Brandenburg's environmental authority, Freude. One several meter long crack in the dike by Criewen is in a section which is currently being repaired. An embankment by the dike in Neuranft has slid/slipped. Oder's water level is constant, and it falls in some places. The peak of the flood has moved towards northern Brandenburg. German ARDtext: CRACKS IN DIKES BY SCHWEDT AND CRIEWEN The situation remains tense in the high water region in Brandenburg. 2 sections of the dike by Criewen in Uckermark and Neuranft in Oderbruch are damaged by the enormous water pressure, said the president of Brandenburg's environmental authority, Freude to the news agency ddp. By Schwedt cracks have occurred in the dikes. In Schwedt there is another construction site within the framework of a reinforcement of the Oder-dike. By Neurüdnitz in Oder-Bruch an embankment by a bridge has slipped/slid. In the Oder-section from Ratzdorf via Eisenhüttenstadt to Frankfurt (Oder) the water levels are falling. The pressure on the dikes continues to be high according to the Ministry of the Interior. The number of dead due to the high water in POLAND rose to 20. 2 additional dead bodies have been recovered in southern Poland. ---------------------------------------- Danish DR1 Text-TV: OIL WELL CONTINUES TO LEAK Oil is still leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. BP has attempted to reduce the pressure by pumping drilling liquid into the oil well - and the plan was to seal the well with concrete. BP's chief operating officer Doug Suttles says that the so-called "top kill" procedure failed. "We tried several times, but failed to get the pressure in the well under control. Oil is still leaking from the oil well". "After 3 days of "top kill" procedure we failed to stop the oil leak from the well." The US authorities estimate that between 75 and 120 litres of oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico after the explosion on the "Deepwater Horizon" oil drilling rig. Swedish SVT: ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THE OIL LEAK FAILED BP announced that its latest attempt to close the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico failed. The BP group will now attempt a new strategy: To capture the oil. By means of a submarine robot, BP will try to hack off the leaking pipe in a depth of 1.5 km. Most of the leaked oil is to be captured there in a special device designed to fit the pipe. The plan is to carry the oil to the surface of the sea where it will be handled. All equipment is on site, but the operation lasts 4 days. At the same time BP is drilling two new holes, i.e. relief wells in the seabed to reduce the pressure in the oil well from which the oil leaks. The first of these 2 relief wells will not be finished before at the end of July or at the beginning of August. President Barack Obama is under increasing pressure - being criticized for the way his administration has handled this environmental disaster. He assures the public that the authorities are doing everything possible to stop the oil leak. According to Obama, the coast guard adm. Thad Allen ordered BP to test the new method. The reason why this method has not been attempted earlier is that it is dangerous and never has been applied before in such depth, i.e. 1.500 m under the surface of the water. Danish TV2 NEWS: THE OIL WELL MAY LEAK OIL UNTIL AUGUST The ruptured oil well may continue to leak oil into the Gulf of Mexico until August according to President Obama's energy adviser, Carol Browner. She adds that the US government is "prepared for the worst scenario as we have been from the beginning". Oil group BP's attempt to stop the oil leak off Louisiana's coast failed. German ZDFtext + ARDtext: OPERATION "TOP KILL": THE CLOSURE OF THE DRILL HOLE FAILED BP has announced that the "top kill" operation - the attempt to close the drill hole, i.e. oil well, in the Gulf of Mexico on the seabed - was unsuccessful. "BP failed to close the leak with mud and cement", said BP's chief operating officer Doug Suttles on Saturday. The BP group will now make a new attempt to get the situation under control using a new method. Since the explosion on the "Deepwater Horizon" drilling rig more than one month ago, hundred thousands litres of oil are leaking into the Gulf every day from a oil well in a depth of 1.500m. It is the worst oil pollution in US history. German ZDFtext: OBAMA: "FAILURE HEARTBREAKING" US President Barack Obama reacted with disappointment when learning about the new failure in the fight against the oil pollution in the Gulf of Mexico. He said that he had hoped that the attempt to close the leaking oil well on the seabed would be successful. He called it "heartbreaking" that oil continues to leak into the Gulf from the ruptured pipe in a depth of 1.500m. As a consequence of this, he has recommended that BP starts the alternative plan - to capture the oil in a cap (container) over the well. "This is risky and has never been attempted before. It will be difficult", said Obama. German ZDFtext: BP WILL CAPTURE OIL After the failure to close the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, BP's next move is to attempt to capture the leaking oil. Robots are to remove the destroyed pipeline at the oil well. Then a cap is to be installed over the well through which the oil will be pumped up to a tanker on the surface of the Gulf. US President Barack Obama called it "heartbreaking" that millions of litres of oil continue to leak into the Gulf. Experts think that the most reliable solution is a second drill hole, i.e. a relief well that is currently being drilled, but the drilling will not be finished until August. German ARDtext: A NEW VALVE IS TO CAPTURE THE OIL After the failure of the "Top Kill" procedure in the Gulf of Mexico, BP will capture the leaking oil and pump it up to a tanker. The damaged pipe which was to carry the oil from the seabed and up to the surface is to be hacked off under water and closed/plugged by means of a valve. Via the valve, the oil is to be pumped up to a tanker. It is not clear whether this measure will be successful. In the long term, only a new drill hole, i.e. a relief well can reduce the pressure on the leak. The drillings have started, but will take at least two months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted May 31, 2010 Author Share Posted May 31, 2010 News on 30 May 2010 in relation to natural disasters, part II - USA http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10191622.stm Page last updated at 0:56 GMT, Sunday, 30 May 2010 1:56 UK BBC: "TOP KILL" BP OPERATION FAILS TO HALT/STOP US OIL LEAK The latest attempt to stop the Gulf of Mexico oil leak has failed, the oil giant BP has said. BP chief operating officer Doug Suttles said the firm was now shifting to a new strategy to stop the spill. In the failed procedure - known as "top kill" - the firm had been blasting waste material and heavy mud into a ruptured well. US President Barack Obama said the continued flow of oil was "as enraging as it is heartbreaking". The worst oil spill in US history began when a drilling rig exploded and sank last month, killing 11 people. The thick crude has already permeated more than 70 miles (110km) of Louisiana's coastline, threatening fragile wetlands and putting the vital fishing industry at risk. POLLUTION FEARS Mr Suttles said BP had determined that the "top kill" method - which had been going on since Wednesday - had failed after studying the results for three days. "We have not been able to stop the flow," he told reporters on Saturday. "This scares everybody, the fact that we can't make this well stop flowing, the fact that we haven't suceeded so far," he said. The company says it pumped 30,000 barrels of mud into the well, in three attempts, at rates of up to 80 barrels a minute, but it had not worked. It is the latest procedure to have failed since attempts to plug the leak began, with BP having spent more than $940 million (£645 million) so far. An initial plan to place a 125-tonne dome over the leak failed when it became blocked with ice crystals. A mile-long tube designed to capture some of the gushing oil was also unsuccessful. The next option after the failure of "top kill" is called the lower-marine-riser-package (LMRP) cap containment system. It involves an underwater robot using a saw to hack off the leaking pipe and place a cap over it. The LMRP cap is already on site and the operation is expected to last four days. BP says it cannot guarantee that the new method - which has not been carried out at depths of 5,000 feet before - will be successful. At least 12,000 barrels (504,000 gallons) are leaking into the Gulf every day. 'LOST LIFESTYLE' The BBC's Andy Gallacher says the failure is another blow for the region. Our correspondent says that people in Louisiana are growing increasingly impatient and angry. Some fishermen have nailed up signs, with one reading "BP, you ruined our futures and our heritage", our correspondent adds. "Everybody's starting to realise this summer's lost. And our whole lifestyle might be lost," Michael Ballay, the manager of Cypress Cove Marina, told Associated Press. On Friday, US President Barack Obama toured oil-hit areas, saying the US would "do whatever it takes" to help those affected. He said he would triple the manpower to contain and clean up the spill. A total of 20,000 people have already been deployed. Mr Obama said he would take responsibility for "solving this crisis", though he said BP would be held financially accountable for the "enormous damage". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10194335.stm Page last updated at 15:18 GMT, Sunday, 30 May 2010 16:18 UK GULF OF MEXICO OIL LEAK 'WORST US ENVIRONMENT DISASTER' The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is the worst environmental disaster the US has faced, a senior official has said. White House energy adviser Carol Browner also said the US was "prepared for the worst scenario" that the leak might not be stopped before August. BP is to try a new tactic after its latest failure to halt the leak, but says there is no guarantee of success. BP chief operating officer Doug Suttles said even if it worked it would only halt a majority of the spill. At least 20 million gallons have now spilled into the Gulf of Mexico, affecting more than 70 miles (110km) of Louisiana's coastline. Eleven rig workers died when the Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank nearly six weeks ago. SLICE AND CAP Ms Browner, talking on NBC's Meet The Press, said: "More oil is leaking in the Gulf of Mexico than at any other time in our history. It means there is more oil than the Exxon Valdez (in Alaska in 1989)." She said she hoped the latest plan would work but admitted it would be a temporary measure and that a relief well currently being drilled might turn out to be the permanent solution. However, that will not be ready for at least two months. Ms Browner said BP had been told to drill another relief well in case the first did not work. In the meantime, BP is setting up its Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) to stem the flow. It will use undersea robots to slice through the damaged pipe to make a clean cut that can be connected to another pipe, capturing the leaking oil. The plan will take four days to set up. However, BP said the operation had never been carried out at a depth of 5,000ft and "the successful deployment of the containment system cannot be assured". University of Alabama engineering professor Philip W Johnson told Associated Press news agency that although he was hopeful the plan would succeed, if the new cap could not be placed on the fresh cut, "things will get much worse". The system is similar to a previous containment dome plan that failed. 'UNJUSTLY VICTIMISED' Speaking on US television on Sunday, BP managing director Robert Dudley vowed the company would learn from its failed attempts and continue trying. He said the company would know by the end of the week if the latest attempt had succeeded. Mr Suttles earlier admitted its "top kill" operation to blast waste material and heavy mud into the ruptured well had failed. "We have been unable to overcome the flow from the well, so we now believe it's time to move on to the next of our options," he said. Mr Suttles said he "did not know for certain" why it had failed. Meanwhile at least 12,000 barrels (504,000 gallons) are leaking into the Gulf every day. BP has spent more than $940m (£645m) so far in trying to contain the disaster. President Obama earlier expressed anger at the latest failure. "It is as enraging as it is heartbreaking, and we will not relent until this leak is contained, until the waters and shores are cleaned up, and until the people unjustly victimised by this man-made disaster are made whole," he said. Mr Obama toured the oil-hit areas on Friday and said he would triple the manpower to contain and clean up the spill. PAST ATTEMPS TO STEM OIL LEAK: Oil booms - partly successful Controlled burning - causes serious air pollution Dispersant used - scientists warn it may kill marine life Huge dome placed over leak - became blocked by ice crystals Mile-long tube - fails to suck up large amount of oil "Top-kill" method to pump heavy mud - abandoned http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10195257.stm Page last updated at 17:30 GMT, Sunday, 30 May 2010 18:30 UK US OIL SPILL: FISHING VILLAGES 'ON THE EDGE' Louisiana's shrimping season officially begins on Monday but the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has killed any sense of optimism, reports the BBC's Robyn Bresnahan. George Barisich's fishing boat has survived three major hurricanes - Gustav, Ike and Katrina. "My house was underwater, but she survived," he says, giving the boat a loving pat. But Mr Barisich fears what will sink his commercial fishing business once and for all is not a natural disaster, but a man-made one. People laugh at us when we say this oil spill could be worse than Katrina, but we ain't joking," he says. As he heats up a huge plate of shrimp pasta in the boat's microwave, George says he is worried that the spill will be last straw for many people in this tight-knit fishing community of Bayou La Loutre, Louisiana. "I'm seeing the same gazed look that we saw after Katrina, the same look of hopelessness and despair. People are just going to give up. They've been through too much," he says. Until more toxicity testing is completed on the waters where Mr Barisich usually fishes for seafood, his boat is anchored. "And that's the hardest part, because fishing is in our blood here. When you're not doing it, you don't know what to do," he says. FISHING FOR OIL Many fishermen have taken work with contractors for BP, trying to contain the spill. Mr Barisich's good friend, Charles Robin III, is one of them. "My shrimping nets ain't catching shrimp now, they're catching oil," he says. Fishing is in his blood too. He is a fifth-generation shrimper, and has passed the trade on to two of his sons. He says he can smell the oil and the dispersant on most days. He has also noticed an oily sheen on the canal in Bayou La Loutre that he has never seen before. "It's getting closer, and that ain't good," he says. Mr Robin's wife, Lisa, says the spill has had a dramatic impact on the whole family. "At home, it doesn't feel like home any more. The stress level is so high," she says. "We're watching the news every day to see the areas impacted by the oil. It's the first thing I think about when I get up in the morning and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night." The eldest son in the Robin family breaks down in tears when he thinks about the prospect of the oil spill ruining their livelihoods. "It really makes you mad because, all my life, I've been working with my daddy. To think this oil could ruin that," he says as he puts his head in his hands and sobs. WHO TO BLAME Mr Robin says he blames BP for a disaster that could have been prevented, but he also wants President Barack Obama to stop giving press conferences and start giving his family help. "I was actually mad when I saw President Obama on television," he says. "He said his little girl pokes her head around the corner while he's brushing his teeth and asks if the hole in the well has been plugged. "That's a fact in his family. My little boy gets up in the morning and asks, 'Daddy, are we ever going to fish again?'" Mr Barisich comes over with a plate of shrimp pasta and hands it to his friend. He agrees that Mr Obama has not done enough, but puts most of the blame on BP. "BP makes statements like 'Oh, it's a big Gulf', and the chairman says it's just business and says that he sleeps well at night," he says. "You wonder why we get upset." Mr Barisich says he has not been sleeping because he is so worried for the future. "A man's got to have a hope, some kind of light at the end of the tunnel," he says. "Without it, you're gonna get so low and just say, screw it, I'm done." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted May 31, 2010 Author Share Posted May 31, 2010 NEWS on 31.5 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS / China - Germany - Central America - Gulf of Mexico / USA NEWS ON 31 MAY 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS German ZDFtext: DEATH TOLL AFTER APRIL'S POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE IN CHINA RISEN TO 2,698 6 weeks after the powerful earthquake in the Tibetan highland in north-west China, according to the authorities the death toll is 2,698. The death toll is thus by far higher than the previously announced 2,220. According to the news agency Xinhua, the Vicegovernor of the Qinghai province, Zhang Guangrong, stated today (i.e. on Monday 31 May) that 270 were still missing. 199 school children are among the dead. The magnitude-7.1 earthquake on 15 April 2010 has made more than 100,000 homeless. A magnitude-5.7 aftershock occurred last Saturday, i.e. on 29 May. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ German ZDFtext: THE AUTHORITIES CONCERNED ABOUT THE SITUATION IN ODERBRUCH NORTH OF FRANKFURT (ODER) The authorities are concerned about the high tide in Oderbruch north of Frankfurt (Oder) where the floods from rivers Warthe (Warta) and Oder meet. "People lived up to 8 m lower than the current level of the Oder flood", said Matthias Freude, President of Brandenburg's environmental authority, to rbb-Info-radio. "This is the most dangerous place along/by Oder. Alarm level 4 will be maintained there for another week. The numerous "dike runners" remain in action." German ZDFtext (evening): HIGH WATER: FALLING WATER LEVELS AND LOWERED ALARM LEVELS The situation in Brandenburg's high-water regions by Oder is becoming less and less tense. In some places the clean-up has already started. After Frankfurt (Oder) today (i.e. on Monday 31 May) lowered the alarm level from the highest level 4 to 3, then the second-highest level - level 3 - should also be in force in southern Oder-Spree county from Monday evening according to a spokesman. Experts were optimistic that the situation by the Polish river Warthe (Warta) which flows into Oder by Küstrin-Kietz remains under control. In Brandenburg 700 helpers are still in action according to the Ministry of the Interior. German ARDtext: WATER LEVELS REMAIN HIGH / DIKES WITHSTAND WATER MASSES The water levels in Brandenburg's high-water region remain high, but the situation has become stable. According to the High-water Reporting Centre in Frankfurt (Oder) the dikes withstand the water masses. The water levels are falling in southern Brandenburg, whereas they rise in northern Brandenburg. There is fear of more rain, because the dikes could soak further. The experts are also concerned about the water level of river Warthe (Warta) in Poland. Its peak (highest water level) might coincide with Oder's high water at the end of next week. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/latin_america/10195619.stm Page last updated at 8:47 GMT, Monday, 31 May 2010 9:47 UK AGATHA STORM DEATHS RISE ACROSS CENTRAL AMERICA A powerful tropical storm in Central America has left at least 99 people dead in floods and mudslides. The worst-hit country was GUATEMALA , where officials say at least 82 people died. Nine were killed in EL SALVADOR and at least eight in HONDURAS. Storm Agatha swept in from the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, bringing torrential rains that added to disruption caused by a volcano erupting in Guatemala. The storm is dissipating but more heavy rain is forecast for the next few days. Rescue workers have been clearing debris from roads to reach cut-off communities. Many areas have not been reached and the number of dead is expected to rise. In Guatemala, where Agatha made landfall on Saturday, at least 53 people were reported missing. Parts of Guatemala have received their highest rainfall in more than 60 years, according to the country's President Alvaro Colom, who said more than 3ft (1m) of rain fell in some areas. "Many places are cut off but it appears the weather will improve a bit today and we will be able to airlift supplies to those places. The road network is badly damaged," President Colom said at a news conference on Sunday. Nearly 112,000 people have been evacuated from their homes across Guatemala, officials said. GUATEMALA, EL SALVADOR and HONDURAS have all declared emergencies in an attempt to increase immediate aid and resources. AGATHA - the first named storm of the Pacific hurricane season - also hit southern MEXICO. The storm is dissipating over the mountains of western Guatemala - but emergency workers have warned residents to expect heavy rain for several more days. DEVASTATION A mudslide devastated an entire neighbourhood in the Guatemalan town of San Antonio Palopo, 90 miles (150km) south-east of the capital. "There was a mudslide that wiped out homes, trees and everything in its path," a witness told local radio. In Quetzaltenango, 125 miles (200km) west of the capital, Guatemala City, a boulder came loose and crushed a house, killing four people, including two children. In EL SALVADOR rains triggered at least 140 landslides in which President Mauricio Funes said nine people had died. "Although the storm appears to be diminishing in intensity, the situation across the country remains critical," he said. Officials in HONDURAS, where several regions have been put under a state of emergency, said there had been at least eight storm-related deaths. The storm has also complicated efforts to clear up ash from the Pacaya volcano in southern Guatemala, which began erupting on Thursday. Guatemala's main airport has been closed while workers clear the runways. A state of emergency declared because of the volcanic eruption has been extended across the country. Swedish SVT: MORE THAN 100 DEAD IN CENTRAL AMERICA IN TROPICAL STORM NAMED "AGATHA" At least 82 died in GUATEMALA. 9 died in EL SALVADOR and 10 in HONDURAS. Guatemala's international airport - La Aurora - has been closed since Friday 28 May 2010. German ZDFtext: MORE THAN 130 DEAD DUE TO THE TROPICAL STORM NAMED "AGATHA". Worst hit with 49 dead was Guatemala's government district Chimaltenango 55 km west of the capital, Guatemala City. Guatemala's government has asked for international assistance. The international airport in Guatemala City remains closed for some more days. 108 died in GUATEMALA according to the authorities, 53 missing. Thousands homeless. ____________________ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10198201.stm Page last updated at 18:06 GMT, Monday, 31 May 2010 19:06 UK GULF OIL SPILL: BP PREPARES NEW ATTEMPT TO CAP FLOW BP is beginning preparations for a new attempt to curb the massive spill from its leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico. The firm plans to lower a containment cap over the well in the hope that most of the oil can be piped to the surface. The attempt - in which undersea robots will cut a pipe and position the device - could initially increase the flow and success is not guaranteed, BP has said. The fresh tactic follows the failure of BP's so-called "top kill" bid to stem the leak by pumping mud into the well. On Sunday, White House energy adviser Carol Browner said the Gulf of Mexico oil spill was the worst environmental disaster the US has faced. She also said the US was "prepared for the worst scenario" that the leak might not be stopped before August. Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned that winds forecast later this week could move the spill towards the MISSISSIPPI and ALABAMA coasts, until now affected less badly than Louisiana's shores. The hurricane season is also due to begin on Tuesday, raising fears that high winds may whip the spill on to the nation's shores at a greater rate. At least 20 million gallons have now spilled into the Gulf, affecting more than 70 miles (110km) of Louisiana's coastline. Eleven rig workers died when the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank six weeks ago. Undersea robots BP is now preparing a containment device - known as a Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) - to be lowered over the damaged well. As a first step, it will use undersea robots to slice through a damaged riser pipe to make a clean cut. The containment cap will then be placed over the top and a new pipe will carry the captured oil to a ship on the surface. Preparations were getting under way on Monday, with the attempt expected to take four days to set up. However, BP said the operation had never been carried out at a depth of 5,000ft and "the successful deployment of the containment system cannot be assured". BP chief operating officer Doug Suttles said at the weekend that even if it worked it would only capture a majority of the spill. The White House said the president had been informed that the flow rate could increase by as much as 20% until the containment device was applied over the leak. The system is similar to a previous containment dome plan that failed. Speaking on US television on Sunday, BP managing director Robert Dudley vowed the company would learn from its failed attempts and continue trying. He said the company would know by the end of the week if the latest attempt had succeeded. Responding to calls for the US military to take the lead instead of BP, Adm Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told US media the military was not as well equipped as the oil industry to deal with the spill. The Obama administration has come under increasing pressure to find a way to mitigate the environmental and economic impact on the Gulf area. On what would normally be a busy holiday weekend, fishing boats sat idle in marinas along the Louisiana coast, as many fishing areas remain closed as a health precaution. Several hundred protesters gathered in New Orleans on Sunday for a rally in which they denounced the response by BP and the government. An estimated 12,000 to 19,000 barrels (504,000 to 798,000 gallons) are leaking into the Gulf every day. BP has spent more than $940m (£645m) so far in trying to contain the disaster. FROM OTHER NEWS SITES Guardian.co.uk : BP clashes with scientists over deep sea oil pollution - at 23 o'clock Central European Time (CET) Citizen.co.za : BP rushes new Gulf oil operation - at 22 o'clock Central European Time Sky News : BP In New Race To Plug Oil Spill Disaster - at 22 o'clock Central European Time National Post : Robots to attempt deep-sea leak fix - at 14 o'clock Central European Time Mirror.co.uk : Barack Obama furious at oil spill hell - at 12 o'clock Central European Time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 1, 2010 Author Share Posted June 1, 2010 News in relation to natural disasters / Central America hit by Agatha / Oil pollution in the USA NEWS ON 1 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS German ARDtext: DEATH TOLL RISES TO 135 / GUATEMALA WORST HIT After the tropical storm Agatha in Central America, the death toll has risen. According to the authorities the death toll is as follows: In Guatemala 109. In HONDURAS 17. In EL SALVADOR 9. In particular in GUATEMALA there was substantial damage caused by rain that never seemed to stop. Streets were washed / swept away, water masses and landslides cut off villages from the outside world. German ZDFtext: CENTRAL AMERICA: DEAD AND DEVASTATION DUE TO THE TROPICAL STORM AGATHA Agatha has spread dead and devastation with its water masses. President Alvaro Colom: "The devastation is worse than after the hurricanes "Mitch" in 1998 and "Stan" in 2005. So far a total of 149 have died in GUATEMALA, EL SALVADOR and HONDURAS. Many are missing, and more than 160,000 have been moved to safer places. Landslides and floods destroyed several major roads. Many areas are cut off from the outside world. Danish DR1 Text-TV: MYSTICAL HOLE IN GUATEMALA The Tropical storm Agatha which hit Central America last week-end caused a strange hole - a sinkhole - in Guatemala City. The storm which cost at least 150 human lives in Central America was accompanied by torrential rains. The rain is assumed to have caused a circular hole - a sinkhole - where, up to the storm, a three-storey/floor building and a house were standing. Agatha has caused great human losses and substantial material damage in all of Central America. Worst hit is GUATEMALA, where at least 123 people have died. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/latin_america/10200440.stm Page last updated at 8:42 GMT, Tuesday, 1 June 2010 9:42 UK RESCUERS SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS AS AGATHA TOLL TOPS 150 Emergency workers in GUATEMALA, HONDURAS and EL SALVADOR are struggling to get aid to communities cut off by Tropical Storm Agatha. The storm has left at least 150 people dead since Saturday, most of them in GUATEMALA. Rescuers are digging through mud and rubble in search of dozens of people still missing after landslides destroyed entire communities. The storm has passed but officials warn that swollen rivers still pose a risk. The GUATEMALAN authorities said 123 people were known to have died, while in HONDURAS 14 people were killed, and nine in EL SALVADOR. All three countries have declared emergencies in an attempt to increase immediate aid and resources. The storm dumped more than 3ft (1m) of rain on parts of GUATEMALA, the government said, causing rivers to burst their banks and hillsides to collapse. In the capital, GUATEMALA CITY, a giant sinkhole opened up, reportedly swallowing a couple of buildings. Officials initially said the storm was to blame, but now say they will carry out further studies to determine the exact cause, as a sinkhole appeared in the same area in 2007. DEVASTATION Tens of thousands of people are living in temporary shelters, either because their homes were destroyed or because they were evacuated from areas at risk of flooding. Roads and bridges have been smashed, making it difficult to get aid to the worst-hit areas. GUATEMALA's main airport is still closed to commercial flights because of the eruption of the Pacaya volcano last week, slowing the arrival of international help. The storm has broken up, but further rain is forecast for the coming days. EL SALVADOR's President, Mauricio Funes, said the risk of further destruction was still high. "It has rained so much that the glass is full and one more drop could be fatal," he said. Authorities there said most of the countries roads had been affected by landslides. FROM OTHER NEWS SITES Channel 4 News : Guatemala sinkhole appears after tropical storm Agatha hits Central America - at 20 o'clock CET (Central European Time) Reuters UK : Fallen bridges hamper Guatemala storm rescue - at 20 o'clock CET Christian Science Monitor : Tropical Storm Agatha floods kill 150, cause giant sinkhole in Guatemala City - at 19 o'clock CET Los Angeles Times : 146 dead in storm; huge sinkhole in Guatemala - at 17 o'clock CET Mail Online UK : Storm blows a 200ft hole in Guatemala City, swallowing a building - at 14 o'clock CET ----------------------------------------------------------------- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10198201.stm Page last updated at 19:31 GMT, Tuesday, 1 June 2010 20:31 UK GULF OIL SPILL: BP HOPES TO CAP FLOW 'WITHIN 24 HOURS' BP hopes to contain the spill from its leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico within 24 hours, its chief operating officer, Doug Suttles, has said. An operation using undersea robots to cut off the fractured pipe and seal it with a cap was launched on Tuesday. It comes as US President Barack Obama threatened legal action against those responsible for the leak. Mr Suttles said: "If everything goes well, within the next 24 hours we could have this contained." But, striking a note of caution, he stressed that success was not guaranteed and urged people to "remember this is being done in 5,000 feet of water, and very small issues take a long time to fix". The oil giant's shares fell sharply on Tuesday after the failure of its previous efforts to "top kill" the leak by pumping mud into the well. At one stage the share price his its lowest level for 15 months as stock markets digested the news that the US was "prepared for the worst scenario" that the leak might not be stopped before August. 'WORST US ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER' If the latest attempt to fit a containment cap works, the firm hopes to pipe most of the oil to the surface. However, it could initially increase the spill's flow, BP has said. On Tuesday, President Obama described the leak as "the greatest environmental disaster of its kind in our history". He warned: "If our laws were broken leading to this death and destruction, my solemn pledge is that we will bring those responsible to justice on behalf of the victims of this catastrophe and the people of the Gulf region." He was speaking as Attorney General Eric Holder visited the affected region to see the damage for the first time to meet legal officials from Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned that winds forecast later this week could move the spill towards the Mississippi and Alabama coasts, which have been less badly affected than Louisiana's shores. Tuesday also marked the start of the hurricane season, with the NOAA predicting up to 14 hurricanes, of which between three to seven will be "major" tempests, packing winds in excess of 110 mph. At least 20 million gallons (76 million litres) have now spilled into the Gulf, affecting more than 70 miles (110km) of Louisiana's coastline. Eleven rig workers died when the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank six weeks ago. BP will attempt to lower its containment device - known as a Lower Marine Riser Package - over the damaged well. As a first step, it will use undersea robots to slice through a damaged riser pipe to make a clean cut. The containment cap would then be placed over the top and a new pipe will carry the captured oil to a ship on the surface. However, BP has said the operation had never been carried out at a depth of 5,000ft (1,500m) and "the successful deployment of the containment system cannot be assured". Mr Suttles said at the weekend that if it worked it would capture a majority of the spill, but would not stop it entirely. The White House said the president had been informed that the flow rate could increase by as much as 20% until the containment device was applied over the leak. The system is similar to a previous containment-dome plan that failed. BP managing director Robert Dudley said the company would know by the end of the week if the latest attempt had succeeded. Responding to calls for the US military to take the lead instead of BP, Adm Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told US media that the military was not as well equipped as the oil industry to deal with the spill. The Obama administration has come under increasing pressure to find a way to mitigate the environmental and economic impact on the Gulf area. On what would normally be a busy holiday weekend, fishing boats sat idle in marinas along the Louisiana coast, as many fishing areas remain closed as a health precaution. Several hundred protesters gathered in New Orleans on Sunday for a rally in which they denounced the response by BP and the government. BP has spent more than $940m (£645m) so far in trying to contain the disaster. OTHER NEWS SITES Irish Times : Obama says oil spill is 'environmental disaster' - at 22 o'clock CET Al Jazeera : Oil culprits 'will face justice' - at 21:30 o'clock CET ABC News : BP Shares Plunge Amid New Plan to Control Spill - at 21:30 o'clock CET Times Online : BP could face prosecution over oil spill - at 21:30 o'clock CET AFP via Yahoo! : Obama threatens court action over US oil spill - at 20:30 o'clock CET German ZDFtext: Experts: THREATENING HURRICANES COULD WORSEN THE OIL POLLUTION Tuesday, 1 June 2010, marked the start of the hurricane season over the Gulf of Mexico. US meteorologists expect up to 7 major hurricanes in the coming months. They could move the oil spill towards the Mississippi and Alabama coasts and worsen the environmental disaster. This scenario is feared by researchers. After an explosion on a drilling rig in the middle of April, thousands of barrels of oil is leaking into the Gulf every day. So far all attempts to stop the oil leak - at a depth of 1.500m - have failed. BP is now trying to hack off the ruptured pipe and then to place a containment cap over the opening / top. German ZDFtext: OIL POLLUTION IN THE GULF OF MEXICO: OBAMA THREATENED LEGAL ACTION US President Barack Obama has threatened legal action against those responsible for the leak of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. He warned: "If our laws were broken leading to this death and destruction, my solemn pledge is that we will bring those responsible to justice on behalf of the victims of this catastrophe and the people of the Gulf region." After an explosion on a drilling rig in the middle of April, thousands of barrels of oil is leaking into the Gulf every day. So far all attempts to stop the oil leak - at a depth of 1.500m - have failed. German ARDtext: US GOVERNMENT INCREASES PRESSURE ON BP The US government increases its pressure on BP considerably due to the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. According to US Media, BP has been asked to keep/save all documents related to the disaster. Several US senators have put pressure on the US Ministry of Justice to examine the events off the southern coast of the USA. The "Deepwater Horizon" drilling rig sank almost 6 weeks ago (i.e. in the middle of April 2010). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 2, 2010 Author Share Posted June 2, 2010 News on 2 June 2010 in relation to natural disasters NEWS ON 2 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10217739.stm Page last updated at 21:27 GMT, Wednesday, 2 June 2010 22:27 UK OIL FROM GULF OF MEXICO SPILL 'NEARS FLORIDA BEACHES' A sheen of oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill is reportedly nearing the white sand beaches of north-west Florida. Officials said a sheen containing thousands of tar balls had been seen nine miles (15km) from Pensacola on the Florida "panhandle". "It's inevitable that we will see it on the beaches," said Keith Wilkins, an Escambia County official. Meanwhile, BP's efforts to cap the leaking well hit a snag as a saw became stuck in a thick pipe on the sea bed. The company is attempting to contain the spill from the well by cutting off the fractured pipe and sealing it with a cap. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said crews were shooting chemical dispersants at the oil now leaking out of the new cut, and hoped to make another attempt on the pipe later on Wednesday. "I don't think the issue is whether or not we can make the second cut. It's about how fine we can make it, how smooth we can make it," Adm Allen said. BP share prices continued to plummet in trading on the London stock exchange on Wednesday, amid news the US justice department has opened several civil and criminal inquiries into the Gulf spill. BP estimates that the disaster has so far cost the company approximately $990m (£674m) in clean-up costs, but has refused to speculate on future expenses. 'DANGEROUS SHORT-CUTS' The BBC's North America editor Mark Mardell, in Washington, says there is a growing sense of frustration that all BP's efforts have come to naught, and things could get worse for the company. In a speech in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, President Barack Obama said that the leak "may prove to be a result of human error, or of corporations taking dangerous shortcuts to compromise safety". He went on: "We have to acknowledge that there are inherent risks to drilling four miles beneath the surface of the Earth. "These are risks that are bound to increase the harder oil extraction becomes." The oil began leaking into the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, leased to BP, exploded, killing 11 workers. BP is drilling two relief wells to permanently stop the leak but they are not expected to be completed until August. A "top kill" procedure, which had been considered the best hope for plugging the leak, failed over the weekend when engineers were unable to pump enough heavy mud into the well to staunch the oil flow. Florida Governor Charlie Crist said the oil sheen observed off the state's north-west coast contained thousands of tar balls, heavy globs of decayed oil. "The goal is to remove that oil from near shore waters and prevent or minimise any potential impacts on our state," he told reporters. German ARDtext: WORK IN THE OIL WELL INTERRUPTED / OIL POLLUTION THREATENS FLORIDA'S COAST / DIFFICULT FIGHT AGAINST OIL POLLUTION A new problem has occurred in connection with the fight against the oil pollution in the Gulf of Mexico. A saw which was to cut off the leaking pipe under water became stuck. Florida's authorities prepare for an imminent oil pollution of the coasts. Oil is seen only 10 km from the coast. In 3 days the oil will be washed ashore. The US justice department has opened several civil and criminal inquiries into the Gulf spill involving the energy group BP. German ARDtext: OBAMA ADVOCATES NEW ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY POLICIES US President Barack Obama intends to work for increased use of renewable energy. Faced with the oil pollution in the Gulf of Mexico, it is clear that fossil fuels alone cannot cover the energy needs, he said. German ZDFtext: NEW FAILURE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST OIL POLLUTION OFF THE US COAST The saw which was to cut off the ruptured pipe became stuck in a thick pipe on the seabed, said US Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen. Now US President Barack Obama intends to speed up the domestically disputed law to promote alternative energy sources. The "Deepwater Horizon" drilling rig sank after an explosion on 20 April 2010. Since then, enormous amounts of oil - hundred thousands of litres - are leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. -------------------------- German ZDFtext: Warning against heavy rain for hours on Thursday 3 June 2010 in southeastern Germany. Danish TV2 TTV: WATER FORCES PEOPLE IN SLOVAKIA TO FLEE Several hundred people have been evacuated and traffic disrupted after new floodings hit eastern Slovakia after several days of heavy rain, said rescuers. About 500 people in a gipsy settlement in Svinia in East-Slovakia have been evacuated together with 150 from the country's largest gipsy settlement near village Jarovnice where floodings cost 58 human lives in 1998. Meteorologists have declared the highest alarm level for flooding in several areas in eastern and southern Slovakia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 4, 2010 Author Share Posted June 4, 2010 News on 3 June 2010 in relation to natural disasters, part 1 - China, Guatemala, Bavaria in Germany, oil leak in the USA NEWS ON 3 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS, part I Danish DR1 TTV: FLOODINGS COST 30 HUMAN LIVES IN CHINA At least 30 are dead and 18 are missing after HEAVY RAIN in the Southern Chinese Guangxi region where 210 mm rain fell in a few hours in the night between Tuesday and Wednesday. Worst hit is the city of Cenxi with almost all streets flooded. 80,000 have been evacuated in Cenxi and the surrounding areas, said local rescuers. The powerful floodings and extensive landslides caused substantial material damage. More than 4,200 houses were destroyed and many damaged, says the Chinese Ministry for Civil Defense. German ARDtext: 38 DEAD IN STORM IN CHINA At least 38 DIED due to LANDSLIDES in SOUTH CHINA according to the authorities. News agency Xinhua reported that rescuers had found 18 additional dead bodies in the Guangxi region. 14 were missing. HEAVY RAIN for a long period triggered the landslides. Due to the bad weather, more than 80,000 had to leave their homes as a precautionary measure. Almost 3,000 were made homeless. ------------------------------------------ Danish TV2 News / Live: RELIEF UNDER WAY TO GUATEMALA 184 died in the tropical storm AGATHA where several houses and many roads were destroyed and bridges washed away. Rebuilding i.a. the damaged roads will cost more than the equivalent of 1 billion Danish kroner. ----------------------------------------- German ZDF News at 13 o'clock (live): HURRICANE IN NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. --------------------------------- German ZDF News at 13 o'clock (live): FLOODINGS: Floodings in Poland and the Czech Republic - these two countries have asked the EU for financial assistance. There are also floodings in Croatia. ----------------------------------------- German ZDFtext and ARDtext: PERSISTENT RAIN IN UPPER BAVARIA (OBERBAYERN) TRIGGERS FLOODINGS Due to persistent rain in South-East Upper Bavaria, the water levels in brooks and rivers have clearly risen. Worst hit are Traunstein and Berchtesgaden counties. Many roads are flooded or blocked by rocks. In Traunstein, cellars had to be emptied of water using pumps; streets, allotments and sports facilities are flooded. The fire-fighters and technical assistants have been in action for hours. The police expect the water levels to rise further. Meteorologists forecast that the rain will abate this afternoon. German ZDF News at 13 o'clock (live): In PASSAU in Bavaria the water level has risen more than 10 cm where rivers Danube, Ilz and Inn meet. There is fear of flood in Passau's old district. Both Passau and Ingolstadt are threatened. German ZDFtext: FLOODINGS IN BAVARIA Flooded roads, toppled/uprooted trees and landslides - persistent rain caused floodings and traffic problems in parts of Southern and Eastern Bavaria. The floodings were caused by persistent rain around Passau by the rivers Danube (Donau), Inn and Ilz. Some vehicles had to be transported away. Some cellars and properties were flooded. According to weather experts, drier and warmer weather is expected from Friday afternoon. German ARDtext (evening): PERSISTENT RAIN IN BAVARIA Wet feet, flooded cellars and blocked streets. Persistent rain has kept the people in Bavaria very busy. Several roads were flooded near the Austrian border. The heaviest rain fell in southern Bavaria. According to the weather service Meteomedia, 150 litres of rain per square meter fell in Rosenheim county. ------------------------------------------ GERMAN ZDFtext and ARDtext: USA: OBAMA WANTS A NEW ENERGY POLICY (ARDtext) / OBAMA WANTS AN END BROUGHT TO TAX BREAKS FOR OIL COMPANIES (ZDFtext) US President Barack Obama demands an end brought to tax breaks for oil companies. The billions of dollars should be used for research into "green" energy sources, said Obama at the University in Pittsburgh. He urged Congress to pass a bill that would put an end to the dangerous dependency on fossil fuels. The oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico shows that the USA must shift to environmentally friendly energy sources (nuclear power and natural gas). Dependency on fossil fuels threatens the surrounding world as well as the national security. German ZDFtext: OIL POLLUTION REACHES FLORIDA The oil pollution in the Gulf of Mexico threatens the coast of US state of FLORIDA. According to broadcaster CNN, a sheen of oil was seen off the famous seaside resort Pensacola. Booms (barriers) will hardly be able to keep the oil completely away from the beaches. South-western winds move the sheen of oil closer to the coast. A new attempt to plug the oil leak at a depth of 1,500m failed. When trying to cut off the ruptured pipe of the oil well, the saw became stuck. FLORIDA is the fourth state struck by the oil disaster after LOUISIANA, ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI. Danish DR1 TTV: OIL NOW CLOSE TO FLORIDA'S SAND BEACHES Some of the oil from the leak in the oil well in the Gulf of Mexico is nearing Florida's white sand beaches. An oil slick containing thousands of tar balls (black oil) have been seen only 15 km from Pensacola on Florida's west coast. An Escambia county official says that it is inevitable that the oil will be seen on the beaches - maybe already tomorrow. Additional men are in action placing booms / barriers in an attempt to keep the oil away. German ZDFtext: BP's CHIEF EXECUTIVE ADMITS THAT BP WAS UNPREPARED FOR THE DEEP-WATER DISASTER The oil group, BP has not been adequately prepared for the deep-water disaster according to BP's chief executive. Tony Hayward told "the Financial Times" that the group did not have the tools to cope with a disaster like that on the "Deepwater Horizon" drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. BP has been criticized and is subject to inquiries opened by the US Justice Department. Due to a stuck saw, the group had to stop an attempt to contain the oil leaking into the Gulf since April. Danish TV2 TTV: BP: WE WERE UNPREPARED FOR THE ACCIDENT BP's chief executive, Tony Hayward, admits that the British oil giant was unprepared for the massive leak of oil into the Gulf of Mexico caused by the disaster after the explosion on the "Deepwater Horizon" drilling rig on 20 April 2010. "Without any doubt: We did not have the tools you would want in your toolkit for such an action", said Tony Hayward to the newspaper "the Financial Times". Hayward points out that to a large extent BP managed to keep the oil away from the US coast. Swedish SVT: BP MADE SOME PROGRESS IN STOPPING THE OIL LEAK According to the US coast guard, the oil giant BP has made some progress in its attempt to plug the leak of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Tuesday, using giant shears manipulated by undersea robots, BP had success with a "clean cut" on the ruptured pipe. BP has come so far that it should be able to start collecting the oil on a surface ship above the well today. On Friday, US President Barack Obama will visit the disaster-hit area in the Gulf of Mexico. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10233891.stm Page last updated at 23:58 GMT, Thursday, 3 June 2010 0:58 UK BP SET TO LOWER US OIL-SPILL CAP Oil firm BP is preparing to lower a capping device on to a leaking oil well, in the second phase of its latest attempt to stem the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. BP chief Tony Hayward said the results of the capping effort would be known on Friday. In the first phase of the effort, robots managed to cut a leaking pipe. Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama said he had not seen "the kind of rapid response" he would have liked. In an interview with CNN, to be broadcast later, he said BP had already "felt his anger" over the spill. He is due to visit the gulf on Friday - his third trip to the area since the leak began six weeks ago. The White House has been under increasing pressure to show the administration is in control of the response and clean-up efforts. The government said it would send a $69m (£47.1m) bill to BP on Thursday for expenditure incurred from its response to the spill. Speaking in Houston, Mr Hayward described the pipe-cutting procedure as "simply the beginning". BP used giant shears manipulated by undersea robots to snip off the end of the pipe, after a diamond-edged saw failed to do the job. The challenge is now to place a containment cap securely over the cut and stop the oil flow. The company hopes to collect the oil on a surface ship above the well. But Mr Hayward acknowledged that what engineers are doing has never been tried before, and said there were many challenges ahead. "Our task is to contain the oil, ultimately to eliminate the leaking well, and most importantly, to clean up all of the oil, defend the shoreline and restore the shoreline where oil does come ashore such that we return it to its original state," he said. The capping effort is designed to contain the spill until two relief wells, expected to be completed in August, can provide a more permanent solution. BP estimates that the disaster has so far cost the company about $990m. On Wednesday, the firm said it would pay for the construction of six sand barriers off the coast of the US state of Louisiana - pushing the firm's bill to about $1.4bn. BP share prices have continued to plummet in trading on the London Stock Exchange, amid news the US justice department has opened several civil and criminal inquiries into the Gulf spill. A "top kill" procedure, which had been considered the best hope for plugging the leak, failed over the weekend. Engineers were unable to pump enough heavy mud into the well to staunch the oil flow. The oil began leaking into the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, leased to BP, exploded, killing 11 workers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 4, 2010 Author Share Posted June 4, 2010 NEWS ON 3 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS NEWS ON 3 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS, PART II http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/10230252.stm Page last updated at 19:02 GMT, Thursday, 3 June 2010 20:02 UK BP REACHES KEY 'MILESTONE' IN HALTING GULF OIL LEAK Oil company BP says it has cut a ruptured pipe from the leaking Gulf of Mexico oil well, a key step in the latest effort to cap the well. BP chief Tony Hayward hailed it as an "important milestone" and said BP could know within the next 12 to 24 hours if the capping effort would succeed. For now, undersea robots are preparing the well-head to receive the cap. President Barack Obama is to visit the gulf on Friday, his third trip there since the leak began six weeks ago. The White House has been under increasing pressure to show the administration is in control of the response and clean-up efforts. The federal government will send a $69m (£47.1m) bill to BP Plc on Thursday for expenditure incurred from its response to the spill, the White House said. Meanwhile, a detailed computer modelling study indicated that oil from the spill might extend along thousands of miles of the Atlantic coast and open ocean as early as this summer. The National Center for Atmospheric Research said once oil entered the "Loop Current", part of the Gulf Stream which sweeps around the Florida panhandle, it would be only weeks before it reached Florida's Atlantic shores. Speaking in Houston, Mr Hayward described the pipe-cutting procedure as "simply the beginning". GIANT SHEARS BP used giant shears manipulated by undersea robots to snip off the end of the pipe, after a diamond-edged saw failed to do the job. The challenge is now to place a containment cap securely over the cut and stop the oil flow. The company hopes to collect the oil on a surface ship above the well. "Our task is to contain the oil, ultimately to eliminate the leaking well, and most importantly, to clean up all of the oil, defend the shoreline and restore the shoreline where oil does come ashore such that we return it to its original state," Mr Hayward said. BP estimates that the disaster has so far cost the company about $990m in clean-up costs. Two Democratic senators have written to Mr Hayward urging him to suspend payments to shareholders worth $10bn until all costs of the clean-up and compensation are paid out. On Wednesday, BP said it would pay for the construction of six sand barriers off the coast of the US state of Louisiana. 'FAIR CRITICISM' The sand barrier project will push BP's bill to about $1.4bn. BP share prices have continued to plummet in trading on the London Stock Exchange, amid news the US justice department has opened several civil and criminal inquiries into the Gulf spill. Mr Obama has used the disaster to urge Congress to pass a bill to overhaul US energy policy and end tax breaks for oil companies. The oil began leaking into the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, leased to BP, exploded, killing 11 workers. BP is drilling two relief wells to permanently stop the leak but they are not expected to be completed until August. A "top kill" procedure, which had been considered the best hope for plugging the leak, failed over the weekend. Engineers were unable to pump enough heavy mud into the well to staunch the oil flow. OTHER NEWS SITES Canada.com : BP cuts ruptured oil pipe, hopes to collect oil soon South Africa Mercury : BP given first bill for Gulf oil spill CNN : BP hits 'milestone' in capping well, but more work ahead New York Times : BP Cuts Ruptured Oil Pipe National Post : Ruptured oil pipe cut as White House announces it will bill BP $69 million http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10223331.stm Page last updated at 10:22 GMT, Thursday, 3 June 2010 11:22 UK BP TO FUND OIL BARRIERS OFF LOUISIANA COAST Oil company BP says it will pay for the construction of six sand barriers off the coast of the US state of Louisiana to try to protect fragile wetlands from a huge oil slick. BP - which is battling to cap a damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico - says the project will cost about $360m (£244m). The sandbanks will join together a chain of natural offshore islands, forming a 50-mile (80km) barrier. Meanwhile, a slick is nearing the white sand beaches of north-west Florida. The slick, containing thousands of tar balls - heavy globs of decayed oil - is only seven miles (11km) from Pensacola on the Florida "panhandle", officials said. Forecasters suggest the oil could reach Florida's shores by Friday. Meanwhile, a leading international credit-rating agency, Fitch, downgraded BP from an AA+ rating to AA. The move reflected "Fitch's opinion that risks to both BP's business and financial profile continue to increase following the Deepwater Horizon accident," it said in a statement. BP's efforts to cap the leaking well are back on track after a saw that had become stuck in a thick pipe on the sea-bed for hours was freed. The company is attempting to contain the spill from the well by cutting off the fractured pipe and sealing it with a cap. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said crews were shooting chemical dispersants at the oil now leaking out of the new cut. 'FAIR CRITICISM' Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal announced the White House had ordered BP to pay for the construction of the sand barriers. He was speaking at an emotional news conference after touring the wetlands. Mr Jindal has strongly criticised the Obama administration and BP over the past few days for being too slow to respond to the crisis. "Every day they wait, every day they make us wait, we're losing our battle to protect our coast," he said. In a statement, BP said it was "committed to implementing the most effective measures to protect the coastline of Louisiana". BP's chief executive Tony Hayward said it was "entirely fair criticism" to say his company was unprepared for the deep-water disaster. In an interview with the Financial Times newspaper, he said: "We did not have the tools you would want in your toolkit." Meanwhile, two Democratic senators have written to Mr Hayward urging him to suspend payments to shareholders worth $10bn until all costs of the clean-up and compensation are paid out. BP estimates that the disaster has so far cost the company approximately $990m in clean-up costs. The sand barrier project will push BP's bill to about $1.4bn. BP share prices have continued to plummet in trading on the London Stock Exchange, amid news the US justice department has opened several civil and criminal inquiries into the Gulf spill. President Barack Obama has used the disaster to urge Congress to pass a bill to overhaul US energy policy and end tax breaks for oil companies. The oil began leaking into the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, leased to BP, exploded, killing 11 workers. BP is drilling two relief wells to permanently stop the leak but they are not expected to be completed until August. A "top kill" procedure, which had been considered the best hope for plugging the leak, failed over the weekend when engineers were unable to pump enough heavy mud into the well to staunch the oil flow. OTHER NEWS SITES The Independent : As Obama flies in, BP finally has cause for hope News24.com : BP shears off broken oil pipe Financial Post : BP hit by ratings cut, vows to protect shores from oil spill The Economist : The oil spill and the president: On the beach Philippine Daily Inquirer : BP cuts off broken oil pipe with giant shears Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 4, 2010 Author Share Posted June 4, 2010 News on 4 June 2010 in relation to natural disasters NEWS ON 4 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS German ZDFtext and ARDtext: BP PLACES CONTAINMENT CAP OVER LEAK / PLUGGING THE OIL WELL PARTIALLY SUCCESSFUL In its fight against the oil pollution in the Gulf of Mexico, the British energy group BP has been partially successful. After cutting off a ruptured pipe on the open oil well, BP managed to place a funnel-like cap over the leak at a depth of 1.500m. The US coast guard talked about the progress made. "It will be some time before we can find out whether this method will work and to what extent it will mitigate the release of oil into the environment." Oil continues to leak into the Gulf of Mexico. Only a small part could be funnelled off to a ship. The leaking oil reached beaches in the US state of FLORIDA and important pelican breeding sites. Danish DR1 TTV and TV2 TTV: BP PLACES A CAP OVER THE OIL LEAK / THE CAP WORKS PARTIALLY Thursday, an undersea robot from the oil company BP managed to place a funnel-like cap over the ruptured oil pipe on the seabed of the Gulf of Mexico. The cap is to capture the oil leaking out of the oil pipe which has leaked many million litres of crude oil into the sea off the US coast. A live-link from BP showed how a robot carefully places the cap/funnel over the pipe out of which brown oil is leaking. Danish TV2 TTV: THE CAP CAN CAPTURE 90% OF THE LEAKING OIL The BP management hopes that the funnel-like cap placed over the ruptured pipe on the seabed of the Gulf of Mexico will stop at least 90% of the leaking oil which reached the US coastline. "This should be possible with this operation", said BP's Chief Operating Officer, Doug Suttles to CBS. He stresses that "the cap works" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10239897.stm Page last updated at 18:26 GMT, Friday, 4 June 2010 19:26 UK BP BEGINS TO FUNNEL OFF LEAKING GULF OF MEXICO OIL BP's Doug Suttles explains how the cap is meant to operate. A new cap placed over a ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico has begun to funnel oil to the surface. US Coast Guard chief Adm Thad Allen said rough estimates showed that 1,000 barrels a day were being captured. This is only a small part of the 12,000-19,000 barrels a day believed to be leaking and BP says it could take 48 hours to know if the system is working. Meanwhile, President Obama arrived in Louisiana for his third visit to the region since the crisis began. The visit to the Gulf area comes as beaches in the key tourist area of north-west Florida saw their first major signs of oil. 'HEARTBROKEN' Adm Allen stressed that he could not give any certain figures on the amount being funnelled from the leaking well. "Sometime later [on Friday] we'll probably be able to get an approximation of how much oil we are capturing," he said. Adm Allen said that the amount should increase as BP shut off vents to capture more of the oil. He added: "Progress is being made, but we need to caution against over-optimism." But BP chief operating officer Doug Suttles said he was "pretty confident" the plan would work. "It probably won't capture all of the flow. But it should capture the vast majority," he said. BP says it has spent more than $1bn so far on the operation to contain the spill and clean up the oil. In a conference call to investors, BP chief executive Tony Hayward said it could take 48 hours before the system was optimised and a determination made on whether it had succeeded. He said BP was "heartbroken" by the loss of life, damage to the environment and impact on people's livelihoods caused by the spill. Eleven workers lost their lives when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, leased to BP, exploded and sank in April. The estimates for the amount of oil that has already leaked vary widely from 20 million to 45 million gallons. BP had previously made a number of unsuccessful efforts to halt the leak and accepts it may not be fully contained until relief wells now being drilled become ready in August. Mr Hayward said BP was working hard to rebuild the trust of the American people and to ensure such an event would never happen again. He admitted that people wanted to know the cause of the disaster. But he said it was a complex accident caused by an "unprecedented number of failures" and "a lot remains unknown". He said a "separate stand-alone" organisation would be created within BP to deal with the Gulf of Mexico spill. The company also said it would not make a decision on its next dividend payment until late July. BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker says if it does pay the dividend, this will go down very badly in the US, where pressure is mounting for BP to retain the cash for the clean-up. TRIP CANCELLED President Obama is to meet Adm Allen, other officials, and members of local communities affected by the spill during his visit. He told CNN on Thursday that BP had already "felt his anger" over the spill and that he was "furious at this entire situation". Mr Obama has for the second time postponed a trip to Australia, Indonesia and Guam, in order to deal with the crisis. The area affected by the oil slick continues to spread. Tar balls have now begun to wash up on the beaches of ALABAMA and north-west FLORIDA. At Pensacola Beach in Florida, swimmers encountered an oil sheen and children picked up tar blobs as big as tennis balls. OTHER NEWS SITES MSNBC : Obama: Crews 'making progress' against spill Reuters UK : WRAPUP 9-BP begins capturing some oil from Gulf gusher Yahoo! UK and Ireland : BP's cap funneling oil to the surface: Coast Guard Bangkok Post : BP's pipe cap begins capturing oil Citizen.co.za : BP holds breath as pipe cap begins capturing oil http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10233891.stm Page last updated at 11:51 GMT, Friday, 4 June 2010 12:51 UK BP LOWERS CAP ON TO LEAKING GULF OF MEXICO OIL WELL Oil firm BP has lowered a cap on to a leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, in the hope of piping some of the oil to ships on the surface. Video footage showed the cap lowered into place against pressure from escaping oil and gas. BP said some oil had started flowing up the pipe attached to the cap, but it could take the rest of the day to determine how much. The US Coast Guard said the cap would only be a temporary, partial fix. Live underwater video footage from the site on Friday showed quantities of oil still escaping into the sea. BP's latest attempt to cap the well followed mounting criticism from US President Barack Obama. He told CNN that he had not seen "the kind of rapid response" to the disaster that he would have liked and that BP had already "felt his anger" over the spill. He said was "furious at this entire situation". Mr Obama has for the second time postponed a trip to Australia, Indonesia and Guam, in order to deal with the crisis. He is due to visit the gulf later on Friday - his third trip to the area since the leak began six weeks ago. BP's share price rose 4% in early European trading. Chief executive Tony Hayward is to hold a conference call with investors, which will be available to the public on the company's website, from 1400 BST (1300 GMT). Mr Hayward is expected to try to reassure investors. BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker says one key question is whether BP will pay shareholders its dividend as normal. He says if it does, this will go down very badly in the US, where pressure is mounting for BP to retain the cash for the clean-up. Mr Hayward has said the results of the latest capping effort should be known later on Friday. BP said it would need 12-24 hours of readings to determine whether or not the cap was working because of the uneven flow of oil and gas from the leak. Chief operating officer Doug Suttles said on Friday: "There is flow coming up the pipe. Just now, I don't know the exact rate." BP has said it does not expect to be able to fully halt the oil flow until August, when two relief wells will be completed. In the first phase of the latest effort to contain the spill, robots cut a leaking pipe. BP then used giant shears manipulated by undersea robots to snip off the end of the pipe, after a diamond-edged saw failed to do the job. A funnel-like cap has been placed on top, which if successful, would improve oil recovery and BP would hope to collect the oil on a surface ship above the well. The US Coast Guard said the placement of the cap was a positive development, but that it would be "some time before we can confirm that this method will work and to what extent it will mitigate the release of oil into the environment". Mr Hayward acknowledged that what engineers were doing had never been tried before, and said there were many challenges ahead. The White House has been under increasing pressure to show the administration is in control of the response and clean-up efforts. The government said on Thursday it would send a $69m (£47.1m) bill to BP for expenditure incurred from its response to the spill. BP estimates that the disaster has so far cost the company about $990m. A "top kill" procedure, which had been considered the best hope for plugging the leak, failed over the weekend. The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, leased to BP, exploded and sank in April, killing 11 workers. ---------------------------------------- German ZDFtext: THUNDERSTORM IN POLAND - THE HIGH WATER SITUATION REMAINS TENSE Thunderstorms with heavy rains have caused substantial damage in Poland and made the high water / flood situation more tense. After a cloudburst, parts of Warsaw were under water. The water flooded 2 hospitals and an underground station, said a spokesman for the fire department. The overloaded drains / sewers do not absorb more water, several streets are undermined. The water levels of river Vistula (Weichsel/Wisla) and its tributaries in South Poland are rising. In Poland 21 died due to the high water levels in several rivers. German ARDtext: HIGH WATER / FLOOD IN POLAND - AGAIN After thunderstorms with heavy rains, the high water levels in river Vistula (Weichsel) and its tributaries threaten southern and central Poland. Here, the river has burst its banks and flooded areas which were flooded only 2 weeks ago. In Warsaw, numerous cellars, 2 hospitals and an underground station were flooded. In SLOVAKIA, numerous LANDSLIDES occurred in particular in East Slovakia due to one day with rain. German ARDtext: BAVARIA: WATER LEVELS FALLING AGAIN The high water situation in Bavaria is getting less tense. According to the high water night duty service in Munich, the water levels are falling slowly in most of Bavaria. The water levels are rising in rivers ISAR and AMPER below Moosburg and Ingolstadt. Apart from that, the water levels are falling. In PASSAU which was struck on Thursday, the water level is falling fast. The German Weather Service does not expect rain the next couple of days. Thus, it is expected that the situation in all of Bavaria becomes less tense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 5, 2010 Author Share Posted June 5, 2010 News in relation to natural disasters on 5 June 2010 NEWS ON 5 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS German ARDtext: DIKE ALONG RIVER VISTULA (Weichsel/Wisla) BURST IN POLAND The flood situation along Poland's largest river Vistula remains tense. In Slupiec in southern Poland, the water masses burst the dike, the Polish news agency PAP reported. Szczucin municipality is threatened by flooding. 3,000 people living in the threatened area were evacuated to safer places. Flood alert is also declared in the South Polish areas through which the tributaries of river Vistula (Weichsel) are flowing. German ZDFtext (noon): FLOOD: THUNDERSTORM IN POLAND AND STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN SLOVAKIA / FLOOD BURST THE DIKE ALONG VISTULA (WEICHSEL) IN POLAND The flood situation along Poland's largest river, Vistula, remains tense: A dike burst in POLAND, dramatic flood in SLOVAKIA, and still flood alert in BRANDENBURG. In SLOVAKIA a state of emergency was declared due to flood in several parts of Slovakia. "Several towns and villages were under water". LANDSLIDES disrupted traffic, and about 200 people had to be evacuated. The two largest cities - Kosice and the capital, Bratislava - are threatened by flooding. In POLAND, thunderstorms with heavy rains caused substantial damage. Parts of Warsaw was under water. 2 hospitals and an underground station were flooded according to the fire department. 21 died due to the flood in Poland. In Southern POLAND , the water masses burst a dike in Slupiec according to the Polish news agency PAP. In BRANDENBURG, the oncoming flood crest (high water peak) of the Polish tributary / creek Warta (Warthe) from Küstrin-Kietz prevents the flood on the Oder from flowing away / draining fast. "Consequently, the Oder water level in Brandenburg falls very slowly", a spokesman said. German ARDtext: HIGH WATER IN BRANDENBURG In spite of the good summer weather, in BRANDENBURG the dikes are expected to remain under pressure from Oder's enormous water masses all Saturday. Until the middle of next week, the situation will not change much according to the Flood / High Water Reporting Centre in Frankfurt (Oder). The oncoming flood crest (high water peak) of the Polish tributary / creek Warta (Warthe) from Küstrin-Kietz prevents the flood on the Oder from flowing away / draining fast. "Consequently, the Oder water level in Brandenburg falls very slowly", a spokesman said. The second-highest alert level, i.e. alert level 3, is still in force at the lower reaches of the border river, Oder in Brandenburg. ------------------------ OIL POLLUTION German ARDtext: OBAMA: BP should rather pay sufficient compensation (damages) to those affected by the oil pollution than pay dividends and pay for advertisement / commercials to improve BP's image. Large tar balls reached Florida's beaches. EU Commissioner Oettinger wants to change laws after the oil pollution in the Gulf of Mexico. Russia's President Dmitri Medwedew calls for international laws in view of the oil disaster off US coasts. The oil disaster makes it clear that the consequences of huge incidents like this one cannot be disregarded / ignored. "I'm sure that current laws do not cover a huge disaster like this one", he said during his current visit to Germany. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 7, 2010 Author Share Posted June 7, 2010 News on 6 June 2010 in relation to natural disasters NEWS ON 6 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS German ZDFtext: POLAND: DIKE BURST - VISTULA (WEICHSEL) FLOODING CITY The situation in the flooded area in Poland, i.e. along river Vistula, has become worse. In the town of Sandomierz with 25,000 inhabitants in southeastern Poland about 200 km south of Warsaw, river Vistula burst the sandbag barriers. Parts of the town on the right riverside were flooded. According to the major a housing area / district and the glassworks - the largest employer in the region - were threatened by the flood. German ZDFtext: FLOOD ALSO IN SLOVAKIA AND HUNGARY In SLOVAKIA, where a state of emergency was declared last Friday, the two largest cities - KOSICE and the capital, BRATISLAVA - are threatened by floodings. Municipalities are under water. TV showed thousand houses close to Kosice (Kaschau) where the water level of the flood crest reached up to the roofs! German ARDtext (noon and evening): POLAND: FLOOD SITUATION HAS BECOME WORSE The flood situation along Poland's greatest river, VISTULA (WEICHSEL) has become worse in the threatened flood areas in Poland. Thousands have been evacuated to safer places. Some dams and embankments gave way to the pressure from the flood on river Vistula (Weichsel). In Sandomierz a dike burst during the night, and Vistula flooded some parts of Sandomierz. Firefighters and soldiers who attempted to keep the water back were withdrawn because their lives were in danger. The authorities advised about 3,500 inhabitants to leave the particularly threatened area. The situation in southern Poland is dangerous according to Prime Minister Tusk. In SLOVAKIA, thousands were evacuated to safer places. Slovakia's Prime Minister Fico said that rivers in several regions reached historically high water levels. Slovakia experienced the "flood of the Millennium". Many railway lines were damaged according to the government. Now the situation is becoming less tense. In particular in East Slovakia several municipalities were still under water. In other parts of Slovakia the clean-up started. Danish DR1 Text-TV and TV2 News: SLOVAKIA AND POLAND ARE FLOODED Many thousands have left their homes in Slovakia and Poland where heavy rain caused massive flooding. Worst hit is East Slovakia around the country's second-largest city, Kosice, where the river Hornad is close to overflowing its banks. So far, the bad weather has cost 3 human lives in Slovakia. Inhabitants of more than 900 villages have been evacuated. There are traffic problems, and many areas are without power and water. Also POLAND is hard hit by flooding. Within the last couple of weeks 18 have died in Poland. Swedish SVT: THOUSANDS EVACUATED IN SLOVAKIA AND HUNGARY AFTER ONE MONTH OF ALMOST NON-STOP RAIN / MASSIVE FLOODINGS IN CENTRAL EUROPE Central Europe experiences its worst flooding in a century. About 1,500 were evacuated last night in SLOVAKIA's second-largest city, Kosice out of fear of the river Hornad overflowing its banks. The rain has destroyed crops, caused damage to buildings and made many homeless. In HUNGARY, May's amount of rain corresponded to the amount of rain normally falling in a year. Agriculture has been hard hit. The fruit harvest is expected to be reduced by 30-40%. Thousands have been forced to leave their homes in SLOVAKIA, CROATIA and HUNGARY where it has rained almost non-stop for more than one month. In CROATIA, there is a growing fear of river DANAU causing more flooding in the next couple of days. --------------------------------------------- Danish DR1 Text-TV and TV2 NEWS: CYCLONE "PHET" HAS KILLED 12 IN OMAN In particular OMAN, but also other parts of the Arabic peninsula, have been struck by the cyclone "PHET" which ravaged the area last Friday before it headed for PAKISTAN, where 60,000 have been evacuated. 12 lost their lives in OMAN: 9 local people and 3 foreign citizens, said minister for Oman's civil preparedness, general Malek al-Muammari. Phet struck OMAN at a magnitude of 120 km per hour. The worst-hit areas in OMAN are desert areas, and there was only little damage. Swedish SVT: CYCLONE KILLED 16 IN OMAN At least 16 died when a cyclone swept over OMAN on the Arabic peninsula. This was reported by state TV. More than 20 are injured. The bad weather moved on, heading for PAKISTAN where more than 60,000 people living along the coast were evacuated. --------------------------------------------------------------- BBC World News: FLOOD ALERTS FOLLOWING HEAVY RAIN Flood alerts have been put in place following heavy rain in parts of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The Environment Agency has warned of potential problems with flooding at the River Leen and Ventnor Rise in the Basford area of Nottingham. Parts of the River Erewash in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire are on flood watch from Kirkby-in-Ashfield to the River Trent in Attenborough. Flash flooding has also been reported in Lambley, near Nottingham. Carol Gray, who lives on Ventnor Rise, said: "You can hear the water rushing underneath (the house) into the cellar. ---------------------------------------------------------------- The German TV channel ZDF had a special report on HAITI from 18.30 to 19 o'clock: I did not see the first 5 minutes of this broadcast. The reporter visited some projects supported by German donations and by a German charity. When I opened, the reporter talked to a young girl (around 10 years, I think) who was not going to school. The reporter talked to a woman, probably the girl's mother who said that she needed the girl's help every day, so no school. Instead the girl had to collect a bucketful of water three times a day - each time she had to carry a bucketful of water - weight 30 kilos. The reporter mentioned that some children had been sold as labour/manpower. Often they lived under very bad conditions. A teenage girl slept under a bed in a very small room where an entire family slept. She was often beaten by a woman in the family - if she had made a fault or was bleeding. The woman was confronted with the girl's scars - the woman said that this was not so bad - and said that she would try to remember not to beat the teenage girl. The reporter talked to a rape victim, who was made an orphan by the earthquake. She was raped one night. Now she has found strenght after having met other women in the same situation. They support each other and talk about the terrible things they have been througb. Gangs are beating earthquake victims with bats. The earthquake victims had settled on some land / property, and the landowner wanted to get rid of them and hired the gangs to make the victims leave. The assault was reported to the police, but it turned out that the police was corrupt and supporting the gangs who were trying to make the victims leave. It was mentioned that HAITI has many Christian people, but most popular religion is VOODOO. THE RAINY SEASON has begun!! CONCLUSION: AID reaches its destination. The Haitians keep their dignity and are still singing and dancing. The Haitians are very poor. It will take year before the wounds from the HAITI earthquake have healed. ------------------------------------------------------ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10250215.stm Page last updated at 21:13 GMT, Sunday, 6 June 2010 22:13 UK DEADLY TORNADOES RIP THROUGH US MIDWEST, KILLING SEVEN Tornadoes and thunderstorms have killed at least seven people in the US state of OHIO, officials say. At least 50 houses were destroyed and many more damaged in north-western OHIO, local firefighter chief Todd Walters told AP news agency. Several people were taken to hospitals as the storm left an eight-mile (13km) path of destruction, hitting Lake Township particularly hard. The extreme weather also affected parts of ILLINOIS and MICHIGAN. 'War zone' The high school in Lake Township was among the hardest-hit buildings. Some buses were thrown across the school car park, Superintendent Jim Witt said. Lake Township Police Chief Mark Hummer described the affected area as "like a war zone". He said a child was among the victims. Mr Hummer said later that the authorities had finished searching damaged buildings and he was not aware of anyone being reported missing, but fields and woods were still being searched. Nuclear plant In MICHIGAN, the Fermi nuclear power plant on the shore of Lake Erie was shut down after high winds tore a side from one of the buildings. Dan Smith, public information officer for Monroe County, said investigators were inspecting the plant and it was expected to go back into operation soon. An eyewitness in Illinois said the city of Streator had been badly damaged. "I saw people coming out of their homes right after the tornado hit; a second story of a house was taken off," Eddie Lavallie told the Chicago Tribune. Streator Mayor Jimmie Lansford told a news conference that 17 people had been taken to a local hospital for treatment - and 30 buildings had "major structural damage". OTHER NEWS SITES Los Angeles Times : OHIO tornado kills 7, destroys dozens of homes MSNBC : Town in shock after twister tears through CTV.ca : 5 killed in heavy storms sweeping through U.S. MIDWEST Chicago Tribune : Tornados and thunderstorms sweep through MIDWEST, killing at least 5 in OHIO, destroying homes Houston Chronicle : Heavy storms kill at least 5, ruin homes in OHIO ------------------------------------------------------ German ZDFtext + ARDtext and Danish DR1 Text-TV and TV2 News: BP INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF OIL RECOVERED FROM WELL BP seems to reduce the oil pollution in the Gulf of Mexico after the company lowered a heavy metal funnel-like cap over the problematic oil well using an undersea robot at a depth of 1,600 m. The well has leaked millions of litres of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico - up to 3.8 million litres per day - since 20 April when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and sank. - During the first 24 hours after the funnel-like cap was placed over the pipe, 950,000 litres of oil or 6,000 barrels of oil have been captured, said Thad Allen, head of the US Coast Guard in Louisiana. Thus BP is able to recover almost one third of the leaking oil. This amount will soon be increased. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10248409.stm Page last updated at 19:06 GMT, Sunday, 6 June 2010 20:06 UK BP CAP CAPTURES '10,000 BARRELS' A DAY IN US GULF Tony Hayward, chief executive of BP, on the oil leak and stakeholder dividends A containment cap on a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico is now funnelling off 10,000 barrels of oil a day, BP's chief executive Tony Hayward says. The amount has risen since Saturday, and implies more than half the estimated 12,000 to 19,000 barrels leaking each day is now being captured. The spill has been described as the biggest environmental disaster in US history. Mr Hayward told the BBC that BP would restore the Gulf to its original state. Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, Mr Hayward said: "As we speak, the containment cap is producing around 10,000 barrels of oil a day to the surface." Asked what amount of the estimate that represented, the BP chief executive said it was expected to be "the majority, probably the vast majority" of the oil gushing out. "We have a further containment system to implement in the course of this coming week which will be in place by next weekend so when those two are in place, we would very much hope to be containing the vast majority of the oil." His company, he said, was going to stop the leak and take care of the consequences. "We're going to clean up the oil, we're going to remediate any environmental damage and we are going to return the Gulf coast to the position it was in prior to this event. That's an absolute commitment, we will be there long after the media has gone, making good on our promises." But the man in charge of the federal efforts to cope with the spill said no-one should be pleased "as long as there's oil in the water". Coast Guard Adm Thad Allen told CNN the spill was "an insidious enemy that's attacking our shores". 'NIGHTMARE' The Deepwater Horizon rig sank on 20 April after an explosion, killing 11 workers. Both BP and the US government have been criticised for the response so far. President Barack Obama has pledged to stand with the residents of Louisiana until they are "made whole". Mr Obama has said he will ensure that BP is financially accountable for the damaged caused. The containment cap is designed to funnel most of the leaking oil to a boat on the surface. It will be followed by a further containment system that involves using the pipes of a failed, previous operation to divert more oil to another vessel; and by a separate method - due to be in place by the end of this month - which is expected to be able to operate in hurricane conditions. BP is also digging two relief wells which it hopes will provide a permanent solution to the leak - but they are not due to be completed until August. The estimates for the total amount of oil that has leaked since the spill began vary widely from 20 million to 45 million gallons. Four states have so far been affected by the spill - Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The oil risks affecting some of the famous white beaches of FLORIDA, whose economy is heavily dependent on tourism. One-third of the Gulf's federal waters remain closed to fishing, and the spill has killed and injured birds and marine animals. "These waters are my backyard, my life," boat captain Dave Marino from Myrtle Grove, Louisiana, told AP news agency. "It's a nightmare. It looks like it's going to be wave after wave of it and nobody can stop it." The oil has steadily spread east, and there are fears it could devastate the shoreline with the hurricane season coming up. BP, whose share price has dropped by a third since the accident, has been coming under fire for spending a reported $50m on TV advertising to improve its image while the crisis was still going on. BP says it has spent more than $1bn so far on clean-up and containment efforts since the Deepwater Horizon rig accident. Madeleine Morris BBC News, Pensacola, Florida Pensacola prides itself on its pristine, soft white sand beaches. Hundreds of thousands of tourists flock here every year to surf, swim and sunbathe. But this year, the area's coastline is tarnished. Countless soft globules of tar - some as small as a coin others as big as a floormat - are washing up on shore. The beaches are still open, but as oil continues to spurt from the broken well 90 miles away, residents know their troubles are just beginning. So far the coastlines most affected have been in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi to the west. But as the leak continues, it's expected to enter a current that will move the oil from the Gulf of Mexico around the Florida peninsula, and onto the east coast of the state. BBC (noon) and Danish TV2 News: BP OIL CAP CATCHES 10,000 BARRELS OF OIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 8, 2010 Author Share Posted June 8, 2010 News on 7 June 2010 in relation to natural disasters NEWS ON 7 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10258612.stm Page last updated at 20:07 GMT, Monday, 7 June 2010 21:07 UK US ADM THAD ALLEN SAYS OIL CLEAN-UP 'WILL BE YEARS' US Coast Guard chief Thad Allen has warned that cleaning up marshlands and other habitats affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill will take years. Adm Allen also said oil giant BP needed to do better at getting money to people and businesses affected by the spill. An estimated 11,000 barrels of oil a day are now being funneled from the leak by a new containment cap, he said. President Barack Obama told Americans they would "get through this crisis", despite the damage to the economy. Mr Obama was briefed by Adm Allen at the White House on Monday on progress in tackling the spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The leaking wellhead is currently spewing out between 12,000 and 24,000 barrels of oil per day. Mr Obama told reporters after the briefing that he was committed to seeing the Gulf region restored to a condition better than it was before the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank on 20 April, killing 11 workers. Individuals living in the Gulf of Mexico region "are going to need help from the entire country", he added. 'GREATER CAPACITY' Adm Allen told reporters it would take "a couple of months" to clear the oil slick from the surface of the Gulf. But, he said: "Long-term issues of restoring environments and habitats will be years." He said that while BP had nearly doubled the amount of oil being funnelled from the leaking wellhead since Friday, it was now "trying to increase that production rate, close the venting valves and move to a greater capacity". He said BP was hoping to move a second production platform into the area to increase the amount of oil that could be siphoned off. Adm Allen added that BP was also preparing a bigger rig to process a greater capacity of oil in severe weather. Hurricane season in the region opened last week. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs warned, however, that siphoning off oil through the containment cap fixed over the leaking well last week remained a sensitive operation. "This is a delicate cap and we want to ramp this thing up so that this is a solution that we can work with for weeks and months and don't do something too rapidly to cause something tragic to happen," said Mr Gibbs. Adm Allen also said "hundreds of thousands" of individual patches of oil were now spread across the Gulf, and small vessels were attempting to clean-up these patches using skimmers. RESPONSE COST Tony Hayward, chief executive of BP, told the BBC on Sunday that BP intended to restore the Gulf to its original state. "We have a further containment system to implement in the course of this coming week which will be in place by next weekend so when those two are in place, we would very much hope to be containing the vast majority of the oil," said Mr Hayward. BP said on Monday that the cost of its response to the disaster in the Gulf had reached about $1.25bn (£86m). This number does not include $360m (£248m) for a project to build six sand berms to protect Louisiana's wetlands from the spreading oil, BP has said. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill has been found on beaches and wetlands along more than 100 miles (161 km) of coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. An observation flight spotted a sheen of oil 150 miles west of Tampa, Florida, on Sunday. Tar balls continued to wash ashore on Monday in Pensacola, Florida, and the popular tourist town of Panama City, in the same state, expected oil to reach its beaches within 72 hours. "We have just entered the area of uncertainty for about half of our beach," said Dan Rowe, president of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors' Bureau. He added: "We are still hoping tar balls don't show up here, but we are putting the contingency plans in place and everyone is out there looking at the beach and inspecting it." PUBLIC RESPONSE Both BP and the US government have been criticised for their responses to the spill. According to a survey released on Monday by ABC and the Washington Post, nearly three out of four Americans say that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a MAJOR DISASTER, and the majority of those surveyed want LEGAL ACTION to be taken against BP and its partners. Eight in 10 people surveyed criticise the way BP has handled the spill, and 51% of people say they feel strongly that the federal government should pursue criminal charges against BP and the other companies involved in the disaster. Nearly seven in 10 gave the government's response to the spill a negative rating. The US states of LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA and FLORIDA have so far been affected in the six weeks since the spill began. OTHER NEWS SITES Yahoo! UK and Ireland + Reuters UK : BP aims to double the oil captured in Gulf FOXNews.com : Disaster in the Gulf: 49 Days and Counting ... Bangkok Post : Obama, aides warn of long-term oil slick damage CNN : Coast Guard: It may take years to clean up Gulf Danish TV2 TTV: BP WILL CAPTURE 20,000 BARRELS OF OIL PER DAY According to the US coast guard, BP will send another ship to the area to increase the amount of oil that can be recovered. The goal is to capture 20,000 barrels per day. Within 24 hours BP managed to recover 11,100 barrels of oil. Adm. Thad Allen says that, when the oil well is sealed, then it will take additional 4-6 weeks to fight the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. So far more than 190 km of shoreline has been polluted by the oil. -------------------------- Danish TV2 TTV: 7 KILLED BY POWERFUL TORNADO IN OHIO The tornado occurred in the north-western part of Ohio. "All 7 were killed by the tornado", says Tamara McBride, spokeswoman for the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. She adds that all victims came from Wood County situated south-west of the city, Toledo. Up to 7 tornadoes passed Ohio from late Saturday to Sunday morning, the US meteorological Service reports. German ARDtext: 7 DEAD IN BAD WEATHER IN OHIO, USA There have been casualties this week-end in the Midwest, USA caused by bad weather and tornadoes. According to US broadcaster CNN, 7 died in the US state of OHIO due to a TORNADO. A 5-year-old child is among those dead. In MICHIGAN, 11 were injured by a tornado. A nuclear plant closed down automatically. The bad weather caused devastation in ILLINOIS as well. Roofs were torn off in several areas. Trees and electricity poles came down due to storms. ------------------------------------------------------ SWEDISH SVT: FLOODINGS THREATENING WARSAW The water on the river, VISTULA (Wisla/Weichsel) in POLAND rises fast after one month of non-stop rain. In the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, the river is expected to reach its highest level in 15 years. Now the capital, Warsaw is preparing for floodings. A motorway along the river closed already Monday evening. The same applies to 150 schools that are threatened if the dikes collapse. Dikes have already burst along river Vistula which is flowing from the mountains in the southern Poland to the Baltic Sea in the northern Poland. At least 18 people have died so far due to the floodings. In southern Poland ten thousands of people have been evacuated to safer places. German ARDtext: TWO MORE DIKES BURST NEAR THE CITY, SANDOMIERZ The flood situation along river VISTULA (Weichsel/Wisla) in POLAND remains serious. Several dikes burst in the southern and south-eastern Poland. This week-end ten thousands of inhabitants were evacuated to safer ground. Also parts of Sandomierz are again under water. Already 2 weeks ago there was a flood caused by Vistula. The capital, Warsaw prepares for a new flood. The flood / highest water levels there are expected on Wednesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 8, 2010 Author Share Posted June 8, 2010 News on 8 June 2010 in relation to natural disasters NEWS ON 8 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10268142.stm Page last updated at 18:38 GMT, Tuesday, 8 June 2010 19:38 UK GULF SPILL: US TESTS CONFIRM BIG UNDERWATER OIL PLUMES Tests have shown that underwater oil plumes are travelling dozens of miles from a leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico, the US government says. Scientists noted that concentrations of oil in the plumes were "very low." Meanwhile, US Coast Guard chief Thad Allen has said a containment cap placed on a blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico last week is helping to contain more of the leaking oil. President Barack Obama has criticised BP's chief executive over the disaster. Mr Obama told US network NBC that he would have fired Tony Hayward over remarks the British chief executive made on behalf of BP. Jane Lubchenco, the head of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said water samples had been taken at three sites by a University of South Florida research vessel. Tests confirmed the presence of oil at 3,300ft (1,000m) below the surface of the water, 42 miles (68km) north-east and 142 miles south-east of the leak site, she said. Ms Lubchenco told the Associated Press (AP) news agency that officials had finished "fingerprinting" the oil in order to confirm that it came from the BP spill. "We've been tracking where the oil is going at the surface and where it is going below the surface," said Ms Lubchenco said. "The BP oil spill is a human tragedy and an environmental disaster." NOAA's testing backs up reports from scientists at a number of universities who had suggested that plumes of oil were suspended beneath the surface of the Gulf. Scientists warn that oil plumes are very difficult to clean up, and they could damage the Gulf's abundant sea life by depleting oxygen in the water. BP said 10 days ago that its own testing had found "no evidence" of large plumes of oil underwater. "The oil is on the surface," Mr Hayward is quoted by AP as saying on 30 May. "There aren't any plumes." 'OPTIMISE PRODUCTION' Adm Allen said in a press conference on Tuesday that BP had contained more than 14,800 barrels of oil from the leaking wellhead in the past 24 hours. "We continue to optimise production, make sure we can take as much oil out of that stream as we can right now," said Adm Allen. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill has been found on beaches and wetlands along more than 100 miles (161km) of coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. A containment cap was lowered over the well last week to siphon off the oil to a containment ship. Oil has been leaking into the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank off the coast of the US state of Louisiana on 20 April. FROM OTHER NEWS SITES : TheStar.com.my : NOAA says confirms undersea oil near BP well Reuters UK : UPDATE 2-NOAA says confirms undersea oil near BP well CNN : NOAA confirms oil below water surface New York Times : Scientist Awed by Size, Density of Undersea Oil Plume in Gulf BusinessWeek : Toxic Undersea Oil Plumes Lurk in Gulf of Mexico --------------------------------------------- German ZDFtext: SECOND VISTULA FLOOD: THOUSAND POLES FLEEING FLOOD The second flood on river Vistula (called Weichsel in Germany and Wisla in Sweden) makes the flood situation in Poland more tense and serious. Numerous dikes burst and dangerous landslides forced Tuesday thousands of Poles to flee. Hundred houses were under water, and fields were flooded. In several areas, the flood area is in force. The flood crest/peak is expected to reach the Polish capital, Warsaw on Wednesday. In the largest part of Poland, the flood situation is becoming less tense. In SLOVAKIA there were LANDSLIDES and dikes burst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 9, 2010 Author Share Posted June 9, 2010 News on 9 June 2010 in relation to natural disasters NEWS ON 9 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS German ZDFtext + ARDtext: FLOOD ON VISTULA SPARES WARSAW The second flood on river Vistula (aka. Wisla or Weichsel) in 2010 has spared Warsaw. Last night, the flood crest/peak flowed through the Polish capital, Warsaw, without causing substantial damage. The river's water level was 7.48m at 3 o'clock. Maximum values between 7.70 and 7.80 m had been expected. Several hundred firefighters were on duty. Tuesday evening, water leaked through a dike in the southern part of Warsaw. Firefighters reinforced the dike at once using 40,000 sandbags. According to Warsaw's mayor it was not necessary to evacuate any district. German ARDtext: Yesterday the flood burst several dikes south of Warsaw, and several villages and fields were flooded. Many people were evacuated. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ German ZDFtext: OBAMA INTENDS TO VISIT THE OIL POLLUTED REGION ALONG THE GULF OF MEXICO FOR THE FOURTH TIME Monday and Tuesday next week, US-President Barack Obama intends to visit the oil pollution-affected region along the Gulf of Mexico for the fourth time. He will visit the affected US states of MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA and FLORIDA, the White House announced. Obama is under pressure due to the continuing oil disaster. In the USA, the anger at the oil giant BP is rising. Yesterday Obama made his anger clear. If it were in his power, he would have fired BP chief Tony Hayward a long time ago. Since the explosion on the "Deepwater Horizon" drilling rig on 20 April 2010, up to 189 million litres of oil has leaked into the Gulf of Mexico. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10273904.stm Page last updated at 17:50 GMT, Wednesday, 9 June 2010 18:50 UK GULF SPILL: SALAZAR REASSURES OVER OIL DRILLING PAUSE US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has told a senate panel that a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling will stay in place until safety is assured. But he sought to reassure senators that the moratorium - imposed after the huge Gulf of Mexico spill - was a "pause" rather a permanent halt to exploration. Coast Guard Adm Thad Allen said the amount of oil captured from the leaking well could almost double by next week. President Barack Obama has criticised BP's efforts to deal with the spill. He is due to make his fourth trip to the Gulf of Mexico next week. Mr Salazar's announcement came a day after he announced plans to bolster safety requirements for shallow-water oil drilling. He said that drilling would continue, but it "has to be done in a safe way". Mr Salazar said the pause, which was put in place following the 20 April explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig, would remain "until we can have a sense of safety, until we have a sense that this can never happen again". Mr Salazar also told the panel he would ask BP to repay the salaries of any workers laid off due to the six-month moratorium. Three committees and two subcommittees on Capitol Hill were to discuss matters related to the oil spill and oil industry on Wednesday. UNDERWATER PLUMES Among the new safety regulations announced by Mr Salazar on Tuesday, oil companies drilling in US waters will now have to inspect their blow-out preventers and provide safely certificates. The failure of the blow-out preventer on the Deepwater Horizon rig led to the oil spill, the worst in US history. A containment cap placed on the blown-out well last week is now helping to contain some of the leaking oil. Adm Allen said in a press conference on Wednesday that the containment operation was now catching up to 630,000 gallons (2,864,037 litres) daily. He said he hoped the existing containment structure would soon be able to hold 1.17 million gallons per day. "We're only at 15 [15,000 barrels] now and we'll be at 28 [28,000 barrels] next week. We're building capacity," said Adm Allen. At some point there might "have to be a transition between a containment cap and a regular cap", he said. Adm Allen added that Obama administration officials were talking to BP about a longer-term containment strategy with "built-in redundancies". The government has estimated that 600,000 to 1.2 million gallons a day are leaking from the bottom of the sea. BP has said it will donate net revenues from the oil recovered to a fund to restore wildlife habitats on the coastlines of four affected Gulf Coast states. However, a BP spokesman told the AP news agency that it could not say how much of the recovered oil had been processed. Adm Thad Allen wrote to BP on Tuesday demanding "more detail and openness" about how the company is managing claims for compensation payments to individuals and businesses in the region. "The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill is having a devastating impact on the environment and the economy of the Gulf Coast states and their communities," he wrote. Meanwhile, tests have shown that underwater oil plumes have travelled at least 64km (40 miles) from the leaking well, the US government says. Scientists noted that concentrations of oil in the plumes were "very low", but said the plumes were very difficult to clean up, and they could damage the Gulf's abundant sea life by depleting oxygen in the water. Speaking on US network NBC's Today show on Wednesday, BP spokesman Doug Suttles maintained BP's position that no massive underwater oil plumes in "large concentrations" had been detected. "It may be down to how you define what a plume is here," he said. Oil has been leaking into the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank off the coast of the US state of Louisiana, killing 11 workers. The morning the rig exploded, a BP executive and an official from Transocean, which operated the rig, argued over how to proceed with the drilling, survivors of the blast told CNN. The workers said BP had routinely cut corners and pushed ahead despite concerns about safety. A BP spokesman said it would not comment on specific allegations until an investigation into the accident was completed, but said that "BP's priority is always safety". BP chief Tony Hayward is scheduled to appear before Congress next week. BP shares fell 3.4% on Wednesday over worries that the company will have to suspend its dividend payments to pay for legal claims and cleaning up the spill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 10, 2010 Author Share Posted June 10, 2010 News on 10 June in relation to natural disasters NEWS ON 10 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS Danish DR1 TTV: THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF EVERYTHING IN HAITI Next Saturday, i.e. on 12 June 2010, 5 months have passed since the devastating earthquake in Haiti which killed 300,000 people. There is still a shortage of everything in HAITI, nothing works - not even emergency aid or the reconstruction, says secretary-general Henrik Stubkjaer from DanChurchAid. - It is very frustrating. In 2 months' time, the hurricane season starts, he says. 1,000 people have to share one toilet, clean drinking water and 120,000 houses are still lacking. The emergency aid, i.e. the relief goods are still trapped / blocked by the customs authorities. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- German ARDtext: POLAND: THE FLOOD SITUATION REMAINS VERY SERIOUS The flood situation on river VISTULA (aka. Wisla / Weichsel) remains critical north of the capital, Warsaw. So far, the barrier of sandbags near Plock has withstood the pressure of the water masses, the TV broadcaster TVP Info reported. This morning the peak / flood crest on river VISTULA flowed through the region about 70 km north-west of Warsaw. In connection with the flood two weeks ago, the river burst a dike in the neighbouring area, Swiniary. 20 villages were flooded. As the dike could not be fully repaired, the water continues to flow into the area. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ German ZDFtext: 70 ILL IN LOUISIANA, USA DUE TO THE OIL POLLUTION IN THE GULF OF MEXICO Those affected had difficulty in breathing, irritated eyes and headache and chest pain, the health authorities in the US state announced. 8 people had to be hospitalized. About 50 of those affected had been in direct contact with the oil or with the chemicals used in the fight against the oil pollution. The rest of the affected were made sick/ill by the horrid smell (stench/stink) of the oil pollution reaching them in their homes. Danish DR1 TTV: OIL POLLUTION AFFECTS PEOPLE The oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico affects human beings as well as birds and marine animals. The states of LOUISIANA and ALABAMA monitor the health-related consequences. In LOUISIANA 71 cases of illness related to the oil disaster have been recorded. It can be difficulty in breathing, skin problems and headache. Mostly, the victims are people who worked on the drilling rig or who participated in the clean-up operation, but also people living in the area have been affected by the accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 11, 2010 Author Share Posted June 11, 2010 News on 11 June 2010 in relation to natural disasters NEWS ON 11 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS German ZDFtext and ARDtext: SCIENTISTS: THE AMOUNT OF OIL LEAKING INTO GULF OF MEXICO HIGHER THAN ESTIMATED The amount of oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico is apparently much higher than estimated so far. A team of scientists put together by the US government corrected their figures considerably upwards. 6.4 million litres of oil a day leaked into the Gulf of Mexico corresponding to 40,000 barrels. So far scientists had estimated the oil leak at between 12,000 and 19,000 barrels per day. The new results are based on recent videos made public by BP. US President Barack Obama has summoned BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg to meet him for talks in the White House next Wednesday regarding the fight against the oil disaster. Danish TV2 TTV: BP OIL LEAK MAY BE TWICE AS HIGH AS SO FAR ESTIMATED US scientists have doubled their estimates of the oil leak from BP's ruptured oil well at between 20,000 and 40,000 barrels (3.2 million and 6.4 million litres) of oil a day before 3 June, when BP managed to place a cap over the well capturing some of the leaking oil. The pipe that BP cut off in order to be able to place a cap over the well is likely to have increased the amount of oil leaked. BP claims to have captured 73,324 barrels (12 million litres) since the containment system was installed. Even if the well only leaked 20,000 barrels of oil a day, more than 1 million barrels of oil (159 million litres) leaked into the Gulf. The new estimates were announced by Marcia McNutt, director of the US Geological Survey. Swedish SVT: BP's OIL LEAK WORSE THAN EXPECTED According to the USA, up to 40,000 barrels of oil a day leaked out into the Gulf of Mexico - and that is much more than the authorities expected. The lowest estimate that we're seeing that the scientists think is credible is probably about 20,000 barrels, says Marcia NcNutt, director of the US Geological Survey. BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg has been asked to meet US-president Obama on Wednesday to discuss the oil leak. According to BP the cap placed over the leak now captures more than 16,000 barrels a day. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10290238.stm Page last updated at 15:10 GMT, Friday, 11 June 2010 16:10 UK EXPERTS DOUBLE ESTIMATE OF BP OIL SPILL SIZE As many as 40,000 barrels or 1.7 m gallon of oil (6.4 million litres) of oil a day may have been gushing out from a blown-out Gulf of Mexico well, doubling many estimates. The US Geological Survey says that flow rate could have been reached before a cap was put on the well on 3 June. BP's chairman has been asked to meet Barack Obama next week, amid assurances from the UK and US that bilateral ties will not be affected by the crisis. UK PM David Cameron and President Obama will discuss the spill at the weekend. Oil has been leaking into the Gulf since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on 20 April and sank off the coast of the US state of Louisiana, killing 11 workers. BP said the device placed on the well collected 15,800 barrels of oil on Wednesday - slightly up on the 15,010 barrels collected in the previous 24-hour period. New estimates for the oil spill prior to 3 June follow an assessment by a team of scientists put together by the US government and coordinated by the US Geological Survey. The lowest estimate that we're seeing that the scientists think is credible is probably about 20,000 barrels, and the highest that we're seeing is probably a little over 40,000," said Marcia McNutt, director of the US Geological Survey. The new estimates are staggering and only add to BP's woes, the BBC's Andy Gallacher in Florida says. The British oil giant has estimated that up to 19,000 barrels a day was leaking from the ruptured well before they managed to partially contain the spill. Last month, BP was estimating the leak to be the equivalent of just over 5,000 barrels per day. "This is a nightmare that keeps getting worse every week," said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, America's oldest environmental organisation. "We're finding out more and more information about the extent of the damage... Clearly we can't trust BP's estimates of how much oil is coming out." 'LACK OF INTEGRITY' Relations between BP and the White House are now more strained than ever, our correspondent reports. BP chairman, Carl-Henric Svanberg, has been invited - some would say summoned - to the White House next week, he adds. The meeting will be held amid concerns that BP may not have enough cash to pay for the clean-up operation and compensation for those affected. US Attorney General Eric Holder has warned that Washington will "not pay a dime" for cleaning up and that BP will be held responsible for all damages. And the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has accused BP of a "lack of integrity" over its approach to the spill. Ms Pelosi is among a number of US politicians who have suggested that BP should be forced to suspend dividend payments until it is clear the company has enough cash. That has raised concerns in the UK, where BP's dividends form a crucial part of pension funds for millions of Britons. The sharp criticism from the US has been described by some UK politicians as growing anti-British rhetoric. British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday his government was ready to help BP do all it can to deal with the situation, and understood the US government's frustration. "The most important thing is to try to mitigate the effects and get to grips with the problem. It's something I will discuss with the American president when we next talk," he said. On the markets BP's shares closed down 6% in London on Thursday, having earlier fallen as much as 12%. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10298414.stm Page last updated at 17:29 GMT, Friday, 11 June 2010 18:29 UK DAVID CAMERON TELLS BP CHIEF OF OIL SPILL 'FRUSTRATION' David Cameron has told BP's chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg he is "frustrated and concerned" about the environmental damage caused by the US oil leak. The UK PM said it was "in everyone's interest" the firm remained stable. As much as 40,000 barrels (1.7m gallons) of oil a day may have been gushing from a blown-out well before it was capped on 3 June. The US official overseeing the clean-up said the amount of oil being collected could be almost doubled by next month. Oil has been leaking into the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on 20 April and sank off the coast of the US state of Louisiana, killing 11 workers. Downing Street spokesman said that in a phone conversation, Mr Svanberg told Mr Cameron that BP would "continue to do all that it can to stop the oil spill, clean up the damage and meet all legitimate claims for compensation". Earlier, Chancellor George Osborne and senior officials met Mr Svanberg at Downing Street to discuss the crisis. Mr Cameron is due to raise the issues in a call with US President Barack Obama at the weekend. The spokesman said: "The prime minister had a constructive call with BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg. "[Mr Cameron] explained that he was frustrated and concerned about the environmental damage caused by the leak but made clear his view that BP is an economically important company in the UK, US and other countries. "He said that it is in everyone's interests that BP continues to be a financially strong and stable company." 'VITAL BRITISH INTEREST' BP employs 10,105 people in the UK and it is estimated that about 18 million people in the UK either own BP shares or pay into a pension fund that holds BP shares. BP's shares finished up 7.2% on the London Stock Exchange on Friday, recovering losses suffered on Thursday as the company came under pressure from the US administration to halt dividend payments and cover the full cost of the clean-up. On Friday, the head of the US Coast Guard, Admiral Thad Allen - the US official overseeing the clean-up of the oil spill - said BP would be able to almost double the amount of oil it was collecting from the ruptured undersea well by next month. He said once a "hard cap containment system" was in place, BP would be able to siphon off 50,000 barrels a day. BP's chairman has been asked to meet Mr Obama next week, amid assurances from the UK and US that bilateral ties will not be affected by the crisis. On Thursday, a former British ambassador to Washington, Sir Christopher Meyer, told the BBC that the government must "put down a marker with the US administration that the survival and long-term prosperity of BP is a vital British interest". London Mayor Boris Johnson has expressed concern about the "anti-British rhetoric that seems to be permeating from America", but the government has downplayed the extent of such sentiments. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Swedish SVT Text: CAMPERS DIED IN US FLOODINGS At least 16 persons died in connection with the water masses sweeping over a campsite in southern US state of ARKANSAS according to a police spokesman in that area. Rescue operations went on Friday trying to rescue people being trapped by the water masses. Rescuers in a helicopter from the National Guard looked for survivors in the recreation area near the Caddo and Little Missouri rivers in Western ARKANSAS. There had been heavy rain in the mountainous area in the night between Thursday and Friday. Danish TV2 "TTV: AT LEAST 16 CAMPERS DIED IN THE USA IN FLOODINGS Enormous water masses swept through 2 campsites in a national park in the US state of Alabama. 16 people have died so far, the police spokesman said. Helicopters were used in an attempt to find survivors in the mountainous area where the water level in the rivers rose by 6 meter due to heavy rain all night long. Early Friday morning the water suddenly swept through the national park where the campers were sleeping. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10297917.stm Page last updated at 22:05 GMT, Friday, 11 June 2010 23:05 UK ARKANSAS FLASH FLOODS HIT CAMPSITES AND LEAVE 16 DEAD At least 16 people have died in the US state of Arkansas after flash floods hit campsites in a mountainous national park, state governor Mike Beebe says. An earlier death toll of 20 was said to be have been "erroneous", but more than three dozen remain unaccounted for. Two helicopters are taking part in the search, in a remote, mountainous area in the state's south-west. The search operation is focused on campsites along the Little Missouri and Caddo rivers. The remains of destroyed tents and damaged log cabins lined the banks of the swollen rivers on Friday. A river gauge at Langley, just south of Albert Pike in the Ouachita National Forest, showed the water rose 8ft (2.4m) in one hour, according to the US Geological Survey. The National Weather Service said 7.6in (19.3cm) of rain had fallen overnight. 'PEOPLE TRAPPED' Police spokesman Bill Sadler told US network CNN: "We believe there are still individuals trapped in the area. "The primary mission of the Arkansas state police working with the local authorities right now is to get the living out of that area and locate the dead." Officials were bringing in a refrigerated truck to act as a temporary morgue, he said. Police originally put the death toll at 12 and later updated it to 20, but the governor's office said that had been based on an erroneous figure from a rescue worker. It is not clear whether all those killed were staying at the campsites washed away by the flash floods. Brigette Williams, of the American Red Cross in the state capital Little Rock, said between 200 and 300 people were believed to be in the area at the time but it was unclear how many were campers and how many local residents. Rescue worker Gary Fox said the Albert Pike Recreation Area, a 54-unit campsite in the national forest, was packed with families on holiday when the flash flood hit. More than 20 people were taken to hospital and another 60 were rescued from the steep Ouachita Mountains valley. The region includes a mix of campsites, hunting grounds and private homes. Marc and Stacy McNeil of Marshall, Texas, survived by hauling their pick-up truck between two trees and standing in waist-deep water. "It was just like a boat tied to a tree," Mr McNeil said, describing how the truck bobbed up and down. They said the water kept rising throughout the night. By dawn the rain stopped, the water receded and they were able to walk to safety. National Guard troops are helping to look for those affected. Mr Beebe said the deaths had occurred at about 05:30, when the floodwaters reached their peak. OTHER NEWS SITES Telegraph : Dozens killed in Arkansas campground 'tsunami' Houston Chronicle : Arkansas flash floods kill at least 20 people CBC : Arkansas flash floods kill 20 USA Today : 20 die, dozens missing in Arkansas flash flood Yahoo! UK and Ireland : Floods wipe out US campsites, killing at least 16: police Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 12, 2010 Author Share Posted June 12, 2010 News on 12 June in relation to natural disasters NEWS ON 12 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS German ZDFtext: US-NATIONAL PARK: FLASH FLOOD KILLS AT LEAST 16 CAMPERS IN ARKANSAS Heavy rain has triggered a flash flood in the US state of ARKANSAS. More than 16 died in a campsite according to the authorities. TV showed destroyed log cabins and tents. 30 campers are missing. The heavy rain made the water level of Little Missouri river rise by 6m within a few hours. The campsite is located completely isolated in the middle of the national park in Ouachita Mountains. BBC World News: FLOODWATERS KILL 16 IN ARKANSAS http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10301913.stm Page last updated at 15:15 GMT, Saturday, 12 June 2010 16:15 UK RESCUERS HUNT FOR DOZENS MISSING IN ARKANSAS FLOODS Rescuers in the US state of Arkansas are searching for dozens of people missing after floods swept through campsites in a national park. At least 16 people were killed in the floods on Friday and more than 20 others taken to hospital. Rescuers say bodies may have been washed away and the search for the missing could take days if not weeks. Teams are using helicopters, horses and canoes to scour the mountainous area in the state's south-west. River levels rose as fast as 8ft (2.4m) an hour, triggering a wall of water which uprooted trees and tore asphalt from roads. Some campers described how they had to cling to trees and vehicles for hours to survive. The remains of destroyed tents and damaged log cabins were later seen lining the banks of the swollen rivers. Dozens of people have so far been rescued. PHONE CALLS The search operation is focused on campsites along the Little Missouri and Caddo rivers in the Ouchita Mountains. As many as 300 people were believed to be in the area at the time but it was unclear how many were campers and how many local residents, officials say. Rescuers admit they do not know how exactly many people they are looking for. A log of campers in the Albert Pike Recreation Area, which has more than 50 pitches, was washed away with everything else when the floodwaters hit. The campsite was packed with families on holiday and inquiries about 73 people who may be missing there were received on Friday. "We haven't confirmed if they were at the campsite, but people have called because they believe a loved one may have been there and they can't locate them," Arkansas Department of Emergency Management spokesman Chad Stover told the Associated Press late on Friday. "We still consider it a search-and-rescue operation for a little while longer." The region includes a mix of campsites, hunting grounds and private homes. Marc and Stacy McNeil of Marshall, Texas, survived by hauling their pick-up truck between two trees and standing in waist-deep water. "It was just like a boat tied to a tree," Mr McNeil said, describing how the truck bobbed up and down. They said the water kept rising throughout the night. By dawn the rain stopped, the water receded and they were able to walk to safety. OTHER NEWS SITES Telegraph : Arkansas floods: rescuers resume hunt for victims swept away by 'tsunami' FOXNews.com : Search for Missing in U.S. Flood Could Take Weeks The Independent : Floods kill at least 16 at Arkansas campground TMC Net : Arkansas flash floods kill at least 16 people Japan Today : Arkansas flash floods kill at least 16 Danish TV2 NEWS (LIVE at 18 o'clock): US FLOOD IN ARKANSAS: 16 died, 60 saved, 73 missing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Swedish SVT Text-TV: 36 HOSPITALIZED IN CONNECTION WITH THE OIL LEAK IN THE USA More than 36 on board a ship (vessel) under way to the oil leak by the "Deepwater Horizon" drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico had to be taken to hospital because the ship severed (cut/broke) a natural gas pipe line. The vessel had put in at a platform in Cocodrie in south-western LOUISIANA on Friday, when the pipe was severed and poisonous/ toxic vapour streamed out over the people on the ship. The work in Cocodrie was stopped for the rest of the day. A few of those exposed to the gas were reported to have been seriously damaged. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/politics/10300082.stm Page last updated at 17:43 GMT, Saturday, 12 June 2010 18:43 UK BP CRITICISM NOT ABOUT NATIONALITY, SAYS OBAMA Barack Obama has told Prime Minister David Cameron that criticism of BP over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has "nothing to do with national identity". In a 30-minute phone call, the US president said he recognised BP was a multinational company and he had no interest in undermining its value. Mr Obama's blunt criticism of BP over the spill has prompted accusations of "anti-British" language. Mr Cameron will visit the US as prime minister for the first time on 20 July. During the telephone conversation on Saturday, Mr Cameron expressed his sadness at the environmental damage from the oil leak that began on 20 April. A Downing Street statement said the leaders had "agreed that BP should continue - as they have pledged - to work intensively to ensure that all sensible and reasonable steps are taken as rapidly as practicable to deal with the consequences of this catastrophe". It added: "The prime minister stressed the economic importance of BP to the UK, US and other countries. The president made clear that he had no interest in undermining BP's value. "The president and prime minister reaffirmed their confidence in the unique strength of the US-UK relationship." President Obama's criticisms of BP - and in particular its chief executive Tony Hayward - have been consistently blunt. And some UK businessmen have accused the president's team of using "anti-British" language when discussing the spill. PLANS 'INADEQUATE' Oil has been leaking into the Gulf since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on 20 April and sank off the coast of the US state of Louisiana, killing 11 workers. As much as 40,000 barrels (1.7m gallons) of oil a day may have been gushing from a blown-out well before a cap was put on it on 3 June, capturing some of the leak. In a letter to BP released on Saturday, the US Coast Guard expressed concern that the company's plans to contain the leak were inadequate and called for them to be bolstered within 48 hours. "BP must identify in the next 48 hours additional leak containment capacity that could be operationalised and expedited to avoid the continued discharge of oil," wrote Rear Adm James Watson. This demand comes after US Geological Survey research suggested up to 40,000 barrels (1.7 million gallons) of oil a day may have been escaping before the cap was put on - doubling earlier estimates. DIVIDEND SUSPENSION? BBC business editor Robert Peston earlier reported that BP was likely to bow to US pressure and suspend dividends to shareholders. The oil giant confirmed its directors would meet on Monday to discuss the possibility, but said no decision had yet been taken. Our correspondent said: "It has taken a while for BP's board to reach the decision that if President Obama wants them to stop paying dividends, perhaps it would be sensible to do so. "It is looking more likely BP will cease paying the £1.8bn of dividends per quarter it's been delivering to shareholders - until, that is it, can quantify the final bill for the oil debacle and prove it can afford those enormous costs." He added: "Even if those costs exceed £20bn, as analysts expect, BP feels it has the resources to cope." SHARE FALLS Mr Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne have already spoken to BP's chairman, Carl-Henric Svanberg, about the crisis. A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Svanberg had told Mr Cameron that BP would "continue to do all that it can to stop the oil spill, clean up the damage and meet all legitimate claims for compensation". Mr Svanberg is due to visit the White House next week. Conservative MP Richard Ottoway, who is chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, questioned whether the US president ought to "interfere in the operations of an international overseas company". Mr Ottoway said: "What he has to do is separate out the political and diplomatic situation on one hand and the commercial situation on the other hand. And I think what has happened is the two have got merged here." Shadow energy secretary and Labour leadership contender Ed Miliband said "rather than pointing fingers", the best course of action was for a "proper investigation" to be held in order to "establish the responsibilities of BP, the other private companies involved and the American regulatory authorities". BP employs 10,105 people in the UK and it is estimated that about 18 million people in the UK either own BP shares or pay into a pension fund that holds BP shares. The company's shares finished up 7.2% on the London Stock Exchange on Friday, recovering losses suffered on Thursday. Its share price has almost halved since the oil spill began. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 13, 2010 Author Share Posted June 13, 2010 News on 13 June 2010 in relation to natural disasters NEWS ON 13 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10301913.stm Page last updated at 00:16 GMT, Sunday, 13 June 2010 01:16 UK RESCUERS HUNT FOR DOZENS MISSING IN ARKANSAS FLOODS Rescuers in the US state of Arkansas search for dozens of people missing after deadly floods, which left 18 dead. Rescuers in the US state of Arkansas are searching for more than 20 people missing after floods swept through campsites in a national park. At least 18 people were killed in the floods on Friday and more than 20 others taken to hospital. Rescuers say bodies may have been washed away and the search for the missing could take days if not weeks. Teams are using helicopters, horses and canoes to scour the mountainous area in the state's south-west. River levels rose as fast as 8ft (2.4m) an hour after heavy rains on Friday morning, triggering a wall of water which tore through the campsites as many people were asleep. Some campers described how they had to cling to trees and vehicles for hours to survive, as floods uprooted trees and tore asphalt from roads. Six children were among the 18 confirmed fatalities. The remains of destroyed tents and damaged log cabins were later seen lining the banks of the swollen rivers. Dozens of people have so far been rescued. PHONE CALLS The search operation is focused on campsites along the Little Missouri and Caddo rivers in the Ouchita Mountains. As many as 300 people were believed to be in the area at the time but it was unclear how many were campers and how many local residents, officials say. Rescuers admit they do not know how exactly many people they are looking for. A log of campers in the Albert Pike Recreation Area, which has more than 50 pitches, was washed away with everything else when the floodwaters hit. The campsite was packed with families on holiday and inquiries about 73 people who may be missing there were received on Friday. "We haven't confirmed if they were at the campsite, but people have called because they believe a loved one may have been there and they can't locate them," Arkansas Department of Emergency Management spokesman Chad Stover told the Associated Press late on Friday. "We still consider it a search-and-rescue operation for a little while longer." Officials said that the rugged, heavy-forested terrain was hampering the operation. They say that some of the victims could be trapped under fallen trees and rocks, and that the river water would not be clear enough to see through for several days. "It's just a tangled mess," Tom Collins, a volunteer fire-fighter, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. The region includes a mix of campsites, hunting grounds and private homes. Marc and Stacy McNeil of Marshall, Texas, survived by hauling their pick-up truck between two trees and standing in waist-deep water. "It was just like a boat tied to a tree," Mr McNeil said, describing how the truck bobbed up and down. They said the water kept rising throughout the night. By dawn the rain stopped, the water receded and they were able to walk to safety. OTHER NEWS SITES National Post : Rescuers search for survivors of deadly U.S. floods Christian Science Monitor : Search for missing in Arkansas flood could take weeks Philadelphia Inquirer Arkansas flood kills 16; dozens missing Daily Star : US flood tragedy death toll rises The Independent : Floods kill at least 16 at Arkansas campground German ZDFtext and ARDtext: FLASH FLOOD IN ARKANSAS: SO FAR 18 CAMPERS DIED - 20 MISSING The death toll after floods swept through campsites in Arkansas, USA, has risen to 18. Search and rescue teams found 2 dead bodies in the remote mountainous region in south-western Arkansas. Earlier 16 campers had been found dead. More than 20 are still missing, and the hope of finding them alive is dying. Very heavy rain caused the water level of the Little Missouri river to rise by as much as 6 m within a few hours. The campsite is located completely isolated in the middle of a national park in the Ouachita Mountains. --------------------------- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/10302735.stm Page last updated at 22:49 GMT, Saturday, 12 June 2010 23:49 UK STRONG EARTHQUAKE HITS NEAR INDIA's NICOBAR ISLANDS An earthquake of 7.5 magnitude has hit near India's Nicobar Islands, in the Indian Ocean. The US Geological Survey said it occurred about 150km (95 miles) west of the Nicobar Islands and 440km from Sumatra, Indonesia. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a warning for the entire Indian Ocean region. The agency later downgraded the warning to India only, before cancelling the alert altogether. "Sea level readings indicate that a significant tsunami was not generated," the Hawaii-based centre said. No damage was reported in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, although a total blackout sparked panic in the capital, Port Blair, witnesses said. More than 350,000 people live on nearly 600 islands in the remote archipelago. In 2004, a powerful earthquake off Sumatra's coast triggered a tsunami that killed more than 220,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean. OTHER NEWS SITES Reuters UK : Strong Indian Ocean quake, tsunami alert cancelled Bangkok Post : Big quake rattles Indian Ocean islands MENAFN : India - 7.5 quake hits Nicobar Islands Yahoo! UK and Ireland : Powerful quake rattles Indian Ocean islands Arab News : Strong Indian Ocean quake sparks tsunami alert Swedish SVT: STRONG EARTHQUAKE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN Saturday night, a strong magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred off the Indian archipelago*), the NICOBAR Islands, according to the US Geological Survey, USGS. A tsunami warning was issued for the entire Indian Ocean region according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The alert was later cancelled for all countries except India. The epicentre was 15 miles west of the Nicobar Islands. In the islands closest to the earthquake, the water level rose by 50 cm which was not regarded as alarming. *) Archipelago = a group of many islands German ARDtext: STRONG EARTHQUAKES OFF INDIA AND JAPAN / NO TSUNAMI WARNING A strong earthquake occurred off the Indian archipelago, the NICOBAR Islands. According to the US Geological Survey, USGS, the magnitude of the earthquake was 7.5. The earthquake occurred in a depth of 35 km in the Indian Ocean. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cancelled an initially issued tsunami warning. An earthquake also occurred in JAPAN. Its epicentre was about 100 km off the coast of the prefecture, Fukushima north of the capital, Tokyo. A tsunami warning was not issued. German ZDFtext: STRONG MAGNITUDE-7.5 EARTHQUAKE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN - TSUNAMI WARNING CANCELLED On Friday evening, a strong magnitude-7.5 earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean. According to the US Geological Survey, USGS, the epicentre of the quake was about 160 km west of the NICOBAR Islands in a depth of 35 km. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a tsunami warning for the entire Indian Ocean region, but the alert was cancelled after a short time. The Nicobar Islands are part of the Indian Ocean Territory consisting of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In 2004, a tsunami disaster killed more than 220,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean. Danish DR1: TSUNAMI WARNING AFTER MAGNITUDE-7.7 EARTHQUAKE A very strong earthquake - measured at 7.7 on the open Richter Scale - hit an area in the Indian Ocean close to the Indian archipelago, the NICOBAR ISLANDS and north-west of the tip of the Indonesian island, SUMATRA. So the US Geological Survey, USGS reports. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for the entire Indian Ocean region, i.e. India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia. This appears from the centre's website. The tsunami alert was later cancelled. Danish TV2 News: WARNING AFTER QUAKE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN DOWNGRADED A very strong magnitude-7.7 earthquake hit an area in the Indian Ocean close to the Nicobar Islands and north-west of the Indonesian island, Sumatra. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center expected the water level to rise by 50 cm. The warning issued for the entire Indian Ocean region was downgraded, because the USGS corrected the magnitude to 7.7 (from 7.9). Danish DR1 and TV2 News: STRONG QUAKE SHAKES JAPAN An earthquake measured at magnitude 6.4 on the open Richter scale has shaken the northern part of Japan early Sunday. The epicentre of the quake was in a depth of 40 km about 100 km from Fukushima north of Tokyo. No tsunami warning was issued, Japan's Meteorological Institute reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted June 14, 2010 Author Share Posted June 14, 2010 News on 14 June in relation to natural disasters NEWS ON 14 JUNE 2010 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS German ARDtext: OIL POLLUTION TOP PRIORITY FOR OBAMA US-President Obama visits the oil pollution-affected region along the Gulf of Mexico for the fourth time.Obama wants to get a first-hand impression of the measures taken by the BP group by visiting MISSISSIPPI, ALAMABA and FLORIDA. On Tuesday, Mr Obama will address the US about the oil spill. The oil pollution is toppriority for the US-government as stressed by Obama's chief strategist Axelrod. BP captures 2.3m litres of oil daily via a containment cap. According to the latest estimates this corresponds to only 1/4 of the leaking oil! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10307782.stm Page last updated at 15:57 GMT, Monday, 14 June 2010 16:57 UK OBAMA: OIL SPILL 'AN ENVIRONMENTAL 9/11' US President Barack Obama has said the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico will have the same impact on the US psyche as 9/11. The disaster will "shape how we think about the environment... for years to come", he told US website Politico. Mr Obama has arrived in Mississippi on his fourth visit to the affected area. He will also visit Alabama and Florida. Directors of oil firm BP are meeting to decide whether to suspend dividends as company shares have taken a tumble. BP saw its shares fall by some 9% in afternoon trading in London. Earlier, BP said the cost of cleaning up the oil spillage had risen to $1.6bn (£1bn). BP placed a containment cap on its damaged oil well earlier this month; by last week, it was collecting about 15,000 barrels of oil a day. It is estimated that some 40,000 barrels (1.7 million gallons) of oil a day might have been gushing out before the well was capped. On Tuesday, Mr Obama will address the US about the oil spill from the White House in a prime-time televised speech. A presidential aide said he would outline the next steps his administration would be taking over the spill. Mr Obama had previously visited Louisiana on three occasions. In his Monday visit, he is going to the other states affected by the crisis - Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. THE RIGHT LESSONS Mr Obama said the disaster would have a lasting impact on US environmental policy. "In the same way that our view of our vulnerabilities and our foreign policy was shaped profoundly by 9/11, I think this disaster is going to shape how we think about the environment and energy for many years to come," he said in the Politico interview. Mr Obama vowed to "move forward in a bold way in a direction that finally gives us the kind of future-oriented… visionary energy policy that we so vitally need and has been absent for so long". "One of the biggest leadership challenges for me going forward is going to be to make sure that we draw the right lessons from this disaster," he said. Mr Obama said he could not predict whether the nation would make a complete transition from an oil-based economy within his lifetime, but added that "now is the time for us to start making that transition and investing in a new way of doing business when it comes to energy". "I have no idea what new energy sources are going to be available, what technologies might drive down the price of renewable energies," he said. "What we can predict is that the availability of fossil fuel is going to be diminishing; that it's going to get more expensive to recover; that there are going to be environmental costs that our children… our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren are going to have to bear." OTHER NEWS SITES RTE Online : Gulf oil spill another 9/11 - Barack Obama Times Online : Obama compares Gulf of Mexico oil leak to 9/11 Telegraph : Oil spill: BP tumbles 10pc as Moody's raises fears for Gulf of Mexico oil companies AFP via Yahoo! : Obama labels oil spill an environmental 9/11 Guardian.co.uk : Obama, BP set for oil-spill showdown - Reuters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now