BP Complaints

WHAT:  Credentialed media are invited to tour the facility and view boom decontamination and recycling at the Theodore, Alabama facility.  A pilot test of technology to support recycling of soft, sorbent boom will also be part of the tour.   Because virtually no visible oil has been spotted on the surface of the Gulf in these areas recently, and in order to protect shorelines from damage caused by boom in potential severe weather, the Incident Command Post at Mobile (ICP Mobile) announced that more than 1.2 million feet of hard boom has been recovered from those state waters. 

WHERE:  Theodore Decon Center, 2789 Claudia Lane, Theodore, AL 36582

WHEN:  Friday, August 20, 2010 at 9 a.m. CDT (Tour will last 1 hour)

WHY:  Decontamination of boom is a critical component of the oil spill response. Boom removed from water is cleaned, repaired, inspected and certified before being redeployed or stored. For boom that is damaged beyond repair, this facility separates the components of boom for recycling and reuse in other applications.      

Boom removal is also an important step in protecting vital coastal areas, ensuring that during extreme weather boom is not dragged into sensitive wetlands or other fragile areas. Responders remain vigilant and ready to deploy boom should it be needed to protect the coast from any new threats from oil that may emerge in the coming days and weeks.

WHO:  Walter Dorn, Director of Emergency Services, Patriot Environmental Services, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1^st Class Judy Silverstein

CONTACT:  Reservations are required. For reservations or questions, please contact the Joint Information Center at ICP Mobile:  251-445-8965 

REQUIREMENTS: For safety reasons, participants in this event must wear long trousers, shirts with sleeves and closed-toed shoes.  

For more on the response effort, visit:  www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com or www.restorethegulf.gov

 
VENICE, La. – At the direction of the President, tomorrow, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco and CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley will tour the Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Venice, Louisiana and the areas affected by the BP oil spill to assess the on-going federal response efforts and to discuss the Administration’s commitment to long-term Gulf Coast restoration and recovery.
 
Portions of the Delta’s 49,000 acres have been closed to the public since April due to the spill but are scheduled to reopen on August 22.   The Delta is home to many fish, waterfowl and animals, including endangered and threatened species such as the American alligator, brown pelican, and Arctic peregrine falcon.
 
In the morning, Secretary Salazar, Administrator Jackson, Administrator Lubchenco, and Chair Sutley will participate in the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Steering Committee in New Orleans.
 
 
WHO:              Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar
                        Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson
                        NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco
                        CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley
                        Assistant Secretary of Fish and Wildlife Tom Strickland
 
WHAT:              Delta National Wildlife Refuge tour and media availability

WHEN:              Thursday, August 19, 2010
                         11:45 a.m. CDT – Boat Tour
                         2:30 p.m. CDT  – Press Briefing
 
WHERE:            Delta National Wildlife Refuge, 215 Offshore Shipyard Road, Venice, La., 70091
 
MEDIA:            The boat tour of the Wildlife Refuge will be pooled press.
The press briefing is open to all credentialed news media.  Media unable to attend may join a listen-only teleconference by dialing 1-800-779-9539,  access code DELTA. 

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WHO:  Adm. Thad Allen, National Incident Commander and Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

WHAT: Teleconference to provide update on ongoing Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill response efforts

WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010, 12:15 p.m., EDT. The call-in number is (866) 304-5784 for domestic callers, and (706) 643-1612 for international callers. Conference ID# 95435826

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WHO:  Coast Guard Cutter Venturous is a 210-foot Reliance class cutter, homeported in St. Petersburg. It has a crew of 85 officers and enlisted personnel.  Crew members will be available for interview.

WHAT:  The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous is scheduled to return from their patrol following a 49-day deployment to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response and Caribbean Sea.

WHEN:  9:15 a.m. EST, Wednesday, August 18, 2010.  Media interested in attending the Venturous return are requested to arrive no later than 9 a.m.

WHERE:  Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg’s South Moorings, 1310 Beach Drive S.E., St. Petersburg, Fla.

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