The new cap has been in place since yesterday and BP is starting to choke off the flow of oil as part of a gradual test of the effectiveness of this new solution. The new cap fits tighter on over the existing pipe and is optimistically expected to cut off all of the spilling oil.
For the first time, we are being asked and expected to create a plan for after the spill. For nearly three months, the broken well has been spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico. We have been so consumed with the oil drifting towards U.S. shores and slapping BP’s wrists for their ineptitude that we have been unable to create a strong and achievable plan for long term environmental protection.
BP reports the gradual plan for shutting off the leak could take 6 to 48 hours as engineers slowly shut off valves while monitoring pressures. It is possible that upon shutting the valves, a new leak could erupt or the cap could prove useless.
When advising Gulf Coast residents to be patient, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen was quoted as saying “They ought to be interested and concerned, but if they hold their breath, they’ll run out of oxygen.” A sticker on the new oil cap says “Think Twice, Act once”. A meaningful quote coming from a company who has shown it’s inability to follow it’s own advice.
The effects being felt, Gulf Coats residents report drastic drops in tourism and fishing income. This is devastating the local economy while BP struggles to fix it’s error. Some experts are claiming BP will never recover from the most environmentally disastrous event in American history.
Personally, I will never purchase from BP again.
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BP have done some incredible damage to their reputation with all this. So many people have vowed to stay away from them and they didn’t have any friends through the spillage, unsurprisingly. It will take a long time for people to forgive, if ever.