Friday, May 7, 2010

Rapid response team to see if oil spill has reached Gulf islands

A rapid response team will investigate unconfirmed reports that oil from a massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico has reached the Chandeleur Islands off Louisiana’s coast.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Erik Swanson says the response team will deploy Thursday to assess the situation.

Two satellite images taken Wednesday morning indicated oil has reached the Mississippi Delta and the Chandeleur Islands.

The news comes as a 100-ton concrete-and-steel contraption designed to siphon off the oil fouling the Gulf is being hauled to the spot in the sea where a blown-out well is spewing hundreds of thousands of gallons of petroleum a day.

Engineers hope it’ll be the best short-term solution to controlling the leak that has only worsened since it began two weeks ago.

No comments: