How does the government deal with oil spills?

Answer 1

Not much it seems, that is why are are doing the event below. There is a facebook group for it if you would like more information.

The Spill onto the Washington Mall rally grew out of the collective action taken against BP as a result of the explosion. First, we started boycott pages on Facebook. Then we took to the streets, gas stations, and beaches. After many of the boycott managers got to know each other, we thought that more needed to be done. The rally grew out of those conversations.

We never ask who anyone votes for or what party anyone usually backs. We realize it's time for us to stop seeing each as enemies enemies, and that partisanism is a strategy to keep us divided. All are welcome no matter the background, skin color, age, religion, sexual orientation, family status, disability, gender, or species. Bring your children, signs without sticks, tents, food, and voices.

We will meet on the Ellipse, in Washington D.C., next to the White House, from the morning of September 3rd until the morning of the 5th keeping the president's kids up, sorry girls, with speakers, bands, workshops, the Wall of Shame Gallery of bp posters, kids' tents, tabling and more.

We will no longer take a Washington that is so infiltrated by corporate control that we no longer know exactly who runs this country. We will tell them how to vote on bills, and expect strong legislation that suits the will of the people not wealthy campaign contributors and law makers with conflicts of interests between their money sources and the people. BP, you've become the poster child of corporate waste, abuse, incompetence, greed, and class divide.

Gulf residents have begun evacuating of their own accord due to the health effects of toxic air. Let's go for them, the animals, and the planet.
Absolutely NOTHING! The only thing they've done was delay the oil clean-up. We could have had the whole thing taken care of if the government had just stayed out of it.

Answer 2

1. Stop the oil leak.

2. Contain the oil leak.

3. Clean up affected properties and wildlife

1, As of June 8, BP is:

1) Drilling two relief wells, which each take 3 months to drill. Approximately 90 million dollars will be sent to this effort.

2) A drillship is over the well, collecting more oil each day through a lower marine riser and cap. Rates of over 10,000 barrels per day have been reported. Drillships cost more than 15 million dollars per month, so the cost here will exceed 50 million easily.

3) Setting containment booms to slow the progress of spill. Protective barriers (berms) are being constructed and deployed, especially along Louisiana's shore.

4) Setting controlled burns of the oil where there is sufficient oil to burn (more proximal to the spill).

5) Using dispersants subsea and spraying over spill, to the extent allowed by EPA.

6) Paying contractors to pick up oil patties that are washing up on beaches and netting them where possible in marches.

7) Over 400 boats are now skimming the oil spill.

8) Numerous teams have been hired by BP, the government, and other wildlife organizations to clean up affected birds and other wildlife (eg crabs) whom have been contaminated with the oil.

9) Burning approximately 30 million cubic feet of natural gas a day.

Cost to BP on cleanup right now is over one billion dollars.

Answer 3

Please see links.

As of June 8, BP is:

1) Drilling two relief wells, which each take 3 months to drill. Approximately 90 million dollars will be sent to this effort.

2) A drillship is over the well, collecting more oil each day through a lower marine riser and cap. Rates of over 10,000 barrels per day have been reported. Drillships cost more than 15 million dollars per month, so the cost here will exceed 50 million easily.

3) Setting containment booms to slow the progress of spill. Protective barriers (berms) are being constructed and deployed.

4) Setting controlled burns of the oil where there is sufficient oil to burn (more proximal to the spill).

5) Using dispersants subsea and spraying over spill, to the extent allowed by EPA.

6) Paying contractors to pick up oil patties that are washing up on beaches and netting them where possible in marches.

7) Over 400 boats are now skimming the oil spill.

Cost to BP right now on cleanup is close or over one billion dollars.

Answer 4

This has been somewhat controversial.

Every year, there are many small oil spills. Even if they cause little or no damage, they must be reported. The Operator is the company which has rights to the hydrocarbons, and they must clean up a spill if possible. Oil is spilled from pipelines, from tankers sometimes during loading operations, and from barges traveling through lakes. It is also spilled from drilling rigs and production platform.

The BP oil spill was many times larger than most spills, and BP had assistance from numerous government agencies including the US Coast Guard. In the case of a blow out, as occurred in the BP spill, the Operator must find a way to shut-in the well to permanently stop the leak. Government officials have the right to review and decide if the Operator means of sealing the well is sufficient.

I indicated this is controversial, because some want the government to take a larger role in responding to oil spills, while others believe it is the oil company that needs to be fully in charge of cleaning up the oil spill.