Is the prophecy becoming true, that the sea will turn black? The oil from the spill has reached the shores of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and Florida appears to be next..
Below is an update on the oil spill.
Day 43: The Latest on the Oil Spill
Published: June 2, 2010
Oil Nears Florida Panhandle
Oil from the spill has washed ashore in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and Florida appears to be next in line. Gov. Charlie Crist said Wednesday that tar balls were found about 10 miles from the Panhandle’s shore. He said at a news conference in Tallahassee that the oil might hit northwestern Florida “this week, possibly in a day or two.” Officials said an oil sheen was about seven miles from Pensacola Beach.
Fishing Restrictions Expanded
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expanded the boundaries of the closed fishing area in the Gulf of Mexico, notably including an area off southwest Florida that covers waters just to the west of the Dry Tortugas. The action did not apply to state waters. In a statement, NOAA said the closed area represented 88,502 square miles, about 37 percent of Gulf of Mexico federal waters.
Containment Effort Delayed
The latest plan to contain the oil and gas as it flows from the floor of the gulf encountered a problem Wednesday when a saw blade became stuck as engineers tried to sever the pipe that once connected the well to the surface. They had hoped to affix a cap to the remaining stub of the riser and siphon the leaking oil into the cap through a new riser and up to a ship on the surface.
New Drilling Project Approved
President Obama has placed a moratorium on new deepwater drilling projects, but federal regulators approved the first new well in the Gulf of Mexico since he lifted a brief ban on drilling in shallow water. The Minerals Management Service granted a drilling permit sought by Bandon Oil and Gas for a site about 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana and 115 feet below the ocean’s surface. Last week, Mr. Obama allowed a three-week-old ban on drilling in shallow water to expire.
An interactive map tracking the spill, live video of the leak and additional updates: nytimes.com/national.
A version of this article appeared in print on June 3, 2010, on page A22 of the New York edition.
