Though the leaks may be largely under control, ConocoPhillips is still trying to contain the public backlash in China over its handling of recent offshore spills in Bohai Bay.

Shell’s oil spill in the North Sea this week is the worst in a decade, but compensation for any environmental damage could be in short supply says Susie Wilks from ClientEarth

What is the difference between a sea bird dying because its feathers are coated in crude oil, and a sea bird starving to death because its food source has been destroyed by chemical dispersants used to break up an oil slick? To the bird, not a lot. To a conservation organisation or local authority trying to recover the costs of restoring ecosystems and animal populations, the difference could be everything.

Jeremy Hance
August 16, 2011

Yesterday, Royal Dutch Shell estimated that to date 54,600 gallons of oil had spilled into the North Sea off the east coast of Scotland, spreading some 19 miles wide (30 kilometers) at its maximum. While the company stopped the initial leak on Thursday, it has now announced that the oil has found a 'second pathway' and is still leaking into the sea around 84 gallons a day.

While ExxonMobil and government officials worked Saturday to clear a ruptured pipeline underneath the Yellowstone River of any residual oil, a small group of boaters began their own weeks-long survey of the river in an effort to document areas affected by the spill.

Called the Oily River Rendezvous, the group consisted Saturday of two kayakers and a pair of canoers from Montana and Arizona who plan to float the Yellowstone and its backwaters at least to Miles City and compile data as they go.

As omens go, dead birds raining from the sky can be seen as pretty predictive of grim times environmentally.

Catastrophic, even. And the seers would have been right. A volcano darkened the skies of Europe. Crude oil spread its foul sheen over the Gulf. Ice caps and glaciers continued to retreat. A tsunami opened up a tide of radiation in Japan.
Plague of frogs? Well, they're still dying off at an alarming rate worldwide. So Earth Day this year, 41 years since the first, seems "double, double, toil and trouble" to many.

Five things you may or may not know about sea turtles: They can live 80 years or longer. They're important to ocean and beach ecologies. They're immune to (and happily feed on) deadly box jellyfish. All seven species worldwide are either endangered or critically endangered. And solar panels might be their salvation.

What failures of the BP board of directors and its senior management led to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico?

Oil Spill Cleanup Methods  

The devastating oil spill in the Gulf started way back on April 20th of 2010, after the DeepWater Horizon Oil rig exploded killing 11 workers. Since then, crude oil has been pouring in to the Gulf of Mexico with estimates somewhere between 1 to 2 million gallons being spilled per day. As I write this we are approaching the third month of spillage, which would mean that anywhere from 80 to 180 million gallons have spilled in to our oceans. Every 4 days is equivallent to the Exxon Valdez, which spilled 11 million gallons back in 1989 and was the worst oil spill in history.

and the War wages on...

As I am writing this, efforts are being made to both stop the leak and begin the daunting task of cleanup. Cleanup will undoubtedly be a difficult and dangerous task. However, as with many previous American disasters, American inginuity has prevailed. BP has received over 100,000 viable suggestions from people all over the country and World. Only roughly 7 made the cut and we're deemed feasible after their battery of tests. One of the contraptions now being put in to use was made by famous Actor Kevin Costner. The largest oil cleanup boat in the World called, "the Whale" is now being used in the Gulf Waters. It is estimated that "The Whale" can ingest up to 20 million gallons of oil per day. Some of the other methods include Organic agents that soak up the oil. These organic components include Hair, Hay, and Mushrooms, all of which have been found to soak up the oil.
other Oil Spill Cleanup methods include:
In The Water...

Boom~Boom comes in many sizes, shapes, and types and is used primarily to deflect and/or collect oil.

Burning~Fresh oil contains gases which are very volatile. By igniting these gases whole oil slicks can be reduced to tarry residue.

Dispersants~Dispersants are used to do just that, disperse. They are chemicals that break-up oil into smaller and smaller concentrations. Potentially into individual molecules.
Skimming~
Skimming is a mechanical system for removing oil from the surface. This process was created based on the reality that oil is lighter than water.
On The Beach...

Bioremediation~
The application of certain fertilizers to beaches stimulates the growth of "oil-eating" microbes. This fertilizing process is known as Bioremediation.

Chemical Cleaning~
In an attempt to avoid Hot Water & High Pressure treatment, chemical cleaners were tested which removed oil from the beach for collection.

Hot Water & High Pressure~
By using hot water at high pressure, cleanup crews blast oil off beaches into the water where it can be skimmed off.

Manual Treatment~Manual treatment incorporates the use of shovels, rakes, absorbent materials and human hands.

Mechanical Treatment~
Tractors, backhoes, front-end loaders, and other machines were used to move beach and scoop up asphalt collections.

New Update: Finally BP has been able to announce some good news with regard to the massive leak that has been polluting the Gulf of Mexico since April 20. They have managed to place a new cap over the damaged part of the pipeline.

They are now running tests to make sure that no other leaks are appearing due to a build up of pressure caused by capping of the gushing well, these tests are expected to take up to 48 hours.

More info:
For response-related inquiries, please phone the Joint Information Center (JIC) at 985.902.5231 or 985.902.5240.
To report oil on land, or for general community information, please phone 866.448.5816.
To report oiled or injured wildlife, please phone 866.557.1401.
To learn about volunteer opportunities in all areas and what training is required, please phone 866.448.5816.
To discuss spill related damage claims, please phone 800.440.0858.