Drilling Spills After Katrina
On Monday, Jim Gilmore said there were no offshore drilling spills after Hurricane Katrina [Lynchburg News & Advance, 6/24/08].
In fact, a study commissioned by the U.S. Minerals Management Service stated there were 70 spills.
The Lynchburg News & Advance reported part of the exchange:
“Concerns of negative environmental impacts represent ‘old thinking’ that doesn’t reflect the ability of modern technology, he [Gilmore] added, pointing out the Gulf Coast came through Hurricane Katrina without an oil spill.” [Lynchburg News & Advance, 6/24/08]
U.S. Minerals Management Service Commissioned Report Found 70 Spills From Damages to OCS Structures During Katrina, Response and Recovery Efforts Kept Impacts to Minimum. But a study commissioned by the U.S. Minerals Management Service to perform “an assessment of the damage to the Gulf of Mexico offshore pipelines resulting from the passage of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in August and September 2005,” found:
“As a result of both storms, 124 spills were reported with a total volume of roughly 17,700 barrels of total petroleum products, of which about 13,200 barrels were crude oil and condensate from platforms, rigs and pipelines, and 4,500 barrels were refined products from platforms and rigs. Pipelines were accountable for 72 spills totaling about 7,300 barrels of crude oil and condensate spilled into the [Gulf of Mexico]. Response and recovery efforts kept the impacts to a minimum with no onshore impacts from these spill events.” According to a chart in the report there were 70 spills from damages to OCS structures during Katrina. [Minerals Management Services, “Pipeline damage Assessment from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf of Mexico,” Revision 1, Pg. 27, 1/22/07]