

Dead dolphins wash up on coast; oil's role unclear
Meantime, BP says container aimed at capping gusher has reached seafloor
The Associated Press
Wed., May 12, 2010
HORN ISLAND, Miss. - Federal wildlife officials are treating the deaths of six dolphins on the Gulf Coast as oil-related even though other factors may be to blame.
Blair Mase of the National Marine Fisheries Service said the carcasses have all been found in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama since May 2.
Samples have been sent for testing to see whether a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico helped kill the dolphins. At least 4 million gallons of oil has spewed into the Gulf in the three weeks since a Transocean Ltd. rig operated by BP PLC exploded and sank, killing 11 workers.
Mase and animal rescue coordinator Michele Kelley in Louisiana said none of the carcasses has obvious signs of oil. Mase also said it's common for dead dolphins to wash up this time of year when they are in shallow waters to calve.
The Associated Press found dolphins swimming and playing in oily waters off Louisiana last week.
Container reaches seafloor
Meantime, BP said Wednesday that a second, smaller container has reached the seafloor, but it hasn't yet been placed over the blown-out well fouling the Gulf of Mexico.
BP spokesman Bill Salvin said Wednesday that the 2-ton box had reached the seabed overnight.
He says it hasn't been positioned over the well yet because engineers want to make sure everything is hooked up correctly. Officials want to avoid the same icy, slushy buildup that thwarted their first attempt at using a much larger box that weighed about 100 tons.
This box will be connected to a ship on the surface by a pipe-within-a-pipe when it's lowered. Crews plan to pump in heated water and methanol so ice won't build up.
Salvin says undersea robots will position the box over the gusher by Thursday.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37105656...ill/?GT1=43001
oil's role unclear? BULLSHIT!

Comment