44 oil spills found in southeast Louisiana

[Apoptosis]

I can't believe this article that I just got done reading over at MSNBC. Turns out the oil spills after Hurricane Katrina are worse than expected.

More than 500 cleanup specialists are working to contain 44 oil spills ranging from several hundred gallons to nearly 4 million gallons, the U.S. Coast Guard said in an assessment that goes far beyond initial reports of just two significant spills.

The Coast Guard estimates more than 7 million gallons of oil were spilled from industrial plants, storage depots and other facilities around southeast Louisiana.

That is about two-thirds as much oil as spilled from the Exxon Valdez tanker in 1989. But unlike the oil from the Valdez, which poured from a single source, these oil spills are scattered at sites throughout southeast Louisiana.

I don't get one thing from the article though...

Chevron (Empire): About 991,000 gallons were released, of which 983,000 gallons were naturally dispersed or evaporated, 4,000 gallons were recovered and 3,600 gallons were contained.

How does 983,000 gallons of oil naturally disperse or evaporate? Anyone want to chime in and let me know?

[gvblake22]

How does 983,000 gallons of oil naturally disperse or evaporate? Anyone want to chime in and let me know?

LOL, that's rediculous. Oil does definately not just naturally disperse...
This whole situation is complete insane. I'm not saying someone is to blame, I am just really, truly, honestly amazed that all this is happening. There are so many people working so hard to try to clean up, but everything just seems to keep getting worse.
Kinda wierd to see a developed city become instantly transformed into the rotting streets of some sub-saharan third world area!

[kenc51]

naturally dispersed or evaporated...

This could have happened!

With all the water, the oil floats on the surface, then with the sun, SOME would have evaporated, infact quite a bit could have

The rest could have dispersed... we were talking about alot of water too!

these oil spills are scattered at sites throughout southeast Louisiana

The likes of Chevron, their fuel depots are BIG.. Law states big refineries/depots of harmfull chemicals must be away from residential areas.. Usually they are miles from anywhere in the countryside...
That would means the oil would "disperse", But It just means a very large area is now contaminated...

Remember they may not be talking about crude oil!

[-mogwai]

suspicious of smoke and mirrors for oil industry trickery

[Amy]

Apop? Have any answers to this one? I assume that it can break down some, and that's what they are talking about. Some of it has broken down into less harmful compounds. . . .?

[infinitevalence]

to my knowlage there are 200+ chemical compounds in petrolium based products all of which are carsenigenic.

[-mogwai]

oil can't dispurse quickly nor can it be broken down into soluble/harmless compounds quickly... if it can, what's the purpose for oil clean-ups?

i wanna know where all the dead marine life are from these oil spills....

[kenc51]

I studied a bit of Chemistry in school.. The toxicity of the oil's will still be there, except for some which will evaporate. I suspect the oil companies are betting on people believing in only what they can see..

Alot of the oil would have being on the surface, the sun hits it.. Then also wouldn't the oil itself magnify the suns heat?

Because if it can, some of the suns rays would deflect off the warter surface (below the oil) and heat the oil further??

To be honest... we will find out in the end.. they can't cover up that much oil