In early June we opted to stay in the lake because of the oil. Now we will stay in the lake because of hurricane season. However, we heard that the rigoles were closed because of the oil. Has this been re-opened? We may venture out in November is it is safe.
Status of the Rigoles
- Thread starter JohnEh
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I would call St. Tammany Parish. The photos I've seen show barges lined up across the Rigolets, but there's an opening in the middle to allow boats to pass. You just need to check on the depth at the opening.
John, the rigolets was open on Monday. I have a buddy who sailed out to Grassy Isle and back and reported no oil and no closures .. There are a few barges and booms but they don't totally close the waterway. I think that tehy are going to move the barges and boom in a few weeks, but for now it is open. Also check out the video that Joel did .. I don't know when he went out but he didn't have any problem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxCwdLdlhes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxCwdLdlhes
is way easier to get thru csx rigolets if you are female with a sultry radio voice....LOL
kloudie--thankyou for posting that--you gotta know how in love with that region i fell when i was there--is soooo gorgeous...
so different from what phillip found on his trips thru there on land at the beach at pass christian..
i am glad to know there are places that are not befouled!!!! awesome!!
kloudie--thankyou for posting that--you gotta know how in love with that region i fell when i was there--is soooo gorgeous...
so different from what phillip found on his trips thru there on land at the beach at pass christian..
i am glad to know there are places that are not befouled!!!! awesome!!
From what I read in the newspaper, all the way over here on the left coast, it's all hiding underwater. Gotta be somewhere, it ain't disappeared.
I was amazed by read that too, Stu.
Looks like the Govt and BP are not actually checking to see if there is any oil out there, and pretending that since no one sees any on the surface then "absence of evidence is evidence of absence."
I'm glad to see that at least some scientists independent of the govt and BP are mapping, tracking, and studying the plumes out there.
Interesting that the govt had carefully stated not that the oil was gone, but that the oil had "apparently disappeared," --leaving only about half remaining in the Gulf. Their choice of verbiage tells us they knew quite well that the oil wasn't anything close to being gone.
Doublespeak at its' best!
Looks like the Govt and BP are not actually checking to see if there is any oil out there, and pretending that since no one sees any on the surface then "absence of evidence is evidence of absence."
I'm glad to see that at least some scientists independent of the govt and BP are mapping, tracking, and studying the plumes out there.
Interesting that the govt had carefully stated not that the oil was gone, but that the oil had "apparently disappeared," --leaving only about half remaining in the Gulf. Their choice of verbiage tells us they knew quite well that the oil wasn't anything close to being gone.
Doublespeak at its' best!
The name of the game is now lets get back to "business as usual". Oil below the surface is not unsightly, it does not smell, it does not directly kill birds, it will not stick to you and will likely not reach your beaches. Perception is reality and if oil is not seen or felt it is just not there. With jobs on the line any politician or government representative will be eager to downplay any presence or effects. The long term damages to fisheries and wildlife are yet to be seen but it seems the blow to the much larger oil and tourism industries has been averted. The rush to economic recovery is on and any forensic scientific studies and predictions will not make the headline page. Sailors seem happy, they are already planning trips in the area; what better yardstick do you want.
Better Yardstick
Fortunately while the rest of us are getting back to normal -- which is a good thing for us all, there are scientists that are applying another yardstick that will determine the safety or danger of the subsurface plume(s). Or at least track and monitor it until we do know enough. I am simply suggesting that we shouldn't buy into the govt and BP snow job that the oil has just disappeared and we can all forget about it in short order.
"Trust but verify" -- Get back to normal, and trust that everything will continue to keep cleaning itself up, but verify at the same time whether our current understanding about oil spills is actually true.
(case in point, no one had ever imagined that sweet crude coming out of the gulf would ever sink--oil floats, right? However those previous understandings are being proven wrong this time, as a number of factors are causing the lighter than water oils to actually sink or suspend in the water column.)
I think that would be a reasonable approach. (as opposed to issuing drilling moratoriums wily-nilly
)
I agree with you, Benny, that it is important for us all to get back to normal. However, I'm not sure I am following your yardstick analog. The current yardstick that is being pushed by the Govt and BP ignores the unknown consequences of a huge plume of subsurface oil just because things look good right now and on a superficial level-- I do want a better yardstick.
Fortunately while the rest of us are getting back to normal -- which is a good thing for us all, there are scientists that are applying another yardstick that will determine the safety or danger of the subsurface plume(s). Or at least track and monitor it until we do know enough. I am simply suggesting that we shouldn't buy into the govt and BP snow job that the oil has just disappeared and we can all forget about it in short order.
"Trust but verify" -- Get back to normal, and trust that everything will continue to keep cleaning itself up, but verify at the same time whether our current understanding about oil spills is actually true.
(case in point, no one had ever imagined that sweet crude coming out of the gulf would ever sink--oil floats, right? However those previous understandings are being proven wrong this time, as a number of factors are causing the lighter than water oils to actually sink or suspend in the water column.)
I think that would be a reasonable approach. (as opposed to issuing drilling moratoriums wily-nilly
)Didn't the oil sink because of the dispersants used?
As for whether it's gone or not, this is the same government that was supposed to build the retaining walls down to 17' below the ground, turned out to be something like 7'. We all know haow that turned out 5 years ago! The oil is somewhere. Lets hope it stays away from the shores!
A couple of days ago I read that in addition to the dispersants causing the oil to hang in the water column, oils that are discharged into water at high rates (ie- the high pressure of the end of a broken oil well underwater) will emulsify as it comes out and this also contributes to oils uncharacteristically not floating. Apparently this was shocking news to the researchers who discovered this as well.
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