Relief Well Nears Completion As Government Pledges Support For Long-Term Recovery
In a recent media interview, National Incident Commander Thad Allen confirmed that the cement plug placed atop BP's damaged well appears to have resulted in a successful "static kill" of the horrific crude oil leak that has persisted since the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in late April. Even as pressure monitoring and acoustic surveys offered reassurance that the well had been capped, Commander Allen stressed that BP would complete its efforts toward finishing a relief well.
The relief well would seal the primary drilling bore permanently by cementing the bore deep underground. Commander Allen related that he had spoken personally with BP's new CEO, Robert Dudley, to ensure that the relief well would be finished. To that end, workers are now drilling on the final 100 feet of the relief well, proceeding slowly to ensure that they connect with the primary well as the drilling phase nears completion.
Commander Allen spoke on these issues, and the government's commitment to overseeing and enforcing a long-term recovery effort, in an August 8th appearance on NBC's news program Face the Nation.
As to the Gulf recovery effort, Commander Allen emphasized, "We've got a commitment to be there." He went on to state, "BP is responsible. We're going to hold them accountable."
For more information on the Gulf of Mexico disaster recovery effort and other maritime issues, please visit www.GulfCoastMaritime.com.
If you have questions regarding a maritime incident or have suffered a maritime injury, contact Arnold & Itkin LLP toll free at 866-222-2606 for a free consultation.
According to witnesses, the 33’ Coast Guard vessel was responding to an emergency call from a grounded boat and was traveling fast with its lights on. The boy’s father, Alan DeWeese, said he tried to maneuver the boat out of harm’s way.
Jaime Ortiz, 43, fell off a 39-foot lobster boat based in Gloucester, Mass., prompting an immediate search that included boats owned by local harbormasters, police and numerous local fishermen. Ortiz has not yet been found, and no official statement has been made about his chances of survival. Local officials said the search would continue..jpg)
At approximately 10 p.m., a commercial fishing vessel contacted the 
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However, before the rescue crews arrived, the Danna Elisabeth crew members abandoned the fishing vessel for a life raft. When the rescue boats arrived and began to transfer the crew members to the Bella, one of the seamen, Tony Moliner, began seizing. The Coast Guard rushed Moliner to the Easter Yacht Club after which he was medically evacuated to a Baltimore hospital.
Maritime safety procedures, if followed properly, can minimize the risk of accidents. Loads must be properly secured to prevent the risk of loads falling off of cranes and injuring workers. Maritime workers must also be trained about the risks they face while performing these activities. The importance of worker training and employee coordination cannot be underestimated. It is imperative that workers are trained to warn each other about the status of operations and any possible risk to those in the vicinity. Cranes must be fitted with alarm systems to warn workers that loads are being carried.
Investigators are looking into a number of factors that may have caused the accident, including the speed of the power boat, lighting conditions, and whether people on the power boat were drinking at the time of the crash. The driver of the boat is said to be one of those who survived the boat accident and officials have confirmed that they will conduct toxicology tests on the driver. 
The enhancements are expected to bring in more than $400 million in extra revenue for the port and could lead to the creation of more than 2,000 jobs. That is good news, not only for the port and its maritime workers, but also for the larger Galveston community.
The company that owns one of the boats, Diversified Environmental Services, is located near the dock and was able to respond to the crisis immediately. The quick response helped prevent damage to marine life and the environment. No injuries were reported in the collision.
After the Newfoundland helicopter crash, investigators began to look into whether the stud fractured before the crash or was smashed during the accident. A broken stud can lead to loss of oil pressure, potentially resulting in a gearbox problem and eventually loss of control of the chopper. Investigators have now determined that the titanium studs are indeed prone to fracture. The studs in the Newfoundland accident are believed to have fractured during the flight. In January, Sikorsky issued an alert asking helicopter operators to replace the titanium studs with steel ones..jpg)
He suffered intense terror, unsure if rescue would arrive in time or if the rig would collapse on him. He suffered injuries to his wrist and back, but the emotional scars ran deeper. He has suffered from severe post traumatic disorder since the accident. In 2007, Campbell was awarded $952,966 including 200,000 in damages for PTSD.
The system is expected to be in place within the next 5 years, but in parts of Florida, pilots are already using the satellite-based GPS data to obtain the same information air traffic controllers can see on their monitors. The GPS allows controllers to locate the position of an airplane far more accurately than they currently do with data from ground-based radars. With the new system, pilots and air traffic controllers will be able to access data generated by the second.
Across the world, 115 countries have promised to ban single hull ships by 2015. In the U.S., single hull tankers are required to unload at the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port or other designated unloading points until 2015 comes around. Even as the world moves to avoid another massive and environmentally destructive maritime accident like the Valdez spill, Exxon continues to use single hull tankers. In 2008 alone, Exxon Mobil Corp. hired more older, single hull tankers than the other top ten oil companies combined. The company insists that the cost of hiring double hull tankers is not the reason for its failure to bring them into operation. Double hull tankers can cost up to 20% more to hire than single hull ships.
Fortunately, there were no injuries on board the Gilchrist. Fires on a water craft are often linked to explosions; the fire on the Gilchrist appears to have ignited in the engine. This can happen due to improper maintenance of the fuel system. Fires can also break out due to electrocution, when the vessel comes in contact with a live power line.
It appears that the drilling company was negligent in providing a safe working environment for Jesus Perez. The opening of the platform that Perez fell into, according to the lawsuit, was the result of misplaced grading; the drilling company was responsible for making sure that such potential hazards were absent from the platform.
Galveston County Navigation District No.1 paid Texas Gulf Company $1.5 million to repair the bridge, but in early February the project was shut down due to shortage of funds. A local contractor Lamson Nguyen has agreed to take up the task of filling potholes on the bridge free of cost. However, the fact is that the 50-year-old bridge is in need of permanent repairs. The district has no funds available to continue the work and has requested $6 million from the .jpg)
The ports will receive $4 million each from the .gif)
New infrastructure will also add to the efficiency of cargo shipping operations from the industrial plants on Chemical Row. Port of Beaumont's investment of the federal funds is expected to create hundreds of jobs, in addition to increasing the capabilities of the port by at least 50%. The Orange County property will include deep access capabilities, as well as development of a new dock. The port will not depend solely on federal funds to finance these ambitious new infrastructure projects. According to Chris Fisher, Port of Beaumont's executive director, the total funding from the Economic Development Administration is $134 million and has been distributed to other Texas ports, as well as ports in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico.
When the tugboat, Mel Oliver, pushed an oil barge into the path of an oncoming ship last July, apprentice mate John Bavaret was at the helm. Bavaret did not have the licensing needed to operate the tugboat, he was "filling in" for Terry Carver, the captain of the ship. Carver, according his own testimony, jumped ship a few days before the tugboat accident to pursue his girlfriend in Illinois. He asked Bavaret to take his place at the helm of the tugboat. Bavaret's inexperience and lack of qualifications for the job resulted in an accident that ended with more than 280,000 gallons of fuel spilled into the Mississippi River. According to Jim Sellers' testimony, hiring inadequately licensed crew members was a regular practice at DRD Towing. The company, which closed down in August, had previously substituted an unlicensed deckhand for an apprentice mate. According to Sellers, he tried, on many occasions, to caution his employers at DRD Towing that the practice of staffing the vessel crew with insufficiently licensed personnel could end up causing problems for the company..jpg)
a Class 150 lift boat used for work on offshore drilling rigs and platforms. In March of 2007, when he began experiencing stomach pains, Charbonnet requested that his employers provide medical care; his request was denied. At the time, the vessel was just off the Jefferson County shore. Lack of immediate medical attention intensified Charbonnet's symptoms and, as a result, the seaman suffered extreme “physical pain” and “mental anguish”. Charbonnet was later diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The lawsuit claims that the illness resulted in physical impairment, discomfort, distress, and mental anguish. It also alleges that the employers were negligent in: their failure to provide immediate medical attention, their failure to supervise crew and train employees, and their failure to provide safety equipment and a safe workplace.
Coastal Maritime Stevedoring LLC is a stevedoring company based in Jacksonville, Florida; the company provides loading and unloading services for various kinds of cargo, in addition to warehouse and marine terminal management. The company is capable of handling over sized and unusual cargo, including: military cargo, water crafts, locomotives, cranes and construction machinery. Daise was apparently involved in transporting cargo for Coastal Maritime at the time of the accident.
According to the NTSB, Cosco Busan pilot, John Cota, bore most of the responsibility for the accident due to his failure to read radar data properly. Also, at the time of the accident, Cota was, reportedly, taking as many as 11 different medications for various conditions, ranging from alcoholism to depression. The Board vocalized the reaction of many 
for close to 7.5 hours before help arrived. The investigation found that the accident was caused because of the pilots' slow response when the first engine failed. The board concluded that the slow response was probably due to high stress levels because of the timing of the crash - one week after hurricane Katrina made landfall. The chaotic conditions soon after Katrina hit caused delays in the communication network at Houston Helicopters Inc, the company that operated the helicopter. According to the Board's report, there were several violations at Houston Helicopters Inc. which contributed to the delayed rescue efforts. Post Katrina, other offshore helicopter operators serving drilling companies in the Gulf of Mexico made alternative arrangements, so they could continue supporting helicopter flights. Houston Helicopters Inc., however, failed to make any substitute arrangements. Instead, management at the company recommended that pilots use their own cell phones to transmit important flight information to the control center. The board also found that although Houston Helicopters Inc. had a record of 8 accidents, 3 incidents and at least 18 FAA surveillance violations, there were no follow ups made to check if the company was in compliance with rules regarding alternate methods of flight following procedures. 
