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Coast Guard will light Transocean spill on fire

Posted on Apr 28, 2010

The Coast Guard will set the ocean on fire.

That’s the latest method the agency is implementing today to prevent the Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil spill from reaching the shores of the Gulf Coast.

The controlled burns would happen only in daylight and would not interfere with operations of other rigs in the area, said Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry.

It has not been decided what will be used to ignite the fire and its effectiveness depends upon the weather and ocean conditions.

"It can be effective in calm water, not much wind, in a protected area," said Louisiana State University professor emeritus of environmental sciences Ed Overton. He said current and wave action make burning at sea a tough proposition.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) believes that birds and mammals have a greater chance of escaping an area of burning ocean than an oil slick.

One concern is the threat of pollution but Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said that it may not pose an extreme concern being well out to sea.

The oil slick may reach land within days or it may take much longer and is forecast to move toward the north-northeast.

Source: Newstimes.com

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