No one wants to have an accident.  A preventable accident is inexcusable and someone must be held accountable.  Americas Watchdog does not tolerate excuses for negligence and stupidity.

To everyone’s relief, the Gulf of Mexico’s oil sheen from the Deepwater Horizon calamity seems to be dissipating more quickly than anticipated, but it remains unknown how much damage has been done beneath the surface. Still, many are wondering if this positive  news means spill response efforts will be scaled back prematurely, writes The New York Times.

Huge patches of surface oil that spread across thousands of Gulf miles after the April 20 oil rig blast are mostly gone, though sporadic sightings of emulsified oil and tar balls continue.

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As if the Gulf of Mexico needs one more drop of oil polluting its water, estuaries and beaches, MSNBC is reporting that a tug boat struck a wellhead before dawn this morning and yes, there is damage. The tug boat captain immediately notified officials and another vessel also called in the leak a bit later.

Oil is shooting up 20 feet into the air, affirms the office of Plaquemines outspoken Parish President Billy Nungesser. This area is near sensitive Louisiana marshes, not accessible by road.

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Could the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion been averted had not critical alarm systems been partially disabled?  Transocean rig managers did not want people wakened at 3 a.m. with false alarms so they shut off fire and gas alarms, according to Michael Williams, head electrician on the doomed rig.

Workers aboard the vessel have affirmed they had no indication of trouble until after the first of two blasts occurred.

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Details of two BP oil spill compensation funds are causing a stir among attorneys representing victims. They want to see the terms in writing, according to a motion filed with U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier in New Orleans. Currently, there are about 30 oil spill damage cases pending before the judge.

The largest fund is the $20 billion spill-claims escrow account administered by respected New York lawyer Kenneth Feinberg, who oversaw compensation for victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The other is a $100 million companion purse to assist oil workers affected by the U.S. offshore drilling moratorium imposed after the disaster.

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After haggling between BP and the government, the well remains capped for now. Pressure testing will continue regardless of seepage and bubbles in areas around the site. The Washington Post wrote that the Obama Administration will allow BP to keep the cap as is for the next 24 hours. During the interim, engineers hope to ascertain the severity of the situation.

The first successful attempt involving the massive, devastating BP oil spill seems to be working despite the leaks. Oil has stopped gushing into the Gulf of Mexico; however, this is only a temporary measure until relief wells are completed. BP says one might be finished by the end of July.

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After so many failures, pressure tests on BP’s newly capped well are looking positive, according to a senior BP official Sunday, reports the New York Times. The controversial mega-company wants to keep the well closed until it can be permanently sealed, but government top guns were hesitant to endorse such a plan.

This is a position shift  for BP who had agreed with the government only a day before, to temporaily permit the oil flow to resume and be collected and transported through pipes to surface ships.

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The best news in 85 days is that the gusher from BP’s oil spill has finally been capped, but jubilation is on hold. This is a ‘wait and see’ period while engineers monitor pressure gauges and hope no other leaks pop up elsewhere in the well.

The most immediate concern is that pressure from oil contained beneath the cap could fracture the well and make the damage worse, causing oil to erupt from other areas on the sea floor, wrote the Naples Daily News.

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Untrained personnel and failure to follow proper well control procedures were the main causes of the June 3 natural gas blowout at a Pennsylvania hydraulic fracturing site, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) investigation.

“The blowout in Clearfield County was caused by EOG Resources and its failure to have proper barriers in place. This incident was preventable and should never have occurred,” DEP Secretary John Hanger said in a statement.

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Two hundred and twenty-seven BP oil spill exposure-related cases have been reported to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) so far, according to its sixth surveillance disclosure released yesterday. One hundred and ninety-three of those cases included workers on oil rigs or those involved in the oil spill clean-up efforts, while 34 related to the general public.

The Department is gathering data through its surveillance network of doctors, clinics, emergency care locations and medical facilities, which are noting oil spill illnesses and injuries for the ongoing database. Each exposure-related complaint is followed up by DHH Office of Public Health staff.

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