Epoch Times reports that China-built, Cuba-operated Scarabeo 9 water oil rig has started drilling for oil off the coast of Cuba. Experts from two Florida universities and others are studying the possibilities of what an oil spill could cause in catastrophic damage to the coast from South Florida to the Carolinas. “This is a very serious issue to the U.S.,” said Richard E. Dodge, Ph.D., Dean of NSU’s Oceanographic Center. “There are gaps in prediction and should there be an oil spill, we need to know how to handle it, take mitigation measures and be ready. Without the information, we’d be reactive instead of proactive.”
It is ironic that US oil companies are prevented from exploiting our resources, while Communist China and Cuba are doing so a few miles off our Eastern seaboard.
Technology exists that can be extremely valuable in the planning and execution of responding to a release regardless of where it comes from. Considering Cuba’s animosity to the US and China dismal record on environmental responsibility, this does not give any us comfort considering that our own response community continues to ignore some of these technologies.
A recent article regarding an oil spill in Nigeria alleges that Shell is responsible for oil leaked into Nigerian delta, while Shell claims it is the looters who cause the leaks and allow the oil spill on the ground when they are done stealing. Of course the human rights groups are pointing the finger at Shell and ascribing no blame to the looters, which is expected. However one must remember the bad fires and explosions in recent times in that same area caused by oil looters, that killed hundreds. Of course that is probably Shell’s fault too?
