GULF ALERT: WATER SHORTAGES AND POWER BLACKOUTS THREATEN FLORIDA
Water and power resources in FL are at risk from the gulf oil spill.
This is from the blog Zero Hedge:
[link to www.zerohedge.com]
"nformed emergency planning sources in Florida have informed WMR that the state faces severe fresh water shortages and power blackouts if the thick crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster clogs sea water intakes at the largest seawater desalinisation plant in the United States -- the Tampa Bay Seawater Desalinisation Plant at Apollo Beach in Tampa, Florida.
The plant, which uses seawater reverse osmosis to turn seawater into 16 to 19 million gallons of drinking water daily for residents of the Tampa Bay area, faces the threat of filtration membranes becoming clogged if oil from the Gulf of Mexico enters its intake pipes. Such an event would render the plant unable to process seawater, resulting in a major fresh water shortage for the Tampa Bay.
Similarly, oil clogging the water cooling intakes at the Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant on the Gulf of Mexico coast, some 80 miles north of Tampa, could force the shutdown of the Unit 3 pressurized water nuclear reactor. Such an event would result in power shutdowns in the Florida areas served by the power plant.
The Obama administration has taken a page from the government of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Chernobyl in censoring the bad news from the Gulf oil mega-disaster. The Chernobyl cover-up largely resulted in the hastening of glasnost and the ultimate collapse of the Soviet Union."
Obviously, the seriousness of this situation should it come to fruition is not lost on anybody.
SAN ANTONIO -- For weeks now, local hospitals have tracked patients with suspicious symptoms coming in from the gulf coast. Doctors are having trouble distinguishing it from the flu.
"What makes it challenging is that patients show up with non-specific symptoms. Headaches, fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, upset stomach," lists Dr. Claudia Miller at UT Health Science Center.
The illness is called "TILT," or Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance. Patients lose tolerance to household products, medication, or even food after being exposed to chemicals, like burning oil, toxic fumes, or dispersants from the spill.
"Things like diesel fuel, exposure to fragrances, cleaning agents that never bothered them before suddenly bother them," adds Dr. Miller.
My huge apologies, but advance changed POTUS’ schedule today so we need to adjust our call time today to 1:30 ET. Please send out this update to your lists to let them know about the time change.
Subject: TIME CHANGE to 1:30 PM ET: Invitation to a White House Conference Call on the Gulf Oil Spill (Response Information Enclosed)
Friends –
Our sincere apologies, but due to a change in schedules we have to delay our Gulf Update Call this afternoon by 60 minutes. The call will now take place at 1:30 PM ET TODAY, using the same call-in information below.
WHAT: Gulf Update Call WHEN: 06/15/10 START: 1:30PM ET CALL-IN NUMBER: (800) 230-xxxx (please be sure to dial in 5 minutes early)
Thank you for your patience.
Greg
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Friends:
Please join us tomorrow, June 15th, at 1:30 ET for a phone briefing on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the Administration-wide response.
As you may know, the President is visiting the Gulf Region today and tomorrow. Joining us on the call to discuss the current situation in the Gulf and the progress of the response and recovery efforts will be Senior Administration officials who are traveling with the President. The call-in information is below.
WHAT: Gulf Update Call WHEN: 06/15/10 START: 1:30PM ET CALL-IN NUMBER: (800) 230-xxxx (please be sure to dial in 5 minutes early)
Please note that this call is for informational purposes only and not for press.
For the latest information on the spill and the Administration’s response, please see the links below: - Joint Information Center: www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com - Response Resources: www.whitehouse.gov/deepwater-bp-oil-spill/ - Administration Response Activities: www.whitehouse.gov/blog/issues/Deepwater-BP-Oil-Spill - Technical Suggestions: [link to www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com]
Today, NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) also launched a new website meant to be a “one-stop shop for detailed and near-real-time information about the response,” including technical and scientific information. See www.GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse for the latest data on the oil spill’s trajectory, fishery closed areas, wildlife and place-based Gulf Coast resources -- such as pinpointed locations of oiled shoreline and daily position of research ships