Plan change! Plan change! Plan change!

[angledge]

I just found out 2 hours ago I am leaving for Louisiana for the BP oil cleanup!

I'm leaving tomorrow morning!

Wheeeeeeee I love consulting!

Update: I will not - NOT - be working in the field. So I will not be on the "front lines", scooping up oil or cleaning birds or anything. I will be working in an office using GIS (heavens!!) to make maps of ongoing operations. I am SO PSYCHED that I get to use my GIS degree, finally!

Update2: There may be a field component to this work after all - going out & collecting coordinates where various activities are going on. If that's going on, I'm probably going to be doing that because I have my HAZWOPER training. Maybe I should pack my steel-toes after all...

Comments

[chaosvizier.livejournal.com]

Holy crap!

Try and save some of that oil. It's good for making cars go, and cheaper than having some jerk pump it for you.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

I think the sea water that's mixed with the oil will lower its value as fuel. Just sayin'.

[d4b.livejournal.com]

Actually, I've been wondering about this, myself. Surely the water can be boiled out, or whatever. If they're trying to capture all of this oil, might as well try to use it. If nothing else, if it's not used, then it has to be thrown out, and where exactly does one dispose of so much oil?

Plus that whole "we'll never try to use this well again" from BP... why not!? Similar logic to, "this wild animal killed someone, so we need to kill it." It's obviously a strong source of oil, so what's wrong with pumping it, as was the intent in the first place?

I realize I'm being a bit politically incorrect, but the whole "don't use it" attitude is emotional, and emotions don't pay the bills. If people are willing to give up their SUV's, et. al., then, fine, but since they aren't, might as well mitigate some of these huge losses with a minor offset by selling what oil is salvageable.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

I was replying to CV's humorous suggestion in the same vein. Rest assured that BP will capture & refine whatever oil they can. Product recovery is a standard part of many environmental remediation efforts.

As for not using the well, I suppose that depends what shape the borehole's in once they get it plugged. If they end up detonating it closed or something like that, then they shouldn't use it. But if they can somehow get it hooked back up to some sort of pipe, I agree that they should use the well.

[omster.livejournal.com]

wow@ i'll be very interested to hear how that goes.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

I will post when I can!

[love2loveher.livejournal.com]

You are so right. Even with all it's faults, this job fucking rocks.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

Yes. Yes it does.

[phrench-phried.livejournal.com]

Don't drink the water!

[angledge.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the advice!

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I may ride the slow bus, but I kind of figured you would already have been working on this, even though you were in TX. *scratches head*

In any case... if you need to get some phenomenal Vietnamese food, if my favorite West Bank restaurant is still open, I can totally recommend one.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

I won't actually be in New Orleans. I'm going to be in Houma. *sadface*

Also, we'll be working 10 12-hour days & then getting 4 days off in Austin.

More details as they tell me...

[love2loveher.livejournal.com]

That's a nice exhausting schedule.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

Ah, but we have a Fatigue Management Plan, so that's all right.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

Does it involve gin and pudding?

And, yeah, though I know some darn fine eateries in NOLA, none of them warrant the long-assed drive there and back from Houma.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

MY Fatigue Management Plan will probably include gin & pudding. The corporate one makes no mention of these substances.

[love2loveher.livejournal.com]

Through my scientific study of those that burnt out at FEMA and those that didn't, those that partake in frequent gin and pudding seem far less likely to burn out.

[chaosvizier.livejournal.com]

You'd think that with all the money FEMA wastes on things like trailers and hotels (but not blue roofs, because they're awesome), they could throw some money down for gin and pudding. Hmph.

[love2loveher.livejournal.com]

Closest you can get to that is for them to pay for a hotel room that comes with free booze, like the Homewood Suites where they have beer and wine in the evenings, or one of the fancier hotels that might leave you a bottle of wine.

[marasca.livejournal.com]

The corporate one is lame.

But congrats. Sounds like it will be really interesting, and I'm glad to hear it doesn't sound like you'll have to be away from HPG for months on end.