Federal report suggests Gulf oil spill beach cleanup is about over

Federal officials released a report Friday that suggests cleanup operations have removed as much oil as is practical from most shorelines in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana. “Environmental impacts of remnant oil found on or near beaches after cleanup operations are relatively minor,” reads the report. At least one researcher questioned the Coast Guard’s report.

Iran oil spill hits Gulf coast

An aging oil pipeline has ruptured in southern Iran, contaminating vast patches of the coast and farmland near the town of Deylam on the Gulf.

Amnesty slams Shell over oil spills in Nigeria

Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth have filed an official complaint against the firm Shell for shirking responsibility for oil spills in Nigeria and wreaking havoc on the environment. Environmentalists call the Niger Delta the global capital of oil pollution, but unlike the Gulf of Mexico, there are no underwater robots, flotillas of scientists or oil booms here.

Some Oil Spill Test Results: Louisiana Residents and Ecosystem

Samples of blood were collected on December 16, 2010, from individuals who came in contact with the BP spill chemicals, who visited the coastal communities and wetlands, documenting the impacts of the BP spill, and individuals exposed along the beaches. A report from the Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN).

Carole Fisher’s Art Exhibit: “Sticks in The Minds”

Nationally recognized artist Carole Fisher’s exhibit, “Sticks in the Mind: Alaska Oil Spill Project, 1989-2010,” opens today at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). She has spent the last 21 years conducting an artistic investigation into the Exxon Valdez disaster, interviewing more than 50 people in the process.

Bound By Oil, Stories From The Gulf, NRDC

As members of the Atakapa-Ishak Nation, they have thrived along the lush marshes and canals of Mississippi River delta, surviving on the fertile coastal environment that sustains and nurtures their lifestyle. Then the BP oil disaster struck last summer, and things have never been the same. Bound by oil, they now travel toward the future, not knowing what will come next, but sadly secure that they don’t go alone.

An Environmental Impact Statement: Abstraction of Destruction

The vivid color photographs of J. Henry Fair lead an uneasy double life as potent records of environmental pollution and as ersatz evocations of abstract painting, a strange battle between medium and message, between harsh truths and trite, generic beauty. His subjects include environmental degradation perpetuated on a regular, usually daily basis. “Abstraction of Destruction” is an exhibition at the Gerald Peters Gallery.

Scope and Pace of Gulf Cleanup Is Criticized

Tar balls are still washing up on beaches. Visible sheen is still showing up in certain places in the wake of motorboats. Oil is being washed out of some areas, where it was buried, only to show up someplace else.

Oil Still Fouling Louisiana Marshes

More than 8 months after BP disaster, boat tour finds oil still fouling Louisiana marshes. No cleanup workers were there. The marshes are critical to the Louisiana coast because they protect the shore from hurricanes and serve as a nursery for Gulf sea life.