Mammoth A-Whale Oil Skimmer Still Awaiting Approval from EPA Coast Guard

The mammoth A-Whale Oil Skimmer is creeping toward the Gulf area, but has still not received the red light from the EPA or the Coast Guard. The Plaquemines Parish president, Billy Nungesser, says with the A-Whale,  they could be "kicking butt." Nungesser says if we lose this war, it will be the President's fault. Biden walked in for a photo op and left. The parish prez had 30 seconds with the Veep. Day 71! See the video below.

Near the coast line of Chadeleur Islands, LA on June 23, 2010

"No sense of urgency to get it to work"

NORFOLK - After making a brief stop in Norfolk for refueling, U.S. Coast Guard inspections and an all-out publicity blitz intended to drum up public support, a giant tanker billed as the world's largest oil skimming vessel set sail Friday for the Gulf of Mexico where it hopes to assist in the oil-cleanup effort.

The Taiwanese-owned, Liberian-flagged ship dubbed the "A Whale" stands 10 stories high, stretches 1,115 feet in length and has a nearly 200-foot beam. It displaces more water than an aircraft carrier.

Built in South Korea as a supertanker for transporting oil and iron ore, the six-month-old vessel was refitted in the wake of the BP oil spill with 12, 16-foot-long intake vents on the sides of its bow designed to skim oil off surface waters

The vessel's billionaire owner, Nobu Su, the CEO of Taiwanese shipping company TMT Group, said the ship would float across the Gulf "like a lawn mower cutting the grass," ingesting up to 500,000 barrels of oil-contaminated water a day.

But a number of hurdles stand in his way. TMT officials said the company does not yet have government approval to assist in the cleanup or a contract with BP to perform the work. Source.

Also see the A-Whale at sea. The project manager says the ship can take in up to 500,000 barrels a day, and all the oil gathered so far is only 600,000 barrels.



A-Whale Oil Skimmer should be "kicking butt" (video)
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