Refrigerator sized BP oil container from Deep Water Horizon washes up onto Panama City Beach

[Maru Kitteh]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/12/florida.oil.container



(CNN) -- A portion of beach in Panama City, Florida, was closed Saturday after a large oil container with BP markings washed ashore, local authorities said.

It was not immediately clear if the container, which was leaking a small amount of oil, came from the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that exploded April 20 and sank two days later, triggering a massive underwater gusher that has led to the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.

The large, stainless steel tank about the size of a refrigerator washed up on the west end of Panama City Beach and was discovered shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday, Bay County sheriff's Deputy Ray Maulbeck told CNN.

The container has a capacity of 550 gallons of oil, but Maulbeck said officials didn't know how much oil was in the tank.

...more at link.

[theophilus]

1. I wouldn't open that. It looks like a TARDIS. Bigger on the inside, you know.....n/t

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. Who would think that.... n/'t

[Maru Kitteh]

8. Indeed. Maybe we could use it to go back in time and stop this whole damn thing

Or at least we could go back and start with "junk-shot" and jettison Tony Hayward and every pro-drilling republican's body into the hole.

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. How can something that huge and heavy just 'wash ashore'?

Wow!

[Auggie]

4. The power of water is amazing, isn't it?

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. Simply stunning.

I am terrified to think of the storm surge the summer storms are going to bring.

[mike_c]

6. it's bouyant....

Probably has a big air bubble inside, and certainly oil is less dense than water, so the whole thing probably hung in the water just below the surface (where it was a shipping hazard, too). Mostly, the wave action and currents just shoved it around until it reached shallow water near the beach. I've seen shipping containers on Malarimo Beach in Mexico. When well sealed, they will float, often below the surface.

[Oregone]

7. We are so fucked

Game over humans

[dana_b]

9. that is creepy

this whole thing is but.... shiver....

[flyarm]

10. Piece of oil rig washes up on Florida beach Source: AP

Piece of oil rig washes up on Florida beach Source: AP

A piece of wreckage from the deepsea rig that exploded in April has washed up on a beach in Florida about 190 miles from the site of the disaster.

Bay County Sheriff Deputy Ray Maulbeck was working beach patrol Sunday morning when he came upon the stainless steel tank that had some oil oozing from it, along with barnacles and sea growth attached to it. The Coast Guard and state environmental officials were called in to investigate, and they took the piece away.

Maulbeck says the part had markings that identified it as having come from the Deepwater Horizon rig.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/12/2012132/piece-of-o...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MORE:

Mystery Tank From Exploded Oil Rig Washes Ashore On Local Beaches
http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/96221084.html


<snip>

Residents to that section of the beach say the tank first appeared last night and washed up to the shoreline over night. But no one reported it to authorities until mid morning today.

Eye witnesses tell newschannel seven the tank had BP identifying logos on it but those were promptly removed when crews arrived late this morning.

Its not known what is inside the tank but the Coast Guard, Bay County Hazmat Teams and The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sealed off the area for a thousand feet after fumes from the tank were so noxious people began feeling ill.

Bay County EMS Ambulance units were sent to the scene to stand by but they apparently we not needed.

Even though Bay County Hazmat teams did some on the spot testing to see what was involved, Valerie Lovett, the County's Public Information officer, told NewsChannel Seven she couldn't say what it was.


SNIP;
In the meantime, the major question of what was in the tank, petroleum of dangerous chemical still remains unanswered tonight.

[undeterred]

11. I'm surprised none of the 11 bodies have washed up yet.

BP wouldn't want pictures of that.

[Maru Kitteh]

13. You know normally I would speculate that the bodies might not last long enough to get to shore

But we've pretty much killed everything that may have taken them.

[merh]

14. It is assumed that most of the 11 were incinerated.

It is assumed that the toolpusher and drillers who tried to trigger the blowout preventer were killed instantly when the gas was ignited. The toolpusher's father has said that his son was cremated on the rig while trying to prevent the blowout and explosions.

[Maru Kitteh]

15. I suppose BP will send him a bill for that.

[malaise]

12. BP announces its arrival

Oh the irony.