Evidence building for Gulf evacuation preparations

Earlier this week Reuters reported on a massive amount of methane discovered in the Gulf of Mexico. Texas A&M University oceanography professor John Kessler said methane gas levels in some areas are “astonishingly high.” Kessler recently returned from a 10-day research expedition near the BP oil gusher.

Kessler’s team measured both surface and deep water within a 5-mile (8 kilometer) radius of BP’s destroyed wellhead. “There is an incredible amount of methane in there,” Kessler told reporters.

He said the level may be as much as one million times the normal level.

In late May BP said methane makes up about 40 percent of the leaking crude by mass.

In addition to methane, large mounts of toxic hydrogen sulfide, benzene and methylene chloride are leaking into the Gulf according to the EPA and others. Lindsay Williams, a former Alaskan pipeline chaplain with high-level oil industry connections, told the Alex Jones Show on June 10 that deadly gases are indeed escaping from the breached wellhead.

Investigative journalist Wayne Madson, writing for Oil Price, states that his sources inside the federal government, FEMA, and the US Army Corps of Engineers are dealing with a prospective “dead zone” created by the escaping methane within a 200 mile radius from the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

In addition, Madsen reports, Corexit 9500, the oil dispersant used by BP, is viewed by FEMA sources as mixing with evaporated water from the Gulf.

This deadly mixture is then absorbed by rain clouds and produces toxic precipitation that threatens to continue killing marine and land animals, plant life, and humans within a 200-mile radius of the Deepwater Horizon disaster site in the Gulf.

The “dead zone” created by a combination of methane gas and Corexit toxic rain, Madsen continues, will ultimately result in the evacuation and long-term abandonment of cities and towns within the 200-mile radius of the oil gusher. “Plans are being put in place for the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Mandeville, Hammond, Houma, Belle Chase, Chalmette, Slidell, Biloxi, Gulfport, Pensacola, Hattiesburg, Mobile, Bay Minette, Fort Walton Beach, Panama City, Crestview, and Pascagoula,” Madsen writes.

On June 13, SoCal Martial Law Alerts (SCMLA) predicted that Gulf states would be evacuated. “Greg Evensen, a retired Kansas Highway Patrolman, estimates that 30-40 million people would need to be evacuated away from the Gulf’s coastline (i.e. at least 200 miles inland),” SCMLA reported.

In order to accomplish this gargantuan feat, the federal government (through FEMA and other agencies) would most likely seek first to control and manage the transportation system and then operate relocation centers to manage evacuees.

Toward this end, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has already declared the airspace over the oil spill site to be a no-fly zone until further notice. Various sources have indicated that local police, highway patrol, National Guard, US military and foreign troops may be involved in an operation to evacuate the Gulf Coast.

In fact, the Governor of Louisiana has already requested evacuation assistance (i.e. National Guard) for his state from the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Madsen’s trusted sources now lend credence to the SCMLA report

fray.slate.com...

Seems like more evidence is accumulating that evacuation plans do indeed exist and the first bureaucratic steps are being taken to implement them on a moment's notice.

I wonder if someone's completed a study of how the dispersant chemically interacts with methane and H2S under ther pressure/temperature regimes at the wellhead and didn't like the results?

I could be wrong but I don’t see an evacuation of the area in the works, for a couple of different reasons.

First is that back in 1979 a Mexican Rig in the Gulf spewed oil for nine months with many of the same fears, using the same chemicals and same remedies, yet the fears never panned out.

Two I personally believe the political and corporate elite would simply allow as many people to perish in such event and only then once faced with a staggering death toll order the evacuations.

Though heartless, logistically it’s easier and cheaper to just let people die in place, and either evacuate themselves, or wait until widespread death has caused voluntary evacuation to then order a mandatory one, once the numbers are down to the indigent and those still alive who refuse to leave, or otherwise have no other means but government assistance to do so.

Since the Federal Government ultimately will make BP pay the Federal Government for the loss of life, and property, people are likely worth more dead to the government than alive to the government.

I agree Coastal areas could become very unhealthy and even deadly places to live, I disagree that the government really cares, otherwise they would have gone to securing the well head and stopping the leak themselves rather than leave it in BP’s hands.

Some areas are clearly going to be devastated for years to come, the Government’s response to date has been one of “We really don’t care” and I really don’t think they see it as anything else but an opportunity to shake down a cash rich corporation for every penny they can, which requires every damage happening that could.

reply to post by apacheman


H2S can kill you in a single breath. Just FYI on that.

reply to post by DaMod


Yeah, I know.

My last USAF assignment was disaster perparedness NCO for my squadron, so I'm more familiar than most with HAZMAT suits and the reasons you need them.

It seems to me that someone is begiining to prepare for a semi-worst case. Semi-worst in that there is sufficient warning to actually implement a plan.

Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler
I disagree that the government really cares, otherwise they would have gone to securing the well head and stopping the leak themselves rather than leave it in BP’s hands.

Are you listening to the fearleaders on Fox?
There is and was *nothing* that could stop this gushing leak b/c of the pressure and also the cracks in the seabead. BP lied saying they were equipped to handle something of even less than this magnitude. As they say, I guess apologies are easier than permission/preliminaries.

What I'm still trying to figure out is how so much methane can exist when there has been up to 7 controlled fires in the area (biggest one at ground zero). Not trying to debunk or derail, but from his reports of 'so much methane in the area', why no boom boom? I realize that there is methane both above and below the surface. Something just isn't adding up.
I'm keeping an ear out for possible evacs since I have family in Fla. Just trying to put all the pieces together is all.

Originally posted by apacheman
Lindsay Williams, a former Alaskan pipeline chaplain with high-level oil industry connections, told the Alex Jones Show on June 10 that deadly gases are indeed escaping from the breached wellhead.

an Alaskan pipeline--CHAPLAIN? What kind of credentials is that? It only tells me that this is more orchestration from the rabid religious people who have been calling for the destruction of the world for more than a century.

Originally posted by apacheman

Investigative journalist Wayne Madson, writing for Oil Price, states that his sources inside the federal government, FEMA, and the US Army Corps of Engineers are dealing with a prospective “dead zone” created by the escaping methane within a 200 mile radius from the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Has FEMA, federal government, and Corps of Engineers cooperated with this "journalist" in giving this as official information? Have any of these authorities delegated him to report for them? Does he quote the names of his sources? What would make him "priveliged" to 'insider' information?

Originally posted by apacheman
In addition, Madsen reports, Corexit 9500, the oil dispersant used by BP, is viewed by FEMA sources as mixing with evaporated water from the Gulf.

What is the definition of "FEMA" sources? Is this written research material from EPA and other entities? Or is it water cooler gossip? How does FEMA feel about this person becoming their 'spokesperson'?

Originally posted by apacheman
On June 13, SoCal Martial Law Alerts (SCMLA) predicted that Gulf states would be evacuated. “Greg Evensen, a retired Kansas Highway Patrolman, estimates that 30-40 million people would need to be evacuated away from the Gulf’s coastline (i.e. at least 200 miles inland),” SCMLA reported.

Greg Evensen has been debunked on this site many times. He is as bad as Sorcha Faal. I would not consider any information from him to be credible.
Put his name in search and check what other past threads have found regarding credibility of these people.