Image of the Day

CBS News has learned that BP is set to embark Thursday
on the fifth day of a little-known subsea mission under Coast
Guard supervision to look for any new oil leaking from the
Deepwater Horizon disaster.
The BP oil rig exploded in 2010, killing 11 workers and
sending a total estimated 206 million gallons of oil gushing into
the Gulf of Mexico for three months before it was capped.
In September, a new oil sheen was spotted about 50 miles
off the Louisiana coast. Tests confirmed the oil came from the
infamous Macondo well underneath the Deepwater Horizon.
BP’s underwater vehicle observed oil seeping from the well’s
containment dome and, after a remote operation, declared the
leaks plugged on October 23. The company and the Coast Guard
said it wasn’t feasible to clean up the slick, and that it didn’t
pose a risk to the shoreline.
But more oil continues to surface. Slicks and sheens of
varying sizes and shapes have been documented by satellite
photos, as well as aerial video recorded by the non-profit
environmental group “On Wings of Care.” It’s suspected that an
unknown amount of oil trapped in the containment dome, and in
the wreckage and equipment from 2010, could be seeping out.
A couple of points here. First of all, while it’s a travesty that new oil
is still polluting the Gulf after all this time, it’s fantastic to see Bonny
Schumaker and On Wings of Care receive national credit for the amazing
work that they do. In fact, the CBS piece was illustrated with some of
Bonny’s photos that revealed BP’s new pollution. They were pictures that
neither BP or the authorities wanted people to see, and Bonny Schumaker
showed great courage in obtaining these images and releasing them to the
public. The hidden story of Deepwater Horizon is the effort that many
private citizens have undertaken to reveal the truth of the spill and its
severe impacts on the ecology of the Gulf Coast and on human health.
Second, Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts — who has been steadfast
on the issue of holding BP accountable — told CBS that BP is still not
being honest or transparent in this new leak, and that he is worried that