In continuing his "all-hands-on-deck" response to BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which is quickly reaching the spill record long held by ExxonMobil with it's Exxon Valdez accident, President Obama is sending Energy Secretary Chu to the Gulf coast.
Along with Chu will be a team of "top administration officials and government scientists" who will swarm on BP's command facility in Houston. The move follows another meeting of Obama's cabinet and senior staff to get an update on the efforts to stem the flow of oil from 5,000 feet down off the coast of Louisiana.
The hope is that somehow they can figure out how to "contain the spread, mitigate the environmental impact and provide assistance to affected states, including individuals, businesses, and communities."
But Chu isn't the only top official to be involved. EPA Administrator Jackson has made several visits to the Gulf region to oversee efforts to mitigate the environmental and human health impact of the spill. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has been there and yesterday dispatched Director of the Bureau of Land Management Robert Abbey to the Gulf Coast to support ongoing response efforts. Other federal level resources responding include the Navy, the Coast Guard, NOAA, the Fish & Wildlife Service, the US Geological Survey, and even the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service.
In addition, "to deal more generally with the harms created by oil spills, the President has requested that legislation be sent to Congress to toughen and update the law surrounding caps on damages."
More information and daily updates on the response can be found on the official Deepwater Horizon response site.
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