Opinion - Don’t hold back in the gulf

Both the Federal government and British Petroleum claim that they are doing everything possible to stop and ameliorate the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

BP is drilling two new wells to cutoff the faulty one. The government has enlisted its resources, including the Coast Guard and National Guard. Hundreds of commercial ships and private boats are involved in the cleanup operation.

Still the oil gushes, and still the oil spreads. The quantity of oil captured at the well head is far short of projections. The amount being skimmed and removed from the ocean surface is also low compared to estimates.

A new variable is the weather. Recovery efforts now are being hampered by rough seas and wind.

Yet, as the three month anniversary of the disaster approaches, resources are still unused. Criticism abounds that enough is not being done. In response, the number of ships and boats involved in the cleanup effort is expected to be doubled shortly.

From all reports, even more ultimately will be needed.

Much of the needed resources exist. Washington, for example, has oil spill cleanup equipment as do other coastal states. The state’s oil cleanup ships and equipment have not been released to the Gulf of Mexico for fear that a spill may occur here. It is a legitimate worry, but this is no time to hold back. This is time for lend-lease. It is time for mutual aid. It is time for taking the gamble that the equipment now so desperately needed in the gulf will not be needed here.

Washington and the other states with oil spill fighting equipment and technologies need to assist at the site of the BP disaster.

The use of Washington’s resources is being debated. This is no time to hold back.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher