Welcome
Hello, and welcome to the DeWitt Middle School TSA chapter’s entry for the 2011 National TSA Competition Website Design Challenge. Jessie Liu, Olivia Salomon, Sophia Shi, Aaron Silber, and Samba Sowe, alphabetically by surname, designed this website in accordance with the competition’s design brief and challenge statement. They have included an abundance of information on the relatively recent British Petroleum oil spill, including the role of technology in its cleanup.
In addition to information on the spill, there is an “About Us” section, where you can learn more about DeWitt Middle School and its approach to technology education.
Feel free to explore the site.
Research
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill, also called the BP oil spill, was an oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of an explosion of the BP-drilled Macondo Prospect. It is the largest oil spill in American history since the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989.
Disaster: Marine oil spill
Cause: Wellhead blowout
Time of explosion: 9:45 PM on April 20, 2010
Capped: July 15, 2010
Oil flow: 62,000 barrels per day, diminishing over time
Total amount of oil released: About 49 million barrels
Area affected: 2,500-68,000 square miles
Human casualties: 11 dead, 17 injured
Operator: Transocean for British Petroleum
Related Links
British Petroleum’s efforts to resolve the Gulf oil disaster: http://www.bp.com/sectionbodycopy.do?categoryId=41&contentId=7067505
Information from the official U.S. Government site: http://www.restorethegulf.gov/
Official White House site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
Events Leading Up To The Spill
2008 - BP buys mineral rights to drill for oil at the Macondo well, located in the Mississippi Canyon at the Mineral Management Services (MMS) in New Orleans, Louisiana.
February 2009 - BP files a 52-page exploration and environmental impact plan for the Macondo well with the Mineral Management Services. The plan said that it would be “unlikely that an oil spill will occur from drilling for oil”. They state that if an accident did occur the well is too far away to impact anybody significantly.
October 7, 2009 - The Transocean Marianas drilling rig begins to drill the Macondo Well.
November 9, 2009 - Hurricane Ida damages the drilling rig badly enough for it to be replaced.
February 15, 2010 - The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig begins drilling on the Macondo Prospect.
March 8, 2010 - Estimated completion date of the $96 million dollar well,
March 2010 -The blowout preventer is accidentally damaged.
APRIL
April 20, 2010 - Explosion and fire on Deepwater Horizon, an oil rig licensed by BP (British Petroleum) in the Gulf of Mexico. 11 are missing, 17 are injured. The blowout preventer, which should have stopped the oil from spilling, failed.
April 22 - Deepwater Horizon sinks 5,000 feet. A 5-mile long oil slick is reported, and search and rescue begins.
April 23 - The Coast Guard suspends the search on the 11 missing people, who are presumed dead. The rig is found ¼ mile from the preventer.
April 25 - Underwater cameras report that the well leaks 1,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
April 26 - BP shares fall by 2%. About 15,000 gallons of dispersants and 21,000 feet of containment boom are placed at the spill site.
April 27 - U.S. Departments of the Interior and Homeland Security declare plans for an explosion and fire joint investigation. The Coast Guard also declares plans to set fire to the leaking oil to prevent the spreading of the oil.
April 28 - The Coast Guard reports that the oil leak leaks 5 times as much oil than expected at first. Controlled burning of the oil begins on the oil slick.
April 30 - U.S. bans continued drilling in the Gulf, and safety inspections are ordered. Tony Hayward, BP’s chief executive, says that the company will take full responsibility for the spill and pay for all legitimate claims and the cleanup effort.
MAY
May 2 - U.S. officials close fishing areas, BP builds relief well next to failed well.
May 7-10 - Plans for containment dome to cover the leak fail, plans to “junk shot” the well fail, plans to place another containment dome, called a “top hat,” also fail.
May 11 - Each company working on the well blames each other for the spill.
May 13 - It is believed that the well is leaking 70,000 barrels per day.
May 18 - The no fishing zone includes 19% of the Gulf.
JUNE
June 2 - Director of Avatar and Titanic, JAMES CAMERON, assists with cleanup!
June 4 - Attempts to place a cap over the valves show success signs.
June 6 - The containment cap is capturing 10,000 barrels of oil, about half of what’s being released.
June 15 - BP’s credit ratings are cut by Fitch Ratings Agency, while the cost of the spill keeps escalating.
June 16 - BP agrees to pay $20 billion towards oil spill victims.
June 23 - Cap is temporarily put out of action and oil flows freely for a few hours.
JULY
July 5 - Cost of the spill has risen to over $3 billion. BP asks its partners, Anadarko and Mitsui Oil Exploration, to contribute money.
July 11 - BP’s latest attempt to seal the leak, involving robots adding a replacement containment system, begins.
July 13 - Plan succeeds, and a tighter-fitting containment cap is added.
July 15 - BP is able to stop the flow entirely for the first time in 87 days, hopes for entirely sealing it off are high.
July 20 - U.S. gives BP 24 more hours to monitor the capped well, in response to concerns over seepage and methane leaks.
July 26 - Tony Hayward, chief executive, is to leave BP. He is replaced by Bob Dudley.
July 29 - Shell could pursue BP for Gulf damages, because of the moratorium on drilling in the US.
AUGUST
August 2 - BP plans to stem flow with a “static kill,” which involves pumping mud and cement into the well.
August 4 - Static kill has successfully plugged the well. The majority of oil from the spill has been cleaned up.
August 15 - The presidential family goes swimming in the Gulf to set an example for Americans.
August 16 - U.S government starts environmental reviews for new deepwater oil drilling.
August 25 - BP pulls out of an Arctic drilling bid due to its poor reputation.
August 26 - BP share prices rise after an investment report from Credit Suisse.
SEPTEMBER
September 3 - BP reports that the oil leak will be sealed in 14 days.
September 7 - The dwarf seahorse faces extinction due to oil spill.
September 8 - BP claims that other companies are also to blame for the spill, and admits failure to see warning signs of explosion.
September 19 - BP permanently seals ruptured well after five months.
September 20 - BP shares rise 8%, the U.S. campaign group Public Citizen calls off BP boycott.
September 23 - It is estimated that a total of 4 million barrels of oil were released.
OCTOBER
October 1 - Bob Dudley officially takes over as chief executive of BP, replacing Tony Hayward.
October 10 - BP planned to stop taking complaints at and close it’s US “safety watchdog,” a external safety ombudsman.
October 12 - Moratorium on deep-water drilling from the Obama administration is removed.
NOVEMBER
November 25 - Seven months after the disaster, tar balls are discovered in shrimping nets.
DECEMBER
December 15 - The US government files a law suit against BP and several of its partners. It could possibly cost BP several million dollars, and accused the company of violating safety regulations. It also requests that BP pays for losses suffered by everyone from local businesses to the environment.
(2, 7)
Political Impact
"[The Deepwater Horizon oil spill] is one of those cases where just about everybody who's reasonable can agree that a president and an administration have fallen short," says Larry Sabato, a political analyst. Wary of the ⅔ of the population who, in a 2010 CBS News interview, thought he was not doing enough to stem relief efforts, President Barack Obama demanded that British Petroleum (BP) pay all “legitimate” claims related to the oil spill, to which the company agreed. (3)
By May 26, 2010, over 130 total lawsuits were filed against BP, rig owner Transocean, blowout prevention manufacturer Cameron International Corporation, and cementer Halliburton Energy Services. On April 21, 2011, BP filed $40 billion worth of lawsuits against Transocean, Halliburton, and Cameron. All firms deny the allegations. (1)
Supporters of these companies are on the offensive, however. Sarah Palin posted a message on her Facebook saying that environmentalists had forced oil companies to drill so far away from shore.
Obama needs to ensure that a full and thorough investigation of the disaster is completed, clear supervision is carried out, and skilled workers not only devise and carry out a plan to clean up the Gulf, but also make sure that this never happens again. Already he has placed a moratorium on offshore drilling expansion. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has enforced this law in California. However, Sarah Palin, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, and House Minority Leader John Boehner, among other politicians, have disregarded this proposition, continuing to advocate this practice.
Experts say that how President Obama proceeds to deal with the crisis may affect his chances at a second term. The cleanup, like the health care bill proposal and the Nobel Peace Prize, is sure to become part of his legacy. (3)
Social Impact
Environmentalists are using the oil spill as an opportunity to shed light on other conservation issues. The Natural Resources Defense Council, as well as other preservationist organizations, hope that the public’s fathoming of the crisis will turn into support for greener resources. (3)
On May 29, eight oil spill cleanup workers were hospitalized, reportedly from dehydration. Coast Guard Captain Meredith Austin stated that no respiratory protection was used, due to the fact that earlier air inspection claimed that the surrounding atmosphere was found to sport only adequate, minatory pathogens. Executive Director for Louisiana’s Environmental Action Network, Marylee Orr, stated that symptoms of dizziness, vomiting, nausea, headaches, and chest pains were being experienced by Gulf Coast residents. These illnesses are speculated to be the result of exposure to all of the chemicals that are being used to assist in the containment and removal of the oil. It is suggested that certain dispersants, called poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are making people sick -- they are high in compounds that are known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic. These compounds interact with other dispersants, creating other compounds -- many of which are on the EPA’s danger list. In March of 2011, NASA data showed that these toxic compounds became airborne, able to be moved closer to shore by precipitation. Interestingly enough, during the summer, Gulf Coast residents reported that it was raining oil and dispersant. (1)
Economic Impact
Many people cancelled their vacations to the Gulf after news of the oil spill broke out. However, Gulf Coast hotels actually reported an influx of revenue -- probably due to the increase of people coming to help with the clean up efforts. Jim Hutchinson, assistant secretary for the Louisiana Office of Tourism, dubbed these statistics as misleading, saying, "Because of the oil slick, the hotels are completely full of people dealing with that problem. They're certainly not coming here as tourists. People aren't sport fishing, they aren't buying fuel at the marinas, they aren't staying at the little hotels on the coast and eating at the restaurants."
On April 29, 2010, a state of emergency was declared by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal in response to weather forecasts predicting that the oil would soon reach shore. An emergency shrimping season was initiated on April 29, and by April 30, reports of oil washing up into Louisiana wildlife grounds and fishing waters surfaced. On May 2, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association closed fishing waters between Pensacola Bay, Florida, and the mouth of the Mississippi river. Initially enclosing 6,814 square miles, it encompassed 86,985 square miles between Atchafalaya Bay, Louisiana, and Panama City, Florida by June 21. The spill cost the fishing industry an estimated 2.5 billion dollars. On May 24, a fisheries disaster was declared by the federal government, regarding the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
By the end of September 2010, after the well was finally capped, BP reportedly spent $11.2 billion on the oil spill, including the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, litigation, payments to the Gulf states, and the federal government. Ironically, the company’s London Stock Exchange price rose to 439.75 pence, its highest since May 28. (1)
Private Efforts to Contain the Spill
The oil from the rig that exploded in the Gulf was going to be marketed by British Petroleum (BP). Although the rig was manned by a crew from the company Transocean, BP announced they were taking full responsibility for the leak. BP promised to pay back all legitimate claims from the local residents and businesses. A $500 Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative to observe and study the long-term effects of the oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico was created. BP has announced million dollar grants to help bump tourism and help restore the image of Gulf seafood. Additionally, BP provided funds for the effort to staunch the pipe leak.To help prevent future leaks, they have also teamed up with other major oil providers to deploy new equipment that could hold in the event of another blowout. (8)
In addition to BP, many other companies and individuals have reached out to help in the Gulf, sending donations and supplies. Volunteer groups, such as the Audubon Society, Sierra Club, and National Wildlife Federation are working to help clean and rescue the birds and other animals affected by the oil spill. (10) Although tourism rates fell sharply after the spill, many hotels stayed busy due to the armies of volunteers who showed up at the Coast to help. People across the world joined existing volunteer groups or formed new makeshift ones of their own to assist with the cleanup. (11) Many groups of volunteers have gone out to the beaches at night to pick up residual debris and oil.
Additionally, donations have poured into the Gulf through places like the Gulf Coast Fund, United Way, the Nature Conservancy, the National Wildlife Fund, and many others. Larry King held a 2 hour long telethon on CNN to raise money to help the Gulf Coast. (9) Other celebrities, such as James Cameron, have also reached out by donating boats and funds to help with rescue and cleanup efforts.
Government Efforts to Contain the Spill
The government has tried to help out with the oil spill as much as possible. However, some people believe that it could have done more. On June 15, 2010, President Obama gave a speech to the country regarding the oil spill.
Individually, many government departments have been doing their part to catalyze the oil spill relief efforts.
Human safety and well-being has been a prominent concern for the government. The United States Coast Guard searched for the 126 people aboard the rig, as well as the 11 missing workers. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano led the National Response Team, an organization of 16 federal departments and agencies responsible for coordinating emergency preparedness and responding to oil pollution events. The Small Business Administration gave low-interests loans to small businesses in the Gulf Coast region. The Department of Labor has evaluated many Gulf worksites’ safety, monitoring beach cleanup and decontamination and retraining now-unemployed oil workers for new jobs. The Department of the Interior has been overseeing BP’s cleanup efforts, as well as updating reports and recommendations of safety measures that should be heeded for more offshore enterprises. Within the DOI, the Fish and Wildlife Service initiated Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration activities to deal with long-term damage to affected species, and the National Park Service has focused on safety and protection of eight Gulf Coast national parks. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has been identifying and surveying the related chemical, physical, biological, and psychological hazards that could affect oil spill response workers.
Environmentalism has been a major factor to monitor, as well. The Department of Homeland Security has established a command center on the Gulf Coast to address the potential environmental impact of the event and to coordinate with all involved state and local governments. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been organizing weather and biological response services. The Environmental Protection Agency has been providing data concerning public health and the environment, such as air quality and water sample reports. The Department of Defense lead the coordination of federal response actions and lent Naval and Air Force bases as boom deployment areas. (5)
Technology in Cleanup
BP tried an endless amount of techniques to clean up the oil spill. From the beginning, the problem was recognized to have an “all hands on deck” solution. President Barack Obama made sure that there was a Coast Guard force of 100 on the job and one hundred thousand meters of containment boom. The Air Force was also involved, as well as one third of the word’s oil dispersant supply.
A more specific approach to this clean up was the “mechanical” method, which used a boom to corral and deflect the oil, and skimmers to collect it afterwards. Elise DeCola, an oil spill specialist, says that this is the preferred approach, “because it’s the only one that takes the oil out of the environment.”
The second tactic they tried was applying dispersants to the oil slick from sea vessels or airplanes above. These detergent-like solutions break the oil into droplets so that they can be dealt with naturally. By May 2, more than 156,000 gallons of these dispersants had been applied to the slick by BP.
Situ burning was also utilized as an attempt to contain the oil. To do this, workers had to corral the oil to maintain a thickness that could sustain a controlled burn. The tar-like substance remaining after burning could then be removed or left, like the dispersed oil, to naturally decompose. After conducting a test burn, however, the Coast Guard decided that the winds on the Gulf were too strong to make another attempt. (4)
Technology in Capping the Well
Technology was also used to attempt to stop the flow of oil. Remote-controlled robotic submarines were released onto the Gulf floor in an attempt to close numerous valves, thereby stopping the leaks. However, this technique turned out to be unsuccessful. One BP official reported that its like trying to perform “open heart surgery... in the dark.” As you can imagine, it was difficult, and didn’t succeed.
While the robots worked underseas, BP tried another technique. They positioned a rig over the leak site that would drill a “relief well” to keep the oil away from the Deepwater Horizon leaks. Meanwhile, they also tried to construct three huge cement-and-steel capping “domes.” These were to act like a vacuum and cover the leaks, moving the oil up pipes to recovery tanks. (4)
Bibliography
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill
2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/29/bp-oil-spill-timeline-deepwater-horizon
3. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/06/sunday/main6553939.shtml
4. http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/coal-oil-gas/state-of-oil-cleaning-tech
5. http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/energy-and-environment/deepwater-bp-oil-spill
6. http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle800.do?categoryId=9036585&contentId=7067606
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill
8. http://www.bp.com/sectionbodycopy.do?categoryId=41&contentId=7067505
9. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/22/gulf-oil-spill-telethon-h_n_620839.html
10. http://blog.tonic.com/how-you-can-volunteer-to-clean-up-the-gulf-coast-oil-spill/
11. http://articles.cnn.com/2010-05-01/us/gulf.area.response_1_volunteers-oil-spill-gulf-coast?_s=PM:US
Special thanks to Jacy Hollander and Lindsay Fei for helping with this website.
About Us
DeWitt Tech Ed
Dewitt Middle School begins the technological education of its students as soon as they enter the school, in 6th grade. By the end of 7th grade, every DeWitt student has had the opportunity to complete one semester of computer classes. In these classes, computer teachers instruct their students how to use programs such as Microsoft Excel, Word, and Publisher, in addition to Photoshop and even Autodesk Inventor.
We take technology education very seriously at DeWitt. Students entering 8th grade are required to take a technology course that lasts for the entire year. In this class, students learn about more than just computer programs. DeWitt’s Technology teachers, Mr. Bob Walters and Mr. David Buchner, demonstrate for their students how to use innovative and hands-on machinery such as the band saw, drill press and the laser engraver. This class, affectionately referred to as “Tech” by its participants, allows students to put the knowledge they have been soaking in since elementary school to use in a safe, stimulating environment. Students also have the opportunity to join the DeWitt Technology Student Association (TSA) chapter at the beginning of each year.
Mr. Buchner and Mr. Walters are always around to answer questions and complete safety checks for their students. When they are absent and the class has a substitute, many of the 8th graders are disappointed in losing a day to work on the fun and engaging projects the teachers have set up for them. This year, the students were able to learn about many different aspects of technology by participating in projects such as Humpty Dumpty (hydraulic levers), Marble Maze (gaining familiarity with tools, machines, and materials), LEGO Mindstorm (robotics), and even an Independent Study, in which the students were allowed to use the resources in the tech room to create anything they want.
Technology Education at DeWitt Middle School is an invaluable class and an all together fun yet enriching experience. What more could anyone ask for?
For more information about DeWitt Middle School Technology Education, click here: http://www.icsd.k12.ny.us/dewitt/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=64
DeWitt TSA
TSA stands for the Technology Student Association, a non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian, student-run organization for students interested in technology. TSA is dedicated to helping its students realize that "Learning to live in a technical world" is a vital, if not necessary, skill. Every year, students from all around the world gather in one city to compete with one another, learn from each other, and build friendships. TSA does not only support academics: it also encourages problem solving, teamwork, organization, management, and more.
Our DeWitt TSA chapter is comprised of 23 bright students in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade. We are located in Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York, Mid-Atlantic Region, United States, North America, Earth, the Solar System, the Milky Way Galaxy, the Universe. Mr. David Buchner and Mr. Bob Walters are our supportive advisors, encouraging us to do our best, hauling us up when we don’t, and cheering us on past the finish line. Meeting two days a week after school, we work on competitions in preparation for the state and national competitions.
As of 2011, there are 32 competitions at the national level, ranging from Robot TOBOR, Electronic Gaming, and Technical Drawing to Prepared Speech, Agriculture and Biotechnology Issues, and Graphic Design -- and every technological topic in between. All of these events have tie into STEM -- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
We also perform community service to help our school and local area, including creating sets for the school drama productions, planting trees along an eroding riverbank, and, of course, cleaning our advisors’ rooms. Multiple times.
For more information on TSA in New York State, click here: http://www.nystsa.org/
For more information on National TSA, click here: http://www.tsaweb.org/
To check out our first place NYSTSA 2010 website entry, click here: http://tsa.antiphysics.com/
To check out our semifinalist National TSA 2010 website entry, click here: http://dewitt.aaronthesilber.com/?home