Successful plugging of two Gannet Alpha leaks come as a Scottish newspaper reveals Shell’s poor safety record in the region The oil sheen on the surface of the North Sea that followed the UK’s worst oil spill for a decade has finally disappeared, according to Shell , after the company managed to plug its leaking pipeline on Friday . Government officials are now launching an investigation into the leak as part of an effort to discover how the spill came about and how to prevent such damage recurring. However, the successful plugging of both the primary and secondary leaks at the Gannet Alpha platform, 112 miles east of Aberdeen, came as a Scottish newspaper revealed Shell’s poor safety record in the region. An investigation by the Sunday Herald found that Shell had been officially censured 25 times in the past six years for breaking safety rules, giving it one of the worst safety records of any major oil company in the UK. Infringements by Shell include repeatedly failing to maintain pipelines – similar to the one that gave rise to the Gannet leak – as well as for failing to report a dangerous incident, and failing to protect workers from hazardous chemicals. The revelations cited come from records held by the government’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and include incidents in which Shell was fined or received an official reprimand. Since 2005, Shell has been prosecuted four times: for an explosion at Bacton gas terminal near Norwich; an accident at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire; a collision at the Mossmorran gas plant in Fife; and a fatality on the Clipper rig in the North Sea. The company has been forced to pay out nearly £1m in fines and legal costs. No other major oil company has faced as many prosecutions in the last six years, according to the HSE. Talisman was prosecuted twice in the period, while BP, Total, Amec and Nexen were each prosecuted once, the Sunday Herald reported. Shell’s safety record is likely to come under scrutiny as the government’s investigation into the leak is launched this week. First, Scotland’s procurator fiscal will meet experts from the HSE and officials from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) in order to set the initial scope for the investigation. When Decc has completed the investigation, which will involve talking to divers, marine experts and Shell executives, the results will be taken back to the procurator fiscal who will have to decide whether to proceed with a criminal prosecution. One of the key questions is whether Shell will have to pay for the government’s costs in containing the leak, including the cost of surveillance flights by Marine Scotland. Shell said that after its divers closed a faulty relief valve on Friday, no further oil had been released. However, the pipeline – which has been secured to the seabed with 26 concrete “mattresses” – could still contain as much as 660 tonnes of oil, three times more than the nearly 220 tonnes that has already leaked. The company is looking at how to make that safe, as well as monitoring the area to ensure that no further oil is seeping out. Decc has said a containment structure might need to be built in order to ensure that no further oil reaches the sea as the pipeline is dealt with. Green campaigners criticised Shell for not being sufficiently open about the incident, which was discovered on Wednesday 10 August but not disclosed to the public for two days, and they said the incident raised questions over the safety of oil companies’ plans to drill in deep water in the Arctic , as the North Sea is generally supposed to be the safest in the world in terms of spills. However, a Guardian investigation this summer found that there is an oil leak in the North Sea about once a week on average, though most of them are minor. Shell’s poor safety record Oil company / prosecutions since 2005 / enforcement notices since 2005 Shell / 4 / 21 Maersk / 0 / 33 BP / 1 / 20 Talisman / 2 / 12 Petrofac / 0 / 15 Total / 1 / 7 Chevron / 0 / 9 Nexen / 1 / 5 Rowan / 0 / 8 Amec / 1 / 4 Amoco / 0 / 7 Esso / 0 / 6 Conoco / 0 / 5 Marathon / 0 / 5 Shell’s 25 safety lapses Date / plant / situation June 2010 / Nelson, North Sea / prohibition notice after failure to maintain pipeline in good repair January 2010 / Clipper, North Sea / improvement notice after drinking water contaminated October 2009 / Brent Charlie, North Sea / prohibition notice after risk of serious personal injury from toxic and flammable gas June 2009 / Ellesmere Port, Cheshire / improvement notice because of blocked pipes and drains June 2009 / Ellesmere Port, Cheshire / improvement notice over blockages March 2009 / Stanlow terminal, Ellesmere Port / improvement notice after failure to provide information December 2008, Mossmoran gas plant, Fife / improvement notice because of access problem for emergency services December 2008 / Mossmoran gas plant, Fife / improvement notice on access for emergency services August 2008 / Brent Bravo, North Sea / improvement notice after failure to maintain pipeline April 2008 / Mossmoran gas plant, Fife / improvement notice to reduce risk of traffic accident February 2008 / Bacton gas terminal, Norwich / prosecuted after explosion, fined £440,000 February 2008 / Mossmoran gas plant, Fife / improvement notice to remedy deficiencies in emergency response November 2007 / Leman Charlie, North Sea / prohibition notice because of dangers from asbestos June 2007 / Dunlin Alpha, North Sea / improvement notice after failure to control exposure to hazardous chemicals June 2007 / St Fergus gas plant, Peterhead / improvement notice after breach of safety regulation May 2007 / Anasuria production vessel, North Sea / improvement notice after failure to ensure watertight integrity April 2007 / Dunlin Alpha, North Sea / improvement notice after failure to report a dangerous occurrence February 2007 / Ellesmere Port, Cheshire / prosecuted after accident, fined £116,666 February 2007 / Clipper, North Sea / improvement notice after failure to maintain vital equipment December 2006 / Mossmorran gas plant, Fife / prosecuted after accident, fined £12,000 December 2006 / Ellesmere Port, Cheshire / improvement notice because of poor maintenance November 2006 / Clipper, North Sea / improvement notice after failure to maintain vital equipment November 2005 / Clipper, North Sea / prosecuted after fatality, fined £150,000 September 2006 / Cormorant Alpha, North Sea / prohibition notice for inadequately guarded winch September 2006 / Leman Alpha, North Sea / improvement notice for inadequate maintenance and control (Source: Herald Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive) Oil spills Oil Oil Energy Fossil fuels Royal Dutch Shell Oil and gas companies Energy industry Scotland Fiona Harvey guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …President <![CDATA[&]]> Michelle Obama Step Out For Martha’s Vineyard Date Night
August 22, 2011 No Comment![President <![CDATA[&]]> Michelle Obama Step Out For Martha’s Vineyard Date Night](http://newsbreakingonline.com/wp-content/themes/transcript/timthumb.php?src=%3Cimg+src%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fnewsbreakingonline.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F08%2Fabc68b7d93T-mini.jpg.jpg%22+%2F%3E&q=90&w=190&h=100&zc=1 "President <![CDATA[&]]> Michelle Obama Step Out For Martha’s Vineyard Date Night")
President and Michelle Obama stepped out in Martha’s Vineyard on Friday for a private date night… so private, in fact, that we did not see any pictures of what POTUS and FLOTUS wore! Did Michelle choose head-to-toe black like she did for their first post-election date in 2008? Did she opt for pants like on their pre-Mother’s Day outing? Did the President keep on the dad jeans he donned earlier that day? The world may never know. We do know, however, that the couple chose to dine at The Beach Plum Restaurant, connected to the Beach Plum Inn in Menemsha, Massachusetts. The couple enjoyed a two-hour dinner at the B.Y.O.B. (and while we don’t know what they ordered, you can take a peek at the menu here!). For all the media pressure and criticism the President has received for his perhaps ill-timed vacation, we’d guess that this quiet date night with the Mrs., like all his outings with Michelle, was very much needed. Click here to look back on some of the First Couple’s most memorable date nights… and Michelle’s best going-out looks!
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Judith Richardson’s body was found at her home in Hexham after her handbag was discovered 25 miles away in Newcastle Two people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 77-year-old woman who was found dead at home after her handbag was discovered in Newcastle city centre. Officers called at Judith Richardson’s home in St Wilfrid’s Road, Hexham, on Friday after her handbag and some of its contents were found 25 miles away in Newcastle, stuffed in a bin outside a charity shop. Her body was found in the hallway, and police said she had been subjected to a “brutal” attack. Northumbria police said a man and woman from the Hexham area had been arrested late on Sunday. Specialist dogs have been brought in to help trace any evidence that may help with the investigation. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Young said: “We have arrested a man and a woman in the Hexham area on suspicion of murder and they are both helping police with inquiries. “We are still keen to establish how a bag believed to have been taken from Miss Richardson’s property was found in a bin outside a charity shop on Clayton Street, Newcastle, on Friday afternoon. “Anyone who used any public transport from Hexham to Newcastle on Friday and may have seen anything suspicious, please do contact us.” He said the bag was left there between 1pm and 4.30pm on Friday. “This has been a brutal attack on an innocent elderly lady, who was dearly loved by her family and well-known in the Hexham community,” he added. In a statement, the victim’s family said: “This has been a devastating loss and we are all in a state of shock. Judith was a wonderful person and we all loved her dearly.” Crime Newcastle Helen Carter guardian.co.uk
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Some 189,000 students now eligible for clearing Up to four students are competing for each place to start university this autumn, official statistics show. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) said, as of midnight, 189,267 applicants had not found a place and were eligible to be in clearing. Clearing is where students who fail to meet their university offers are matched with vacant courses. Last year, 47,000 applicants secured places in clearing. David Willetts, the universities minister, has said this could fall to 40,000 this year. However, Ucas estimates that half of all students eligible to be in clearing may not have good enough grades to win any place. Some 425,487 students have been accepted on to courses – up 10,416 on this time last year. A further 61,737 are waiting for a university to decide whether to offer them a place or are appealing against their grades. Mary Curnock Cook, chief executive of Ucas, said on Friday that students with good grades should apply again next year. “You don’t have the agonising wait until August. You will have an unconditional offer, which you may well have before Christmas.” There were more than 684,000 applicants this year, a 1.3% rise on last year. Clearing Higher education Students A-levels Schools Jessica Shepherd guardian.co.uk
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Chávez has shaved his hair off after starting to lose it during chemotherapy Supporters of President Hugo Chávez shaved their heads in solidarity with their leader’s struggle against cancer on Sunday as hundreds prayed and sang at a televised event. Barbers shaved off the hair of several men and at least one woman while the crowd swayed to a religious song. Chávez, who shaved his head after starting to lose his hair due to chemotherapy, smiled and waved to the crowd. “We’re Christians. Christ unites us,” Chávez said in a speech, noting that others had decided to join him and “change their look”. Chávez said he may undergo a third round of chemotherapy but expressed optimism that the worst of his illness has passed. “I no longer feel sick but rather that I’m convalescing from the illness I had,” Chávez said. Those attending included a group of six from the Dominican Republic who shaved their heads in a show of support outside the Venezuelan embassy in their country on Friday. Chávez greeted the Dominicans with hugs and stood arm-in-arm with them. He also grew emotional as he recalled meeting a young cancer victim who gave him a Venezuelan flag some time ago. He said the girl’s name was Genesis, and she had an advanced brain tumour. He said she had approached him at an event and given him the flag. “She told me, ‘Chávez, I’m going. I know I’m going … In this flag, Chávez, I’ll stay with you,’” Chávez said, his voice filled with emotion. Chávez embraced the flag and vowed to survive. “It’s time to live,” he said. Chávez returned from his latest round of chemotherapy in Cuba on 14 August. He underwent surgery in Cuba in June that removed a cancerous tumour from his pelvic region. He has said the chemotherapy has been going well and aims to ensure no malignant cells reappear. Chávez bowed his head during a prayer and later clapped along with the music. Young men with close-cropped hair stood in the crowd as shouts of “Hallelujah!” and “Amen!” rose at the end of a song. The Venezuelan president defended his practice of providing the public with updates on his medical condition rather than having one of his doctors release reports. He said his political opponents “are crazy to find out who my doctors are”. “I’m not going to expose my doctors to the ridicule,” Chávez said, adding that his opponents “would be capable of anything”. Hugo Chávez Venezuela guardian.co.uk
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Education expert predicts another record year of results as union leader warns against tinkering with league tables and targets Nearly one in four GCSE entries could be awarded at least an A grade in what is expected to be another record year of results, it has been predicted. And around one in 12 exams could score a coveted A*, an education expert has suggested. Teenagers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland receive their GCSE results on Thursday (25 August). Last summer, the pass rate rose for the 23rd year in a row, with 69.1% of entries achieving at least a C grade. Professor Alan Smithers, of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, suggested this could reach 70% this year. And the proportions of exams earning top grades could rise slightly, he said. “I would say, that on the pattern of previous years, we could expect approaching 8% to get an A*.” Smithers added that the percentage achieving at least an A grade could nudge up to 23%. In 2010, 22.6% of exams got an A or A*, while 7.5% were awarded an A*. As pupils anticipate their results, one union leader warned that tinkering with exams and league tables is damaging for students. Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) , said: “The pressure on schools and teachers of the league tables has already led to too much teaching focusing on getting pupils through exams. “The government’s intention to devalue and limit vocational qualifications in future league tables will tie schools’ hands and push many young people into qualifications that don’t allow them to develop their talents and excel. “In addition, this year the arbitrary introduction of new GCSE floor targets is pushing schools to concentrate their attention on borderline C/D pupils at the expense of other pupils. “We need an education system fit for all, not the select few.” Under the government’s new benchmark, all secondary schools should have 35% of pupils gaining at least five C grades at GCSE, including English and maths, and ministers are aiming to raise this to 50% by 2015. Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) , said he expected another good year of results, with an increase in the numbers achieving five A*-Cs including English and maths. He said young people were facing “an enormously tough time”. “In terms of difficulties, they are facing fears about unemployment, they are aware of cuts, and changes to university arrangements. Finding a way through that to an informed decision is incredibly difficult. “We want, and need, young people to be staying in education, I hope they are encouraged by the good results I’m sure they will get, and want to stay in education, and that we can reassure them that it’s worthwhile.” GCSEs Schools guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Vinegar contaminated with antifreeze kills Chinese Muslims at Ramadan meal
August 22, 2011 No Comment
Investigators blame vinegar stored in former antifreeze barrels for mass food poisoning outbreak in Xinjiang region Vinegar tainted with antifreeze is suspected of killing 11 people and making a further 120 ill after a communal Ramadan meal in China’s far western region of Xinjiang. Investigators suspect the victims consumed vinegar that was put in two plastic barrels that had previously been used to store toxic antifreeze, the official Xinhua news agency reported. It said the mass food poisoning occurred on Saturday night in a village close to Hotan city in Xinjiang, a region that borders Afghanistan and Pakistan. The victims were Muslims who were sharing an evening meal after the daily fast observed during Ramadan. Xinhua said children as young as six were among the dead. One person was in a critical condition. Authorities were still testing to confirm the source of the poisoning, it said. China’s food safety record has been battered by the rampant use of illegal or substandard additives by unscrupulous food producers. Milk powder laced with the industrial chemical melamine killed at least six children and made 300,000 ill in 2008. Producers added the nitrogen-rich melamine powder so their milk would seem higher in protein. Revenge attacks using rat poison or other chemicals are also common in China, where access to firearms and other deadly weapons is tightly controlled. In April, three children died and 35 others became ill after drinking milk tainted with nitrite. An investigation showed that a local dairy farmer had put the poison into a competitor’s milk supply. Accidental contamination is also a problem, caused by poor hygiene, particularly in rural areas, and weak quality control by regulators. China Food safety Ramadan Religion Islam guardian.co.uk
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• Tripoli celebrates after rebels reach Green Square • Obama: ‘Tripoli slipping from the grasp of a tyrant’ • Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam arrested • Defiant Gaddafi urges supporters to defend capital 8.05am: Fighting has broken out near the Rixos hotel in the Tripoli, a doctor told Sky News. Is is likely to be day of wild rumour and conflicting reports, not least about the whereabouts of Muammar Gaddafi. Diplomats told AFP that the Libyan leader is still in his residence in Tripoli. There have also been reports that he has fled. All this is impossible to verify. 7.31am: Welcome to Middle East Live as momentous events unfold in the Libyan capital Tripoli. Here’s a summary of the main developments overnight. You can read more details on Sunday’s extended live blog : • The rebels reached Green Square in the heart of Tripoli and vowed to rename it Martyrs Square, as it was originally known. • There are reports of heavy clashes around Muammar Gaddafi’s compound in Tripoli. His forces are believed to be in control of up to 20% of the capital. Gaddafi’s whereabouts are unknown. • The International Criminal Court said it had confirmation that Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, had been arrested. Gaddafi’s eldest son Mohammed is also believed to be under house arrest. • The rebels’ spokesman promised they would guarantee Gaddafi’s safety and said they wanted to see him stand trial in Libya and nowhere else. • President Obama has put out a statement on the situation in Libya in which he says Gaddafi must “acknowledge the reality that he no longer controls Libya. He needs to relinquish power once and for all”. • Gaddafi issued a desperate call to Libyan tribes to come to the capital to defend it , while government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim proposed a ceasefire. Libya Muammar Gaddafi Nato US foreign policy International criminal court Middle East Arab and Middle East unrest Syria Bashar Al-Assad Israel Egypt Matthew Weaver guardian.co.uk
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Well, the extent to which this one gets nationally noticed should be interesting. Yesterday, at a high school gym in Inglewwood, California,
Continue reading …Kristol and Hayes Agree it Would be Good for GOP Presidential Candidates to Run on ‘Entitlement Reform’
August 21, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media Another Sunday, another week where Bloody Bill Kristol proves himself to be wrong about everything. After some discussion on whether President Obama is going to have trouble being reelected and The Hill’s A.B. Stoddard pointing out that he might unless he ends up being fortunate enough to run against someone who voted for Paul Ryan’s budget plan, Bret Baier asks Kristol if the GOP would make make “reforming” “entitlements” into an asset. Naturally Kristol thinks that would be a winning issue for them. Naturally he and Stephen Hayes refuse to admit that privatizing Medicare would be putting an end to the program as we know it and no one on the Fox News Sunday panel bothered to point out that Social Security is not responsible for any of the problems we have now with our deficit. Jon Perr has been writing a lot about what was in Paul Ryan’s budget for some time now and lays out very plainly why Hayes is not telling the truth on what his plan would do to Medicare and Social Security in one of the earlier posts he wrote on it here — GOP Budget Proposes to Ration Medicare, Privatize Social Security . Transcript : BAIER: Bill, can you imagine any scenario where entitlement reform could be an asset to Republicans in 2012? KRISTOL: Sure, because people understand, I think, and certainly the right candidate can help the American public further understand, that we need to fundamentally reform entitlements. We’re $1.5 trillion in debt. Where’s that debt coming from? It’s coming from entitlements, which are 60 percent of the federal budget and which are going up much more quickly than the rest of the federal budget. Despite President Obama’s irresponsible domestic discretionary spending, it’s entitlements that are at the core of the problem. So of course Republicans are going to run on entitlement reform, as they should, and I think they can do so successfully. BAIER: Now, you have spoken out in favor of Congressman Paul Ryan getting in this race.Is there any development on that? Do you really believe that he’s getting in? KRISTOL: Well, the main development — and maybe I can hold this up — is I get sent this in the mail, a Ryan/Rubio 2012 button, which shows huge grassroots support for this effort. You know? People all over the country are having these buttons produced at their own expense. BAYH: It’s the alliteration ticket. KRISTOL: Well, “RR” is good for Republicans — Ronald Reagan, Ryan/Rubio. I think Steve’s done a lot of reporting on this. Paul Ryan is thinking of running. I think it’s 50/50. I think we’ll know in a week. If I had to bet, I would bet that he would run. I also think that if he doesn’t run, Chris Christie may run. I don’t think the current field is likely — it could be, but I don’t think it’s likely to be the final field. BAIER: Do you agree? BAYH: It’s getting a little late in the day. If they don’t act within the next couple of weeks, just pragmatically it’s tough. And if I could just say one thing about Paul, he’s a serious person. I admire the fact that he’s focusing on entitlements, but if he’s the nominee, it’s going to be a referendum on Social Security and Medicare. And it doesn’t help when you have serious publications out there that have said his plan would end Social Security and Medicare as we know it. People want to reform the programs, but they get a little scared when they say you’re going to end something that’s become such a fabric — part of the fabric of American life. BAIER: But doesn’t that fall into the whole demagoguing that issue, even at a time when some people say that the American public is ready for this adult conversation beyond what we’ve heard in the past about entitlements? BAYH: Well, both sides are going to engage in a little demagoguery, but what people want is reform, but it done in the right sort of way. And I’m afraid when they say end Social Security or Medicare as we know it, to most people that may raise the specter going a little too far. HAYES: I think we have different definitions of what serious publications are, perhaps, because I don’t think — look, it’s explicitly — BAYH: The Wall Street Journal. HAYES: They said it was going to end Medicare as we know it? BAYH: They did. HAYES: I don’t know. I think it would change Medicare and the way that Medicare is funded. It explicitly — the House Republican budget explicitly argues that it is meant to preserve Medicare while changing the funding mechanism that makes it solvent. If you look at what Nancy Pelosi has said, she has no plan. She has said, basically, our plan is Medicare. There’s no argument there. So I think it’s entirely possible that Republicans will run on structural reforms to Medicare so that they can preserve Medicare. And I think — look, if you want to talk and take a step back and look at the way that the race is likely to unfold, there’s no question that it will be, in large part, a referendum on jobs. But given the financial situation that the country is in right now, given the enormity of the problems that we have right now, it’s going to be in some respect a debate about our long-term fiscal situation. And I think there are some Republicans who think that incorporating a debate about entitlement reform is actually a positive.
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