Oil Companies pull workers as Ida approaches

Oil companies evacuate workers as Ida approaches

By Thomas Johnson

Oil companies are evacuating workers from operations in the Gulf of Mexico as Tropical Storm Ida approaches.

Chevron Corp. said Monday it has removed enough employees to affect oil production in the Gulf. The company said in a news release that it is closely watching its Pascagoula refinery, located on the Mississippi coast between Mobile, Ala. and New Orleans, and taking "all necessary steps" to secure it ahead of the storm.

Ida was moving north-northwest about 185 miles off of the Mississippi River early Monday with winds reaching 70 mph. It was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane earlier in the day.

The storm trajectory would put it east of New Orleans and the majority of oil and gas facilities in the Gulf, but that can change quickly. Oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico account for about 25 percent of U.S. crude production and 15 percent of natural gas production.

Oil and gas producers pull workers off of platforms and from other facilities as a matter of policy if a serious storm threatens. How that affects production, and energy prices, depends on the severity of the storm.

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Hurricane Ida aiming for Florida

Hurricane Ida with eyes set on Florida

Hurrican Ida is setting the stage to hit the western beaches of Florida within the next 24 to 48 hours. Some predictions are that the storm will weaken before it hits landfall. The projected area that Ida will come ashore is located in the panhandle area of Florida

Govenor Crist has declared a State of Emergency for the State of Florida. "Governor Charlie Crist issued Executive Order Number 09-243 to declare a state of emergency due to the threat that Hurricane Ida poses to the state of Florida".

Hurricanes are strange and can do weird things. So it is just a matter of time to see what Ida is going to do, and how much damage it will inflick.

These late blooming storms can be some of the worst. This hurricane season has been quit for Florida , but this season looks to be extended. We all will be watching the next few days to see what happens with Ida.

Florida Environmental Issues

Florida Environmental Issues

By Tom Johnson

The Florida House is against the EPA Water Standards because of the cost of expensive water.

Representatives state

"But waste water utilities, agriculture and industry groups say they're concerned that the proposed limits will be too strict. And members of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee overwhelmingly echoed those concerns as industry representatives urged the state to try to block the agreement. Rep. Trudi Williams, R-Fort Myers and committee chairwoman, opened the workshop by saying that establishing the specific limits is "reckless during these economic times." She said the workshop was the first of several to be held by the committee on the issue. Representatives of the Florida Water Environment Association, representing waste water utilities, told the committee that the federal standards are expected to more than double the average monthly combined water and waste water bill in Florida from $56 to $118".

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