Another Milepost On The Road To Oblivion

The Louisiana wetlands may already be ruined for generations.

The gooey oil washing into the maze of marshes along the Gulf Coast could prove impossible to remove, leaving a toxic stew lethal to fish and wildlife, government officials and independent scientists said.

Officials are considering some drastic and risky solutions: They could set the wetlands on fire or flood areas in hopes of floating out the oil.

They warn an aggressive cleanup could ruin the marshes and do more harm than good. The only viable option for many impacted areas is to do nothing and let nature break down the spill.

More than 50 miles of Louisiana's delicate shoreline already have been soiled by the massive slick unleashed after the Deepwater Horizon rig burned and sank last month. Officials fear oil eventually could invade wetlands and beaches from Texas to Florida. Louisiana is expected to be hit hardest.

On Saturday, a major pelican rookery was awash in oil off Louisiana's coast. Hundreds of birds nest on the island, and an Associated Press photographer saw some birds and their eggs stained with the ooze. Nests were perched in mangroves directly above patches of crude.

Plaquemines Parish workers put booms around the island, but puddles of oil were inside the barrier.

"Oil in the marshes is the worst-case scenario," said Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the head of the federal effort to contain and clean up the spill.

And there's still no stopping the geyser underwater that continues to spew this crap into the marshes.  There really may not be any other solution other than drill another well, which may not be done until August.  Another three months of millions of gallons of oil per day in the Gulf.

This is beyond disaster now.  This is a generational catastrophe.  Our grandchildren will ask us why we allowed this to happen, and we still won't have an answer.

At this point nationalization of offshore operations should be a national security priority.  This catastrophe will cost America hundreds of billions or more.