FAA declares no-fly zone over AR spill; Exxon kicks out reporters in media blackout

[wtmusic]

"The news media in Arkansas is finding it harder to cover the Mayflower oil spill. The Federal Aviation Administration has placed flight restrictions on the airspace over the Mayflower oil spill site.

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On Wednesday morning, the news media – including KUAR News – had been told they would be allowed to follow Attorney General Dustin McDaniel as he toured the oil spill site, but less than 90 seconds into the tour the media was told to leave by Exxon and local authorities.

KARK News Director Kellerman says this brings up some other concerns. 'I guess what concerns me is, "Who's in charge, and does Exxon have the ability to tell people where they can go?" Whether it's a homeowner, whether it's the media, my understanding is that Exxon can't tell anyone where to go,' says Kellerman."

http://ualrpublicradio.org/post/media-faces-barriers-covering-arkansas-oil-spill

[hatrack]

1. Is it fascism yet?

Fuck me, but I am tired of this bullshit.

[niyad]

2. didn't bp do the same thing in the gulf?

[global1]

3. And Why Does The FAA Cooperate With Exxon?......nt

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. They added 500 ft to the existing standard so there is a safety buffer between

helos working the spill and the tourists/media. Not a big deal. If they had made it to 14K, then it would have been collusion.

[hootinholler]

8. Because they are responsible to keep aircraft from hitting each other

The TFR posted (as of yesterday when I looked at it) is pretty standard stuff for an incident like this.

[wtmusic]

4. Well I guess the oil made it to Lake Conway

despite reports it hadn't.

"Look, pipelines DO create jobs!"

LOL

[kristopher]

6. Another polluting industry in damage control mode.

I've spent a few days around there. It's a beautiful area and from what I saw the people are pretty proud of that fact. I imagine it is having a big local impact but I doubt it will shift public opinion nationally very much. We saw with Fukushima how effective socially undesirable megacorps are at message control in a time of vulnerability.

Apropos of nothing, but this is just around the bend from Toad Suck Ferry.

[limpyhobbler]

13. re: public opinion

There was a Pew poll taken just a few days before the Arkansas spill that seemed to show public support for Keystone. It would be nice to see another poll after the spill to see if there was any opinion shift.

[gtar100]

7. What kind of moron thinks that hiding problems is the answer to anything.

I really hate how we have so many god damn idiots in positions of power. Just do the right thing you fucking assholes! Clean up the mess *you* made and make sure it doesn't happen again!

Thank you FAA for doing the bidding of your corporate overlords and forgetting that you're supposed to be working for the public interest. Keep taking us down a notch at a time, why don't you. Stupid assholes!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. What kind of moron complains about the FAA when they act in the public interest?

They added only 500ft to the current floor in that area of 500ft, for a grand total of 1000ft AGL.Its a safety buffer, nothing more. It will help insure that working a/c (helos) and the media/tourists keep themselves a little further apart. It will not impact aerial photography or overflights in the least.

The FAA did the right thing here. Increased safety margin with no significant change to public access.

[wtmusic]

10. There is one (1) Exxon "helo" working the spill

and they've cleared a five-mile radius. For forest fires there are sometimes 5-10 helicopters within a mile of each other.

Just a little too convenient.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. When they declare TFRs for fire, it is a lot more that just an additional 500ft AGL

This give the pilots a clear safety zone. Its not a big deal in the least since as a practical matter it is not restricting media access or the ability to overfly. If they had taken it to lets say the base of the CCA (14,500 feet MSL) then complaints would be justified.

[gtar100]

14. The morons are the ones in the oil industry who do not take responsibility for their own messes.

If the FAA is simply rerouting for safety reasons, fine. But if they are assisting the company in hiding the truth, then I have a problem with it.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

15. This is obviously not hiding by adding a vertical buffer zone. Its a standard TFR & reasonably sized

The media, even online media, has no business pushing bullshit without fact checking it.

I assume by your wording if nothing else that you are unfamiliar with aviation other than being an airline passenger.

[gtar100]

16. You're still missing my point but I get what you're saying about the FAA

and I hope you're right.

I also got your insult to me personally. Bet you liked using that old standby. Oh, hey, another airline joke. Have at it professor.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

17. Its not a joke

Those of us with actual aviation experience get really tired of the media and others jumping on things and getting them totally wrong. We are sensitive about it.

[hunter]

12. Activist owned micro-drones are looking a little more attractive now.

If government and the big corporations can use their drones to spy on us, maybe we can use our drones to spy on them.