Costner plan: sell reclaimed oil - donate proceeds.

[Control-Z]

This article is from June 12, 2010. It may have been posted here at the time but I thought it worth re-posting as it is the most informative article I've read to date.

Actor Kevin Costner's oil-spill device has all the approval it needs to scoop the goop from the Gulf of Mexico, but is waiting for money from BP, according to the actor and his business partner.

“Our machines were originally developed to operate as first responders” to oil slicks, Costner said. He said the problems were resolved by adjusting the machines to accommodate oil that has been weathered and hardened by evaporation and dispersants.

-snip-

Ocean Therapy officials acknowledged that full implementation of the systems may depend on how quickly BP pays for the 32 it committed to Wednesday. The company’s largest machine – the V20 -- sells for about $500,000, an amount Costner suggested “is a potato chip to a giant oil company like BP.”

-snip-

If all goes according to plan, Costner and Houghtaling said they hope to sell as much of the oil reclaimed by their machines as possible, and donate 80% of the proceeds to parishes struggling to cope with fouled marshlands and devastated fisheries.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/06/gulf-oil-spill-costner-solution-has-green-light-but-no-green.html

Edit to add: It appears that BP would rather lose the oil to the destruction of the gulf coast than have someone else make claim to it. IMO, it is the main reason BP had been holding out on the use of Costner's device all along.

[BR_Parkway]

1. So he would own the oil under the ocean salvage laws? But BP

is paying for the machines? There seems to be a disconnect in the story

[Control-Z]

2. So many questions -

Are there laws that prevent anyone other than BP from cleaning the ocean of oil? If an outsider does clean up the oil, does he own it? Is Costner selling these machines or selling their service? Is BP paying to reclaim the oil, or is it to clean up the oil?

Bottom line, imo, BP wants the oil. Period.

[earth mom]

3. So when is Obama gonna step in and seize control of this stand off?

I'm surprised by Costner in this-I always thought he was a rethug, but I guess not.

A rethug would want to keep the oil whereas Costner wants to give it charity-good on him.

But something has got to give and BP will not give up without a knock down drag out fight.

Obama, are you paying attention?!!!!!

You could be a hero and save the ocean and win re-election all by kicking BP's ass to the curb!!!!!