Oil Boom From Maine Headed to Gulf of Mexico

Press Release

Over two miles of oil containment booms are expected to be on their way to the Gulf of Mexico in the next few days, according to Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. Officials working to contain the BP oil spill had requested the booms from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection earlier this month but then left them in storage in warehouses in Bangor and Portland.

"We have to pull out all the stops to contain the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico," Pingree said. "Every available resource needs to be put to work stopping the spread of oil. If we have two miles of containment boom that can be protecting fragile fishing and wildlife areas, it should be put to use and not sit in warehouses in Maine."

Earlier today, Congresswoman Pingree learned that 13,900 feet of containment boom was in storage in Maine after being requested by officials in the Gulf of Mexico. She then called the Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) and urged them to put the boom to use immediately. As a result of that contact, MSRC has informed her office that the boom would be picked up within the next few days, and transported to the Gulf of Mexico.

"I appreciate the quick response from MSRC in putting this critical equipment to work right away," Pingree said.

BP is buying the boom and has agreed to replace the equipment with a different type of containment boom requested by the State of Maine.

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