Scientists admit goof up in oil spill report, say 80 pc oil still remains

WASHINGTON - Georgia scientists have said that their report, which said that the Gulf was mostly free of oil spill, was miscalculated and that 80 percent of the oil is still polluting the waters.

Earlier this month federal scientists said that only about a quarter of the oil remained and the rest was removed, dissolved or dispersed.

“Where has all the oil gone? It hasn’t gone anywhere. It still lurks in the deep,” CBS News quoted marine scientist Chuck Hopkinson, as saying.

“There’s nothing in the report to substantiate the 26 percent,” he added.

The team said it was a misinterpretation of data to claim that oil that is dissolved or dispersed is gone.

Commercial shrimpers, on the other hand, have a different story to tell.

“We’re not seeing any oil where I’m at. No tar balls, nothing,” said Brian Amos, a 53-year-old shrimper, who trawled his skiff in a bay near Empire.

Andrew Blanchard, owner of a processing plant in Chauvin, said that fewer shrimp boats had arrived of late, but that was because most boats are still doing cleanup work for BP, not because of any problem with the shrimp. (ANI)