Oil Spill by land, sea, air and a visit with Kevin Costner

Ok, I know the title of my blog entry today may have you confused, but for this blog entry I am combining recent spill coverage all into one entry. Normally I post a blog following each assignment, unfortunately I have not had the time and have been forced to neglect my regular updates.

So since my last update I’ve been out on three boats, took to the air over the spill once and drove nearly 1,300 miles in my coverage of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

I’ll post a few photos from each assignment by date.

First up June 14, 2010, an assignment with the Associated Press to get wildlife photos as I went for a boat ride with some people from GreenPeace.

A dolphin rises up out of the water off the coast near Grande Terre Island off the coast of Louisiana on Monday, June 14, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill continues to impact areas across the coast of gulf states. (AP Photo/Derick E. Hingle)

Brown Pelicans are seen in the water surrounded by boom on Cat Island off the coast of Louisiana on Monday, June 14, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill continues to impact areas across the coast of gulf states. (AP Photo/Derick E. Hingle)

A Brown Pelican watches over a nest of oil stained chicks on Cat Island off the coast of Louisiana on Monday, June 14, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill continues to impact areas across the coast of gulf states. (AP Photo/Derick E. Hingle)

Several photos from this assignment ran online and in print with various publications nationwide.

On June 15th, I went was back on the water with a similar assignment this time with Bloomberg News, out on a media embed through the U.S. Coast Guard I left on a boat out of Venice, LA and headed out west along the coastline and ended up back near Grand Isle where I had shot the day before. Here are some selected photos from the assignment.

A National Guard helicopter drops 2,000 pound bags of sand into place, the bags dropped along the shoreline are dropped to prevent oil from reaching further into marshlands by creating a barrier off the coast west of Venice, Louisiana, U.S., on Tuesday, June 15, 2010. Oil from Deepwater Horizon spill continues to impact areas across the coast of gulf states. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

Pelicans some heavily stained by oil are seen on a small barrier island located in Bay Ronquille which is located east of the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana, U.S., on Tuesday, June 15, 2010. Oil from Deepwater Horizon spill continues to impact areas across the coast of gulf states. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

BP Plc contract workers pull up oiled absorbent boom from the banks of a small barrier island located in Bay Ronquille which is located east of the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana, U.S., on Tuesday, June 15, 2010. Oil from Deepwater Horizon spill continues to impact areas across the coast of gulf states. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

Mud flies into the air as a sand dredge works to build up land on a small barrier island east of Grande Terre Island near the coast of Louisiana, U.S., on Tuesday, June 15, 2010. Oil from Deepwater Horizon spill continues to impact areas across the coast of gulf states. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

On June 18th, I was back in Port Fourchon, LA to see a demonstration for a oil separating centrifuge device backed by actor Kevin Costner who is the found partner for Ocean Therapy Solutions the company that invented the device that has been commissioned by BP to help in the oil spill clean up.

Actor, Kevin Costner who has partnered with Ocean Therapy Solutions on oil separating centrifuge device speaks at the podium as Ocean Therapy Solutions Chief Executive Officer, John Houghtaling (far left) and Chief Operating Officer, Pat Smith listen in during a press conference at Hornbeck Offshore in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, U.S., on Tuesday, June 15, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

Workers operate Ocean Therapy Solutions oil separating centrifuge device during a demonstration on a vessel at Hornbeck Offshore in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, U.S., on Tuesday, June 15, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

A worker places down a bottle of water collected after running oil through Ocean Therapy Solutions oil separating centrifuge device during a demonstration on a vessel at Hornbeck Offshore in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, U.S., on Tuesday, June 15, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

After the Kevin Costner experiment I returned home only to return to Houma, LA the following day to catch a helicopter flight over the spill area, my goal for the day was to get photos of the controlled burns going on near the spill site, here are some of the photos, some of my favorite images since starting coverage of the spill.

Smoke billows from controlled oil burns near the site of the BP Plc Deep Water Horizon oil spill site in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, U.S., on Saturday, June 19, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

Thick oil is seen near a support vessel at the site of the BP Plc Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, U.S., on Saturday, June 19, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

The BP Plc leased Q4000 vessel burns off all the oil and gas it collects at the site of the BP Plc Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, U.S., on Saturday, June 19, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

Smoke from controlled oil burns fill the sky over the site of the BP Plc Deep Water Horizon oil spill as Bp Plc leased rigs the Development Driller II and III work to drill relief wells and the Transocean Discoverer Enterprise and the Q4000 vessel collect and burn oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, U.S., on Saturday, June 19, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

After a few days off I was back in Venice, LA on June 23rd, where I paid a visit to the Bird Rehabilitation Center at Fort Jackson to get a look at Pelicans impacted by the oil being cleaned.

Oiled pelicans huddle in a corner as they wait to be cleaned at the Bird Rehabilitation Center set up at Fort Jackosn in Buras, Louisiana, U.S., on Wednesday, June 23, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

Melanie Reed cleans inside the pouch of a oil pelican at a washing station at the Bird Rehabilitation Center set up at Fort Jackosn in Buras, Louisiana, U.S., on Wednesday, June 23, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

David Lane of Baton Rouge holds a Brown Pelican after it was cleaned at the Bird Rehabilitation Center set up at Fort Jackson in Buras, Louisiana, U.S., on Wednesday, June 23, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

On my way down for this assignment I stopped to eat lunch at a favorite local spot from when I lived in the area prior to Hurricane Katrina. The China Sea is locally known for great food and lots of it at a great price, but at the door entering the restaurant warned of higher menu prices due to the BP oil spill, another reminder how things have changed due to the storm, after seeing the sign I had to go back get my camera from my vehicle to get a shot.

A sign on the door at the China Sea warns of higher prices for menu items containing seafood at the restaurant in Buras, Louisiana, U.S., on Wednesday, June 23, 2010. The China Sea a locally owned eatery re-opened this year after being shut down since Hurricane Katrina and their business has slowed considerably since the oil spill. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

My next assignment was something quite different than everything else throughout the oil spill coverage, this time I had the opportunity to get a look at operations behind the scenes, the men and women who run operations for controlled burns, boom deployment, dispersants, vessels, weather, wildlife and more from a command center called the Joint Information Center or (J.I.C.) in Houma, La.

Workers from various agencies coordinate oil spill response efforts in the Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center in Houma, Louisiana, U.S., on Thursday, June 24, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

Operations planning workers coordinate oil spill response efforts in the Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center in Houma, Louisiana, U.S., on Thursday, June 24, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

Oil spill photos, maps and other satellite images sit on display in the Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center in Houma, Louisiana, U.S., on Thursday, June 24, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

Coast Guard personnel in charge of controlled burn operations coordinate oil spill response efforts at the Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center in Houma, Louisiana, U.S., on Thursday, June 24, 2010. The BP Plc oil spill, which began when the leased Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20, is gushing as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, the government said. Photographer: Derick E. Hingle/Bloomberg

Well there is a look at my coverage of the oil spill from June 14th to June 24th, I hope you enjoyed seeing the photos, I’ll do my best to continue to update on a regular basis.