Dutch group plans trip to US to stop the oil spillage
A GROUP of Dutch engineers plan to travel to the Gulf of Mexico within two weeks to try to stop the oil spill, backed by a €5m (£4.1m) donation.
Crane company Mammoet, which raised the Kursk submarine in 2001 after numerous attempts by other firms, contacted BP, Transocean and the US government last week with its proposal to place another pipe over the spill site.
After receiving no response, the firm now has the backing of entrepreneur Mark Snoek, who has placed €5m into a trust to fund a trip to the US to stop the spill single-handedly.
“It’s a system that works on existing technology, a system that has already proved itself. We can build it within two weeks, but cannot start until BP shares some more information,” said chief operating officer Patrick Van Seumeren.
SARAH PALIN
FORMER REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATE
A disparate group of Dutch businessmen and American politicians have come together to support the repair of the leaking oil well.
The Clinton Foundation has handed crane company Mammoet’s plans to stop the spill to the offices of Barack Obama, but the firm has had no response from the White House.
The group, frustrated at BP and the US administration, have now turned to former Alaska governor Sarah Palin to give exposure to their cause.
Palin could be sympathetic if her recent pronouncements are anything to go by. Last week she said: “The Dutch and the Norwegians, they are known for dikes and for cleaning up water and for dealing with spills. They offered to help, and yet no, they too can’t even get a phone call.”
Dutch entrepreneur Mark Snoek, who donated €5m (£4.1m) to the project, told City A.M. :“I’m not someone who wears sandals and hemp trousers, but I really feel I have to do something to stop this spill as if affects everyone.”
BP last night said it would speak to members of the Dutch team, saying “it would be sensible if they were to check with BP whether their plan is going to be useful before they travel.”