Tropical Storm Threatens Cleanup

Just when things were looking promising for the oil-spill cleanup, weather forecasters warn that the summer’s first tropical storm—which will be named Alex and could hit as early as Monday—may rip through the Deepwater Horizon site. Concern for the safety of the flotilla working at the site is a priority, BP spokesman David Nicholas said. Ships pumping oil from the now-capped well will be forced to evacuate, leaving the well to spew oil once again. "Of course we are watching that very closely right now," said Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the point man for the response to the oil spill, saying that spill responders will act "out of an abundance of caution.” The storm’s size, strength, and path are still uncertain, and, to be sure, may avoid the rescue efforts entirely. To weather summer storms, BP is expecting its much more rugged containment vessel, the Helix Producer, to arrive at the scene from the Gulf's Green Canyon area on Tuesday.