Sweden offers to help the US to clean up oil spill
WASHINGTON (AFP) -Sweden is among those countries that have offered international assistance to the United States for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
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The United States said Thursday it had received offers of aid to clean up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill from Canada and Mexico, 10 European countries, South Korea and the United Nations.
Still, the US State Department said there was no immediate need for the assistance offered but that the US Coast Guard was trying to evaluate whether there would be in the future.
"These offers include experts in various aspects of oil spill impacts, research and technical expertise, booms, chemical oil dispersants, oil pumps, skimmers, and wildlife treatment," the State Department said in a statement.
The State Department announced Tuesday it had received aid offers from 12 countries and international organizations but refused to identify them, saying it would only name the countries when and if it accepted aid from them.
But in a switch, the State Department identified 13 countries and one organization which had offered to provide aid.
They are: Britain, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the United Nations.
The State Department said Washington was grateful for the offers of assistance.
"The US Coast Guard, the lead US agency in this response, continues to monitor developments and evaluate specific needs, and is currently reviewing offers of assistance," it said.
"While there is no need right now that the US cannot meet, the US Coast Guard is assessing these offers of assistance to see if there will be something which we will need in the near future," it added.
BP succeeded on Wednesday in capping the smallest of the three leaks hemorrhaging crude into the Gulf, but this did not reduce the rate the oil gushing into the sea, estimated at 5,000 barrels, or 210,000 gallons a day.
Last Updated (Thursday, 06 May 2010 17:12)























