NEW ORLEANS – BP’s evacuation of the Gulf of Mexico was called off yesterday and ships headed back to resume work on plugging the leaky well as remnants of Tropical Storm Bonnie breezed past.The temporary plug that has mostly contained the oil for eight days held, and the real-time cameras that have given the world a constant view of the ruptured well apparently never stopped rolling. Dozens of ships evacuated the Gulf, but the storm had weakened to a tropical depression by the time it hit the spill site yesterday morning.Thad Allen, the retired Coast Guard admiral running the government’s spill response, called it “very good news.” But the setback was still significant. Work came to a standstill Wednesday and will take time to restart.
(AP)
