Some 3 months into the oil disaster, things have been looking good the last few days, as the well has been temporarily capped and under pressure testing. Activity has to take a break this weekend, though, as ships around the site must evacuate to avoid Tropical Storm Bonnie.

Our Senator Tom Udall has reminded us previously that some 200 employees from New Mexico’s National Labs have been helping to deal with the disaster all along. This week he also introduced another New Mexico resource that might be of some use. At a Senate Commerce Committee meeting focusing on the clean-up, Udall supported the efforts of individual New Mexicans with ideas that might work.

New Mexican Yellowhorse Jones testified about the ability of an organic substance called humate to remediate and restore the petroleum-contaminated shorelines of the Gulf. Humate is mined near Gallup on the Navajo Nation. The Coast Guard is currently screening his proposal.

Udall also highlighted other possible solutions originating from the State, like Zeolite, a material from Sierra County that absorbs oil.