At least three Coast Guard Cutters will be skimming oil in the Gulf of Mexico, perhaps as early as Tuesday, weather permitting.
The commander of the Coast Guard ship Oak, said his crew was pulling out oil skimmer equipment that he admits, is rarely used, until now. But he said his crew trains on the equipment regularly and are proficient.
He described the skimmer system as a 'weir' system. A device about the size of a tire floats along the surface, skimming the top layer of oil, or oil and water, forcing that layer inside the skimmer.
The Coast Guard ships hope to be skimming the oil slick as early as Tuesday.
The Oak is based in Charleston, South Carolina and was staging at NAS Pensacola.
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