ThinkProgress reports that the wellhead is potentially in danger of tilting over, due to its weight, which has near-apocalyptic ramifications for the entire ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico [as if the oil spill itself already hasn't done enough damage]:
The Leaning Tower Of Oily Pisa
The broken wellhead gushing millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico is tilting over, potentially threatening further disaster. The Deepwater Horizon riser package that sits on the seabed a mile below the ocean surface weighs over 450 tons, including the 48-foot-tall failed blowout preventer. In a press teleconference Monday, National Incident Commander Thad Allen announced that the riser package is tilting "10 or 12 degrees off perpendicular," twice the 5.5 degree tilt of the Leaning Tower of Pisa:
The entire arrangement is kind of listed a little bit. I think it’s 10 or 12 degrees off perpendicular so it’s not quite straight up.
So what would happen if the broken wellhead were to completely fall over?
continued at Daily Kos....
