Coast Guard’s Allen says containment operation improving; 630,000 gallons daily now captured

Allen says 630,000 gallons of oil captured daily

WASHINGTON — Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen says the oil spill containment operation in the Gulf of Mexico is now catching up to 630,000 gallons daily.

Assessing efforts to restrain the oil spill, Allen told reporters that “we continue to make progress,” although he said reinforcement help is on the way, including the expected of a shutter tanker from the North Sea within the next few days.

Allen also said that with temperatures rising in the stricken area, officials have concern about the safety of workers involved in the containment effort. He also said Obama administration officials are talking with BP about a longer-term containment strategy with “built-in redundancies.” And he noted that he and other officials are meeting with BP later Wednesday to discuss problems with the handling of damage claims related to the April 20 accident.