Chennai Mathematical Institute

Seminars




3.30 p.m.
Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

Raghavan Parthasarathy
ERM, Chicago, USA.
04-08-10


Abstract

My talk will focus on the big questions that loom in each of our minds - What caused the oil spill in the first place? What is BP doing to fix the leak? How long will it take to clean all this up? What are the environmental impacts because of the spill? Answers to such broad questions get caught up in media frenzy and never reaches the general public in one single logical piece. My presentation of the facts will hopefully try and resolve this. Finally I'd like to share ERM's role in the oil spill clean-up and more specifically what my role was in Mobile, Alabama. My goal through this presentation is to clearly portray what went wrong and what is currently being done to fix, what is now being considered the largest off-shore spill in US history and among the largest in world history.

About the speaker: Mr.Raghavan Parthasarathy received his B.Tech (Chemical Engineering) from SASTRA, Tanjore and received his Masters degree in Environmental Sciences from Youngstown State University in 2005, where his thesis presentation received the "Outstanding Presentation" award at the national level. He then received a second Masters degree in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Wright State University, Ohio in 2007. Soon after his graduation he was hired as an Environmental Consultant/Engineer by Environmental Resources Management (ERM) in Chicago. At ERM he specializes in Site Investigation and Remediation which involves managing and remediating ground water and soil pollution in and around Chicago. Recently, he was deputed by ERM to go to Mobile, Alabama to supervise the aftermath operations of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.