Page 326 - Command Center News Today

>> reporter: they are, norah. if all goes according to plan, this test should end about midday today. and throughout the night, engineers and scientists at the houston command center kept doing their calculations trying to figure out what the pressure levels inside this ceiling cap really mean. you can see the difference on the surface above the damaged well. the flames of the discoverer enterprise and q-4000 are out. the crude is not flowing, but there are concerns. >> i think were to a point w...

Now theyre to go that well integrity test. for the first time in 87 days, we saw no oil going into the gulf of mexico. that does not mean this is stopped. because every six hours, government scientists and bp engineers are getting together in the houston command center and doing their calculations and deciding whether or not theyre going to go forward with this test. if they go forward and go all 48 hours, that would take us to midday saturday. then theyll decide whether it would be a permanent ...

>> reporter: good morning, drew. these well integrity tests have been delayed by what one source called potential complications but officials are very quick to point out that they are just wanting to be more safe than sorry at this point. as the anticipation for this crucial test builds here in houston at the command center, top administration officials have joined bp executives in the war rooms here. i spoke with admiral allen about the tension. how big is this day? the incident commander says ...

Ruptured well. those tests were put on hold yesterday. engineers needed more time to review testing procedures. all fired up here in new york as a battle begins over plans to build a mosque in islamic community center literally in the shadow of ground zero. in a few minutes well hear arguments on both sides of this debate. also, three wildfires now raging across southern california. fire officials say that some homes are being threatened but theres no reports of any mandatory evacuations so ...

And best mibnds working on this in the united states. i feel confident it wont be a thad allen decision but a whole government decision in the best interest of the country. >> reporter: allen describes the atmosphere inside the bp command center where hundreds of people have been working around the clock. when that cap got put into place and it was successful, what was the atmosphere like? cheers? >> the video room where all this takes place is very much like a war room except everybody is a lit...

The people in charge confident the cap will work? >> they seem very confident about the cap. its the well theyre worried about. theyre conducting pressure tests. if they get high pressure readings in the cap when they close the valves, thats good. it means its holding back oil in the well. if they get a low pressure reading there may be a leak in other place. they want to test the integrity of the well to make sure it with stands the drilling mud they want to pump in in august when they seal the...

Would be out of luck. she would be grounded. theyve got the flotilla of ships and brain power of dc here and on the gulf coast. this will be one more tool to help use to battle the oil spill. >> one way to put it, reynolds, a controller, command center telling everybody where to go. theres oil here, get the skimmer boats over here and get the oil up. one more thing. i talked about a blimp. but a-whale, weve been talking about the skimmer ship billed as the worlds largest oil skimming vessel. are...

The governor asking the people in his state to take whatever steps necessary to stay cool. here in new york, yesterday we had the opportunity to hang out at con-edisons command center to see what steps they are taking to deal with the heat wave. day four of the northeast heat wave brought some lower temperatures but not low enough in boston. >> one thing people from the south, we are not that bunch of wimps. we will take it. >> reporter: record highs in several eastern cities, including philadel...

So one megawatt is enough to light 1,000 homes. >> does it make you nervous? >> yeah. >> the operation will run 24 hours a day until temperatures and demand begin to drop. again, don, cooler temperatures here in new york city today. that will help ease demand. even so, the folks that you saw there working at the command center are going to be working 12-hour shifts until further notice. don? >> all right. jason, hydrate, hydrate. you know, after 25 years police arrest a man they believe to be th...

They can to try and stay cool. meanwhile, here in new york, we checked in with con edison yesterday, we hung out at their command center to take a look at the steps theyre taking to deal with the heat wave. >> reporter: day four of the northeast heat wave brought some lower temperatures but not low enough in boston. >> one thing about guys -- people in here, were not wimps. >> reporter: record highs in cities including philadelphia and wilmington, delaware. record sales of air conditioners in ma...