On April 20, 2010, an oil rig operating in the Gulf of Mexico called Deepwater Horizon caught fire after suffering an explosion. Over the course of the next three months, five million barrels of oil leaked into the Gulf. It was the largest oil spill disaster in American history. British Petroleum (BP), the company running Deepwater Horizon, was heavily criticized by environmentalists and President Barack Obama for allowing the disaster to happen. The President promised to exact restitution from the company for the oil spill.
Environmental Impact
The oil that leaked into the Gulf eventually contaminated beaches in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida. The environmental impact was initially projected to be devastating. However, most of the BP oil spill is underwater. This was the unfortunate result of the oil rig sinking after the explosion and fire. Scientists have estimated that it will take years to accurately gather all the necessary data before making any assessments. The head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, is optimistic. She stated, in an interview with the Associated Press, that health of the Gulf was "better than people feared."
The unique scope of this disaster makes collecting data difficult, unlike the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska in 1989. Exxon Valdez spilled all of the oil on the surface of the ocean, making it easy to identify and clean up. Deepwater Horizon's oil is mostly underwater. Huge plumes of oil are floating thousands of feet beneath the sea surface. The potential impact of the oil plumes on deep sea life is unknown. The complex ecosystems that thrive at deep sea levels may be damaged or wiped out due to the oil plumes. On August 19, 2010, scientists announced the discovery of an oil plume 22 miles long, 3,000 feet below the ocean surface.
Industry Effects
President Obama banned all drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico after the oil spill. On June 22, 2010, the ban was overturned by U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman. The Obama administration continued to stonewall new attempts to gain permits to drill in the Gulf, which led to Feldman ruling the administration in contempt in February 2011. To date, only a few drilling permits have been issued. This has had an adverse impact on the economy and the petroleum industry.
Other industry impacts include new oil spill prevention systems for oil and natural gas producers operating in the Gulf. Two industry consortiums, the Helix Well Containment Group and the Marine Well Containment Company, have developed these systems. New initiatives are underway, helping companies plan ahead for oil spill prevention in the future. The petroleum industry is adapting to these challenges.
Contact a BP Oil Spill attorney for additional information.
Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law firm, has provided this article for informational purposes only, written by an independent author, and has not reviewed or edited this article and is not responsible for its content or accuracy.
