Issue of the Month

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

What Happened?

On Tuesday, April 20 2010, an explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon (contracted by BP) sunk the drilling rig, causing oil to spill into the Gulf of Mexico. The blast injured 17 rig workers and left 11 others missing and presumed dead.¹ Millions of gallons of oil has been pouring out of the well ever since. It is now considered the largest offshore spill and biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history.²

Who's Responsible?

It is still unclear as to what specifically caused the explosion, but multiple investigations have been launched. BP (formerly British Petroleum) is ultimately responsible for forking out the costs to cover the cleanup, which is costing them about 7 million a day. ¹

Who's Affected?

Ecosystem

• The Gulf of Mexico oil disaster could have long-lasting effects on the region's sea life, causing them harm through physical contact, ingestion, inhalation and absorption. ⁷

Fisheries

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expanded a fishing ban in the Gulf of Mexico because of the spreading oil. This causes resteraunts and retailers to spike up seafood prices, which will have a direct influence on you — the consumer as far away as New York City. ⁶
• In addition, many fisherman are struggling or have lost their jobs.

Economy

• On May 25, BP reported that they had spent approximately $760 million, a figure that excludes claims from fishermen and other affected industries. ³
• The oil spill has not affected the price of oil, which declined during the Deepwater Horizon crisis. ⁵
• Again, the price of seafood has increased dramatically affecting business owners and consumers.

Tourism

• The mere threat of oil caused thousands of hotel cancellations in the run-up to the usually hectic Memorial Day weekend. ⁷
• Florida's Department of Tourism has secured $25 million from BP to finance the tourism advertising campaign after an initial $25 million went to disaster preparation and response. ⁷

What's Being Done?

BP's Response in Numbers: ³

• 22,000 personnel deployed
• 1,300 vessels on site
• 3.15 million feet of boomBoom - A floating device used to contain oil on a body of water. Once the boom has been inflated, it is towed downwind of the oil slick and formed into a U-shape; under the influence of wind, the oil becomes trapped within the boom.
  www.eionet.europa.eu deployed
• 274,000 barrels of oil-water mix recovered
• 17 staging areas set-up to protect shoreline
• 26,000 claims filed, 11,650 already paid

Additional Efforts

• US Coast Guard, US Military, Department of Interior, Homeland Security, Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and many other generous organizations and companies are joining forces to assist in cleaning up the disaster in the gulf.

How Can You Help?

You want to help with the Deepwater Horizon cleanup? That's great! If you are interested in volunteering, you can visit:

• Louisiana: www.volunteerlouisiana.gov or call 1-800-755-5175
• Mississippi: www.mcvs.org
• Florida: www.volunteerflorida.org
• Alabama: www.servealabama.gov or call 1-888-421-1266

Please note that, in general, volunteers must be 18 years of age or older to participate. Please refer to state websites for more details on any age restrictions.⁴

Images from United States Department of Defense (defense.gov).
1. Pittman, Craig. "Oil Spill Q&A: Why Can't the Experts Stop the Oil from Leaking? - St. Petersburg Times."
2. Vucci, Evan. "Obama, in Gulf, Pledges to Push on Stopping Leak - USATODAY.com."
3. "Gulf of Mexico Response | Oil Spill | BP." BP Global
4. Deepwater Horizon Response.
5. Mills, Alex. "Falling Crude Oil Prices Contain Conundrum » Standard-Times."
6. NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
7. "Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill." Encyclopedia of Earth.