What were the effects of the BP oil spill?

During the spill, turtles and dolphins were pulled out of the ocean covered in brown oil, coral reefs’ vibrant colors were lost as they continued to die, over 800,000 birds died immediately, and 80% of pelican eggs were exposed to these chemicals that leaked for over 87 days.

How much damage did the BP oil spill cause?

BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused $17.2 billion in environmental damage to the Gulf of Mexico. The Deepwater Horizon disaster is considered the largest marine oil spill in United States history.

What resulted from the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill?

On April 20, 2010, the oil drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, operating in the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, exploded and sank resulting in the death of 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon and the largest spill of oil in the history of marine oil drilling operations.

How long did it take to clean up the BP oil spill?

The disaster on April 20, 2010 killed 11 workers as the flaming rig sank into the Gulf of Mexico. It took nearly three months to stem the flow of oil from the ruptured undersea well.

How many animals died from BP Oil Spill?

An estimated 4,900–7,600 large juvenile and adult sea turtles and between 56,000–166,000 small juvenile sea turtles were killed by the spill. Furthermore, an estimated 35,000 hatchlings were lost due to the effects of the spill and associated clean-up activities on sea turtle nesting beaches.

How did they clean-up the BP oil spill?

In the case of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, clean-up workers treated the oil with over 1.4 million gallons of various chemical dispersants. Typically such large amounts are sprayed over the open ocean from an airplane or helicopter. It’s possible that life in the deep sea was exposed to the dispersant-oil mixture.

Is Deepwater Horizon still leaking?

One oil well off the southeastern coast of Louisiana, owned by Taylor Energy, has been leaking since 2004, spilling between 300 and 700 barrels per day. The well’s reserves could keep it leaking for the next 100 years if it isn’t capped, meaning it will one day eclipse the Deepwater Horizon spill in terms of volume.

Who was at fault for the Deepwater Horizon explosion?

BP
U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said BP was mostly to blame for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster, which killed 11 people and spewed oil into the water for 87 days. Barbier attributed 67% of the fault to BP, 30% to Transocean, which owned the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, and 3% to Halliburton, the cement contractor.

Is Deepwater Horizon still leaking oil?

Why are marshes and estuaries the worst places for oil to go?

Along coastal areas, marshes occur in intertidal to supratidal zones, and the marsh fringe is often contaminated by spills on water. In many areas of the country, pipelines cross under, through, or adjacent to marshes, making them at risk of interior oiling.

How much did BP pay the survivors?

Revealed: Documents Show BP Quietly Paid Just $25 Million to Mexico After The Worst Oil Spill Of The Century. After the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in 2010, BP paid out more than $60 billion in the US. More than eight years later, Mexico quietly settled with the oil giant for $25 million.

Is the Deepwater Horizon still leaking oil?

What was the cause of the BP oil spill?

In April of 2010, a British Petroleum operated oil drilling rig off the Gulf of Mexico, the Deepwater Horizon, exploded suddenly after high pressure methane gas from the oil well rose to the drilling rig, causing it to ignite and then sink to the bottom of the ocean floor.

How is the Gulf Coast recovering from the BP oil spill?

5 Years After BP Oil Spill, Effects Linger And Recovery Is Slow The 2010 explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig set off an environmental and economic catastrophe. Towns and ecosystems along the Gulf Coast are still struggling to rebound. Pelicans are nesting at Queen Bess Island in Barataria Bay.

Why did the value of the oil spill decrease?

The values of homes and condos have decreased because people do not perceive the areas affected by the spill to be as valuable as they once were. As the property values decreases, so does the amount of tax revenue that local governments receive.

Where was the worst oil spill in the United States?

In all, more than five million barrels of oil were released in the worst spill in United States history, washing ashore on beaches and marshlands from Texas to Florida. As one of many agencies providing support to the U.S. Coast Guard-led federal response to the BP oil spill, EPA conducted a number of activities in response to the spill.