What does this spill mean for our future?

 

“The oil rig “Deepwater Horizon” exploded on April 20, 2010 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven workers were killed and 17 more were injured. The rig sank two days later and crude oil began spilling into the Gulf of Mexico. As a result we are concerned and unsure what will happen next and how it will affect us. How much of the Gulf’s ocean life will perish? What will our beaches look like? When will they be able to stop the oil from gushing into the ocean? Who is responsible for the cleanup? How will this affect our economy?

Here are some estimated facts to answer some of the questions you might have:
1.) The oil spill measures 240 miles east to west and is not symmetrical; estimated amount of oil spilled as of May 7 is 3.3 million gallons
2.) They estimate that the spill may hit hundreds of miles of coastline anywhere from Florida to Louisiana. They predict the oil may hit the Gulf Stream and carry some of it to the Atlantic but they don’t know when or how much.
3.) The gulf fishing industry has come to a halt for now greatly impacting thousands of jobs; once the oil comes ashore the delicate ecosystems are going to sustain damage which also affects the industry and sea life. The cost of fish, shrimp and oysters from the gulf may be affected.
4.) The spill does not immediately affect the price of gasoline but depending on how the oil spreads the gulf ports could be shut down for unknown periods of time, not allowing barges to deliver much needed oil which in turn could affect the price.
5.) BP and Transocean are financially responsible for the spill however there is a cap of 75 million for BP and 65 million for Transocean which could be lifted if the companies are found to have broken rules which resulted in the spill. The total cleanup cost depends on how much hits shore.
6.) They are trying desperately to plug all the leaks in the rig to stop the oil. They have stopped one with a robot that capped it with a valve. However, there are two more large leaks. They have developed a plan to funnel the oil at the top and bottom, if that doesn’t work then they will have to drill a “relief well” for the escaping oil to be intercepted, but that could take months.

One thing is for sure, we know it will impact us in some way in the near future. Oil creates an unfavorable environment for plants, once the plants perish so do the fish that rely them. This may cause devastating conditions for many people who rely on the ocean to provide for their families. The cleanup will take a lot of time and effort from everyone.

Please feel free to send in your questions, comments or information about the oil spill on the “Contact Us” tab at the top of our home page at www.1goodsam.org

Elizabeth Yonker
Director of Development