The 2010, BP Gulf Oil Spill - Could Be the Worst Environmental Disaster in Decades

The Gulf Coast is expecting a devastating impact from the oil spill that occurred on April 20, 2010. Just 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana, BP was operating the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, in 5000 feet of water. After the rig exploded and sank, eleven Deepwater Horizon crew members went missing, they are presumed dead.

Trying to stop the leak will be an overwhelming endeavor, which could take months to accomplish. After declaring a state of emergency on Thursday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal agreed to allow BP Oil Company to conduct the massive cleanup underway. Under this agreement the local fishermen and shrimpers could be contracted and will be allowed to assist in the cleanup. The oil slick is about twice the size of Maryland, and drifting toward the Mississippi Louisiana coastline.

This is considered by many in Mississippi and Louisiana to be worse then Hurricane Katrina. This could impact their livelihood and many Gulf Coast region's for many years to come. This oil spill could impact at least 10 wildlife management areas in the state of Louisiana and Mississippi. Gov. Bobby Jindal asked the Federal Government to send 6,000 National Guard troops to assist in the cleanup. Some parts of Mississippi have already started seeing a thin sheen of oil close to shore.

The officials on the Louisiana gulf coast, are expecting to see the thicker oil reach the shore over the next few days. This could take years to repair the catastrophic impact this will have on thousands of miles of coastal wetlands, from Texas to Florida.

In Alabama, the workers have laid inflatable orange booms to protect the beach and wildlife from the spill heading to shore. Although the beach and wild life above the water are a big concern, the shrimp and oyster industry that lies below could initially see the most devastating impact. The local fishermen are staying vigilant, working around the clock to keep the oil from reaching the estuaries.

Louisiana's assistant secretary of tourism, Jim Hutchinson told Fox News that, "Common sense would tell us that if the shrimp and oyster beds are impacted, and could potentially affect one of the signature items for Louisiana - our shrimp." Shrimp season begins in May, however, a back-up emergency shrimping season was opened, allowing shrimpers to scoop up their catch before it is destroyed by the oil. [Fox News]

Sal Sunseri is the owner of P&J Oysters in New Orleans is very concerned. The company's been around since 1876, and it's the number one oyster supplier to New Orleans. Sunseri said, "Hopefully they (BP) will take our offers to help with the cleanup, the shrimpers, oyster farmers and other boats that are offering their services to help with the spill, whatever it takes to not allow the oil to enter the estuaries." [Marketplace]

President Obama said the White House would use "every single available resource" to respond to this disaster.
White House spokesman Nick Shapiro says that President Obama directed federal and state officials to actively confront the spill, but the cost of the cleanup will fall on British Petroleum (BP). At this point the cost for this disaster is unknown, some early reports estimate it at 6 million dollars a day, but it could reach in the hundreds of millions even a billion + by the time this is all over. In comparison to this disaster, the Exxon Valdez spill cost Exxon about 1.28 Billion dollars. [USA Today]

Obama's offshore-drilling plans will be on hold according to the White House senior adviser David Axelrod. He says "no additional drilling will be authorized," in an interview with Good Morning America. Watch: [Video]

High winds will limit The Coast Guards containment plan efforts says Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O'Hara in an interview with ABC News. She says, " The Coast Guard containment plan is primarily focused on organizing and coordinating the relief effort as the oil begins to wash ashore." Two of the primary relief options,skimming and controlled burns, will not be implemented due to the high winds for the next few days. Watch: [video]

There is 210 thousand gallons of oil spilling in to the Gulf of Mexico every day. If it's not contained soon, this disaster will surpass the Alaska's Exxon Valdez spill in as few as 55 days. The coastal marshland in the Northern Gulf Coast , and the Mississippi Delta, are expected to see the initial impact from the oil spill. However, no one can really know how this disaster will impact our environment over the long haul and how far the tentacles will reach.

As a South Florida resident living on the Gulf Coast, I am very concerned about our delicate ecosystem. This spill is everyone's concern. You will not have to live in Louisiana or Mississippi to feel the effects of this disaster. Every state bordering the Gulf of Mexico and beyond, should be very concerned about this. Just think, If our federal and state officials are saying it's bad, then chances are it's even worse then that.

Many officials fear the oil slick off the gulf coast, could become the nation's worst environmental disaster in decades.

Sources
Massive Oil Slick Could Have Devastating Impact on Economy in Gulf States [FOX News]
ABC News: Oil Spill Reaches Gulf Coastline [video]
Oil Spill Could Sink Obama's Offshore Drilling [USA Today]
ABC News: Seafood Harvest Threatened by Oil Spill [video]