The rig's sinking on April 22 began the discharge of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. These numbers, coupled with the National Audubon Society scientists' observations of bird colonies and bird mortality well after the acute phase, have led scientists to conclude that more than one million birds ultimately succumbed to the lethal effects of the Gulf oil spill. [319] Still another was for not plugging the pipe with cement. Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Coastal Wetland and Wildlife Impacts and Response - M. Lynne Corn - Google Books Search Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More Calendar Translate Mobile Books. Anthony Badalementi was sentenced to one year probation,[369] Donald Vidrine paid a $50,000 fine and received 10 months probation,[370] Kurt Mix received 6 months' probation,[371] and David Rainey and Robert Kaluza were acquitted. BP said the report was inconclusive as to any causation associated with the spill. [181] They also said that they wanted to provide access to the information while maintaining safety. [115], Containment booms stretching over 4,200,000ft (1,300km) were deployed, either to corral the oil or as barriers to protect marshes, mangroves, shrimp/crab/oyster ranches or other ecologically sensitive areas. [116], Dispersants are said to facilitate the digestion of the oil by microbes. "[342][343] The DOJ also said Transocean, the owner and operator of the Deepwater Horizon rig, was guilty of gross negligence as well. [325], The GCCF was administrated by attorney Kenneth Feinberg. [13] Due to the months-long spill, along with adverse effects from the response and cleanup activities, extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats and fishing and tourism industries was reported. [165] However, biogeochemist Chris Reddy said natural microorganisms are a big reason why the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was not far worse. The explosion, which killed 11 men, caused the rig to sink and started a catastrophic oil leak from the well. The oil well was capped three months later, after 24/7 news coverage. On April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. [82][83] Mud and cement were later pumped in through the top of the well to reduce the pressure inside it (which didn't work either). [248], A 2012 survey of the health effects of the spill on cleanup workers reported "eye, nose and throat irritation; respiratory problems; blood in urine, vomit and rectal bleeding; seizures; nausea and violent vomiting episodes that last for hours; skin irritation, burning and lesions; short-term memory loss and confusion; liver and kidney damage; central nervous system effects and nervous system damage; hypertension; and miscarriages". [229], A 2015 study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, published in PLOS ONE, links the sharp increase in dolphin deaths to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Let us know. [290][291], In July 2010, President Obama issued an executive order, specifically citing the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, that adopted recommendations from the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force and established the National Ocean Council. A Berkeley Lab bioremediation expert says extreme caution must be used in cleaning up the fragile Gulf Coast ecosystem in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Corexit EC9500A and Corexit EC9527A were the principal variants. '"[341] The Court then went further, calling BP's position "nonsensical. [157][158] After one week of testing, BP began to proceed[159] and by 28 June, had removed 890,000bbl (141,000m3). Microbial biosurfactants help in bioremediation of hydrophobic compounds by two main mechanisms. [127][128][129], A 2011 analysis conducted by Earthjustice and Toxipedia showed that the dispersant could contain cancer-causing agents, hazardous toxins and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. A study based on samples taken at several beaches in the Gulf of Mexico before and after the BP oil spill showed a drastic change in the microbial community at the locations [5]. This will optimize bioaugmentation as microbe being altered is indigenous to that particular environment. Once released, the natural gas traveled up a riser to the platform of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that was over the well, where it ignited, killing 11 workers and injuring 17. A 100% reduction in alkanes and a 85.1% reduction in PAHs were demonstrated over 28 days. GoMRI uses a peer-review process to award grants for independent scientific research conducted primarily at academic institutions, as well as at select for-profit entities. Many large-scale skimmers exceeded the limit. [81][324] This fund was set aside for natural resource damages, state and local response costs, and individual compensation, but could not be used for fines or penalties. Two main types of affected coast were sandy beaches and marshes. And we will do whatever's necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy. [357][358] According to The Wall Street Journal the U.S. government and Gulf Coast states had prepared an offer to BP for a $16billion settlement. Oil spill cleanup. Pelican eggs contained "petroleum compounds and Corexit". NOTE: If you need captions, please click the CC button on the player to turn them on.Unprecedented in both scope and nature, the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Hor. This was to cover all offshore cleanup activities, BP later requested a second NIOSH investigation of onshore cleanup operations. How can we best prepare to respond to such an event in this challenging environment? [286], The petroleum industry claimed that disasters are infrequent and that this spill was an isolated incident and rejected claims of a loss of industry credibility. Tests for chemical exposure in the seven fishermen were negative; NIOSH concluded that the hospitalizations were most likely a result of heat, fatigue, and terpenes that were being used to clean the decks. MOEX Offshore 2007 agreed to pay $45million to the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, $25million to five Gulf state and $20million to supplemental environmental projects. [165][168] The delivery method of microbes to oil patches was proposed by the Russian Research and Development Institute of Ecology and the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources. The risk for new deep-sea spills is not expected to decrease in the future, as political pressure mounts to access deep-water fossil reserves, and poorly tested technologies are used to access oil. British pension fund managers (who have large holdings of BP shares and rely upon its dividends) accepted that while BP had to pay compensation for the spill and the environmental damage, they argued that the cost to the company's market value from President Obama's criticism was far outweighing the direct clean-up costs. [172] All flights in the operations' area were prohibited except flight authorized by air traffic control; routine flights supporting offshore oil operations; federal, state, local and military flight operations supporting spill response; and air ambulance and law enforcement operations. [329] An independent audit of the GCCF, announced by Attorney General Eric Holder, was approved by Senate on 21 October 2011. The court ruled that BP hadn't explained "how this court or the district court should identify or even discern the existence of 'claimants that have suffered no cognizable injury. Offshore Oil Drilling, "Spike Reported in Number of Stillborn Dolphins on Coast", "Half of bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay were seriously ill or dying in 2011, new study finds", "Gulf Dolphins Exposed to Oil Are Seriously Ill, Agency Says", "Restoring A Degraded Gulf of Mexico National Wildlife Federation", "How You Can Help Wildlife Impacted by the BP Oil Spill National Wildlife Federation", "BP Oil Spill: Dolphins Plagued By Death, Disease Years After Rig Explosion", "Dolphins 'suffering miscarriage, lung disease, losing teeth after BP oil spill' researchers claim", "About 565,000 pounds of oiled material from Deepwater Horizon stirred up by Hurricane Isaac", "Tropical Storm Lee surge reveals tar mats on Fourchon Beach", "Discovery of 'tar mat' prompts Gulf closure", "Three Years After the BP Spill, Tar Balls and Oil Sheen Blight Gulf Coast", Gulf of Mexico, since the BP Oil Spill of 2010 April, "AP: BP oil not degrading on Gulf floor, study says", "Study: "Dirty bathtub" buried oil from BP spill", "Tuna study reveals how pollution causes heart problems", "Dispersant Used to Clean Deepwater Horizon Spill More Toxic to Corals Than the Oil", Spike In Dolphin Deaths Directly Tied To Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Researchers Say, Study Links Dolphin Deaths to Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, "Hundreds of baby dolphin deaths tied to BP's Gulf oil spill", "Louisiana DHH Releases Oil Spill-Related Exposure Information", "Is This Oil Spill Solution Worse Than The Problem? [334] On 21 April 2011, BP issued $40billion worth of lawsuits against rig owner Transocean, cementer Halliburton and blowout preventer manufacturer Cameron. The addition of an ancillary collection system comprising several devices, also tapped into the BOP, increased the collection rate to approximately 25,000 barrels of oil a day. "[341], On 31 August 2012, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed papers in federal court in New Orleans blaming BP for the Gulf oil spill, describing the spill as an example of "gross negligence and willful misconduct." [342][344], On 14 November 2012, BP and the US Department of Justice reached a settlement. PR Newser, 20 May 2010, Crisis Communications. [172][175] The FAA acknowledged that media access was limited to hired planes or helicopters, but was arranged through the Coast Guard. Much research has been done on microbes and their implications in oil spills, but there are still much more to know. The Gulf Coast Claims Facility and the Deepwater Horizon Litigation: Judicial Regulation of Private Compensation Schemes", Independent Evaluation of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility. Due to the Deepwater Horizon spill, marine life was suffering. Oil biodegradation at a depth 5,000 feet or greater is . Benthic and highly productive habitats such as marshes and coastal wetlands in the affected areas were contaminated with crude oil and other petroleum by products; they are harmful to many of the organisms that thrive there [2]. The gas released caused an enormous underwater explosion that sadly took 11 lives and injured 17 others. The oil well over which it was positioned was located on the seabed 4,993 feet (1,522 metres) below the surface and extended approximately 18,000 feet (5,486 metres) into the rock. The trusteesGovernment officials acting on behalf of the public when there is injury to, destruction of, loss of, or threat to natural resources. An investigation of the possible causes of the explosion was launched on 22 April 2010 by the USCG and the Minerals Management Service. "[281] Some observers suggested that the Obama administration was being overly aggressive in its criticisms, which some BP investors saw as an attempt to deflect criticism of his own handling of the crisis. Subsurface oil remained offshore and in fine silts. BP originally estimated as part of a Federal Court supervised program offsite link, that those private claims would total about $7.8 billion. Selective pressure placed upon communities of organisms by the large increase of petroleum and other petroleum derivatives selects for the survival of organisms that can use petroleum and derivatives as energy, electron, and or carbon source [5]. [66] In April 2012, oil was still found along as much as 200mi (320km) of Louisiana coastline and tar balls continued to wash up on the barrier islands.