Everything's Okay in the Gulf -- Or Is It?

Corexit on the waterSuddenly BP's oil disaster is getting an unusually high amount of positive publicity. Media reports are concluding that most of the oil has disappeared. The static kill has been successful at holding back the oil pressure, and the U.S. government issued a scientific report suggesting that 75 percent of the 4.9 million barrels of oil that gushed into the Gulf as been burned, dispersed or evaporated. But even if you assume that all of the dispersed oil has been degraded, there are still an estimated 1.3 million barrels out in the environment -- five times the amount of oil released during the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989. People observing beaches in southern coastal states of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida say they are still covered with oil and Corexit 9500, the chemical dispersant BP sprayed to break up the oil and remove it from view. Vast areas of ocean that used to be abundant with sea life show little signs of life anywhere. Plastic bags full of dead sea birds and oil are filling landfills in the south. If millions of gallons of oil have evaporated, what are the consequences for the air quality in the Gulf? Residents have reported that in areas normally besieged by mosquitos, there is now little need for repellant. Despite the rosy reports suddenly filling the airways, damage still appears to be ongoing. There is still plenty of oil in the Gulf that cannot, and will not, be cleaned up, and that will continue to wreak damage on the environment and the economies of Gulf states.

Comments

Oil spills can really affect not only marine organisms but the entire environment too. I don't also think that chemicals for oil spills can help. It might help in removing oil spills but its not at all friendly to the organisms that thrive in the Gulf. I hope that the government will find biodegradable Oil Spill cleaner that can still preserve marine life.

They are definitely downplaying the devastation caused by the oil spill. I think the efforts to clean it up compared with its magnitude were paltry at best. Doctoring images didn't exactly make the problem any less severe. How much will this cost the taxpayers and the small business owners? Fortunately for nature, there are microbes in the ocean that eat oil products. I wonder what impact it will have over time.

Heard some numbers analysis on local NPR affiliate the other day (& I'm having trouble finding it now) w/ a very different take on what the report means - fellow saying that he read the report to mean that approx. 90% of 'spilled' oil unaccounted for, so the percentage burned off, evaporated etc. is, in reality, quite minute.

The American people and especially those along the Gulf need to make sure that this issue remains an issue until it is 100% cleaned up. BP has made a lot of promises and they need to be held accountable and deliver on their promise. We are still years away from recovering from this disaster and we must hold a fire to the Washington to ensure these promises are kept and not swept under the rug.

I don't assume that chemicals for oil spills can assist. I hope that the federal government will uncover biodegradable Oil Spill cleaner that can even now preserve marine existence. We are even now many years away from recovering from this disaster and we should hold a fire to the Washington to make certain these promises are kept and not swept below the rug.

its a false statement by the U.S government that the oil is evaporated if it does than why are we seeing dead sea creatures at the end of the shores in most areas of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida ETC.. oil cannot evaporated so easily in air just by sunlight or by burn.. its a totally nonsense report..just to cover up that they are doing good.. we must do something on that... or it will just remain another article on net...

Only 20 Exon Valdez! Wow that sure is good news. Heck the people of the gulf coast were more than happy to dump 50 in the Niger delta, and another 30 in the amazon. I guess it's a good thing that those who bare a disproportionate responsibly get to see what makes there big ol' suv's go vroom! Maybe they might stop dumping so much oil in the Niger, or the amazon. Heck maybe they will stop trying to still oil from Persian gulf nations like Iraq and Iran even. Nah that is *way* to much to ask for.