` "BP PLC the company responsible for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill will pay a record $20.8 billion to the US government to cover damages caused by the disaster, the Department of Justice announced Monday. The deal finalizes an agreement between BP and the federal government that was first announced in July, in which BP said it would pay $18.7 billion. This final settlement updates that number and resolves all civil claims against BP set forth by the Department of Justice and five Gulf states. It is considered "the largest settlement with a single entity in American history," according to US Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Out of the money owed, BP will pay $5.5 billion to cover penalties incurred under the Clean Water Act, the US law that regulates water pollution. The five states affected by the spill Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas will also receive large sums to cover damages, as will 400 local government entities. Apart from this settlement, BP has spent a reported $28 billion on cleanup and compensation." - Source` *******************************` Good news for environmentalists and those affected by the spill. It remains to to be seen however if Obama's DOJ doesn't eventually settle this for pennies on the dollar, which is their normal practice.
Uncle Ferd just uses sawdust when he wants to clean up an oil spill... Argonne Lab Breakthrough Could Revolutionize Oil Spill Cleanup March 31, 2017 — If you were a casual observer watching Argonne National Laboratory scientist Seth Darling work, it would be easy to miss the low-tech but groundbreaking invention he's concocted in his brightly lit workspace.
These big spills are the ones we hear about. There are others, not as publicized. As I write, crude oil is flowing into the Mississippi and a gas leak in Alaska's Cook Inlet is ongoing—and has been for more than three months. Sea ice is making repairs impossible, underscoring again the unique challenges of oil and gas exploration in Alaska's frozen and tumultuous waters. Where We Drill, We Spill: Commemorating Exxon Valdez http://www.ecowatch.com/exxon-valdez-spill-nrdc-2327988037.html
Oil spills are not quite as horrible as they are made out to be. The ecological effects can be catastrophic but largely temporary. Oil is organic and is both photo and biodegradable. There are natural seepages all the time. That is not to say long term effects are non-existant, nor that oil spills should not be avoided all costs. Just that they are far less of an environmental disaster than urban sprawl.
