BP OIL SPILL
TEAM D
GLENN, JOSE, KENDRA KENDRICK, LEROY, ROBERT
SCI/256
CAROLYN MILLER

WHAT HAPPENED:
• ON APRIL 20, 2010, THE OIL RIG DEEPWATER HORIZON ALSO KNOWN AS THE BP
OIL SPILL HAD A DIRE MALFUNCTION. BOTH ITS MANUAL AND EMERGENCY
BLOWOUT PREVENTERS FAILED TO DEPLOY WHEN THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO
BECAME A REALITY.
• THE INITIAL OIL RIG EXPLOSION KILLED 11 PEOPLE AND INJURED 17 OTHERS.
• DUMPED NEARLY FIVE MILLION BARRELS OF OIL (THE EQUIVALENT OF OVER 200
MILLION GALLONS) INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO AND OILED HUNDREDS OF MILES
OF COASTLINE IN THE FIVE GULF STATES, WITH LOUISIANA'S COAST AND WILDLIFE
RECEIVING THE GREATEST PERCENTAGE OF DIRECT ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE.

WHAT HAPPENED:
• OVER 30,000 PEOPLE RESPONDED TO THE SPILL IN THE GULF
COAST WORKING TO COLLECT OIL, CLEAN UP BEACHES, TAKE
CARE OF ANIMALS AND PERFORM VARIOUS OTHER DUTIES.
• THE DISASTER'S LONG-TERM EFFECTS ARE STILL UNFOLDING.
• THOUGH THE GUSHING WELL WAS CAPPED IN JULY 2010, OIL IS
STILL WASHING UP ON SHORES, WHICH HAS POTENTIAL TO
CAUSE LONG-TERM DAMAGES TO THE AREA.

EFFECTS:
• BP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CLOSE TO $40 BILLION IN FINES, CLEANUP COSTS,
AND SETTLEMENTS AS A RESULT OF THE OIL SPILL IN 2010, WITH AN
ADDITIONAL $16 BILLION DUE TO THE CLEAN WATER ACT.
• AS OF 2012, THE GULF WAS STILL POLLUTED WITH OIL.
• STANDING UP A NEW INDEPENDENT ENTITY IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
• DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND FUNDED PRIORITIES LIST UNDER
THE PLAN
• PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTING OIL SPILL FORMULA COMPONENT

EFFECTS ON INDIVIDUALS:
• DEVASTATING TO MANY, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE GULF WAS IN THE PROCESS
OF REBUILDING POST- KATRINA (AUG. 2005)
• MANY OF THE NATION'S KEY ECONOMIC RESOURCES DEPEND UPON THE
GULF’S FRAGILE AND THREATENED ECOSYSTEMS INCLUDING:
• A THIRD OF ALL DOMESTIC OIL PRODUCTION
• 10 OF OUR NATION'S 15 LARGEST SHIPPING PORTS

• ROUGHLY 40 PERCENT OF COMMERCIAL SEAFOOD PRODUCTION IN THE
LOWER 48 STATES
• A $34 BILLION PER YEAR TOURISM INDUSTRY

EFFECTS ON FISHING INDUSTRY
• INITIAL ESTIMATE LOSS OF 2.5 BILLION DOLLARS
• CURRENTLY ANNUAL ESTIMATE LOSS OF 200 MILLION
• NO INCIDENT REPORTS OF PEOPLE GETTING SICK
• DEMAND FOR SEAFOOD DECLINED DUE TO CONSTANT MEDIA EXPOSURE
• DATA SHOWS CRAB FISHING IS 18 PERCENT BELOW YEARLY AVERAGE
• THOUSANDS OF SPECIES HAVE BEEN AFFECTED
• SCIENTIST ARE STILL LEARNING WHAT THE EFFECTS WILL BE IN THE
INDUSTRY

MORE EFFECTS ON FISHING INDUSTRY
• OYSTER HARVEST OR CULTIVATION HAS BEEN THE MOST AFFECTED IN THE
REGION
• OYSTER BEDS NEED TO BE PROTECTED FOR ILLEGAL PRACTICES SUCH AS
DREDGING (STRIPPING BEDS OF THE SHELL BASE)
• BEDS NEED TO BE RE-NOURISHED WITH FOSSILIZED SHELLS TO ALLOW FOR
POPULATION CONTROL

• PEOPLE IN THE COAST HAVE HAD TO ADAPT TO NEW SOURCES OF
FOOD/LABOR

PUBLIC OPINION AFTER SPILL
• INITIALLY, BP TOOK A LARGE HIT IN THE PUBLIC POST SPILL, INCLUDING STOCK
PRICES PLUMMETING.
• MANY CITIZENS OF THE GULF COAST WERE HIGHLY UPSET AS WELL AS THE
FISHING AND SHIPPING BUSINESS OWNERS.
• 3 YEARS SINCE THE INCIDENT, THE PUBLIC WAS POLLED. 41% HAVE AN
UNFAVORABLE OPINION OF THE COMPANY AFTER THE MASSIVE SPILL. 31% HAVE A
FAVORABLE OPINION REGARDING THE BP COMPANY. 43% SAID BP WAS DOING A
GOOD TO EXCELLENT JOB IN CLEANING UP THE OIL LEAKED FROM UNDERWATER
VALVE THAT FAILED. 31% SAID THE ARE DOING A FAIR TO REALLY POOR JOB.

POLICIES ADDRESSING OFFSHORE DRILLING
ISSUES

• OIL SPILL RESPONSE PLANS -THE BUREAU OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ENFORCEMENT HAS FORMULATED A PLANNED RESPONSE THAT WILL HELP
PREPARE FOR A WORSE CASE SCENARIO DISCHARGE BY TAKING IN TO
CONSIDERATION THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:
1.

THE LOCATION OF THE POTENTIAL WORST CASE DISCHARGE AND
WEATHER AND OTHER RESOURCES AT RISK.

2.

THE PROXIMITY TO SENSITIVE RESOURCES

3.

THE NATURE OF THE EVENT

4.

THE ESTIMATED DISCHARGE VOLUME

5.

THE TYPE OF OIL CHARACTERISTICS

CHANGES IN POLICY AFTER SPILL:
• GOVERNMENT PROPOSED REGULATIONS FOR OFF SHORE DRILLING AFTER BP OIL SPILL IN
2010.
• CONGRESS IS TO RAISE THE LIABILITY CAP OF OFF SHORE DRILLING,