How did the US deal with the worst environmental disaster in history?

(Baonghean.vn) - 6 years ago, on April 20, 2010, the famous oil and gas company BP was caught up in a scandal when its oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, just 60 km off the coast of Louisiana, USA, exploded, killing 11 workers at the Deepwater Horizon rig, starting the worst environmental tragedy in US history.

The Deepwater Horizon oil well exploded in 2010, killing 11 people and spilling millions of liters of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Photo: Telegraph.

During the next 87 days, millions of liters of oil spilled on the ocean floor 1.5 km below sea level and BP tried many ways to cover up the incident but could not "get past" the media.

Public opinion became more and more critical of BP when flocks of birds, fish, and shrimp died in large numbers, and thick layers of oil covered previously pristine beaches.

Although BP was then owned by the United States, having changed its name from the British Petroleum Company many years earlier, anti-British sentiment spread as quickly as the oil spill, creating tension in the “special relationship” between Downing Street and the White House.

The company spent a huge amount of money on a clean-up campaign (up to 28 billion USD) and set up a compensation fund of 20 billion USD, but it did little to quell the anger. On July 15, 2010, after many unsuccessful attempts, the spilled oil well was finally closed.

Pelicans affected by the 2010 Louisiana oil spill disaster. Photo: Getty.

Tony Hayward, then BP CEO, became “the most hated man in America” for his ill-considered words in trying to appease the locals, apologizing for the “severe impact” on their lives but adding: “Nobody wants this to be over more than me. I want my life back.”

Although Hayward quickly apologized for his “slip of the tongue” after the tragedy that caused deaths and affected the entire ecosystem, it was clear that his reputation was greatly affected.

Crude oil washed ashore on the Alabama coast in 2010. Photo: AP.

People did not accept his description of the spill as “very, very normal” and “relatively small” compared to the scale of the ocean. Twelve days later, BP announced that American chemical engineer Bob Dudley would replace Mr. Hayward.

All things considered, the Gulf of Mexico and BP were both lucky. For starters, the spill occurred far out at sea, deep in the ocean, far from the most biodiverse areas.

Second, the oil that leaked was light crude, which dissolves more quickly than heavy oil. And by the time the oil reached the surface, much of it had been broken down by bacteria. With the oil spilling ashore, BP promptly launched a large-scale, expensive but generally successful cleanup operation.

Dealing with the aftermath of the oil spill tragedy. Photo: Getty.

The environmental impacts, as well as the negative impacts on the lives of those who depend on the Gulf for their livelihoods, are not small, but the recovery of this place is still beyond the expectations of many people.

Alabama Beach today. Source: Facebook.

The Gulf of Mexico is now largely clean and vibrant again, a recovery that has been described by everyone from environmentalists, to BP representatives, researchers, ocean scientists… as “resilient.”

Phu Binh

(According to Telegraph)