It was not until August 5, over three months after the notorious oil rig catastrophe that resulted in the deaths of 11 people, that BP announced the completion of cementing operations at the Deepwater Horizon oil gusher.
Despite BP's overwhelmingly positive announcements, retired U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad W. Allen is dubious that BP has permanently sealed the leak due to preliminary scientific reports. BP had initially reported the spill had been capped on July 12, but constant monitoring of the cap is necessary to ensure the success of the containment system.
Prior to capping the leak, about 4.9 million barrels of crude oil was released into the Gulf of Mexico, causing incalculable damage to marine life and to wildlife habitats. Local industries, particularly those dependent on fishing and leisure, were also significantly affected.
A combination of offshore oil filtering, oil burning and oil collecting was implemented for the removal of the oil from coastal waters. About 2 million gallons of the chemical dispersant Corexit was also utilized to disperse BP oil. The EPA states that oil itself is more toxic in seafood than Corexit.
Earlier studies have linked Corexit to health concerns such as respiratory and blood problems. The FDA asserts that the chemical does not pose a risk in seafood and is currently not testing seafood from the Gulf Coast for Corexit levels.
In the effort to remove oil, BP employed 700 workers, four airplanes and 32 oil separation machines. By late April, about 70 vessels were working on cleanup. The Coast Guard reported in early May that 170 vessels were active in oil removal and that the number of persons assisting in cleanup had increased to over 9000.
As of August 4, the White House has estimated that 25 percent of the oil from the spill is still unaccounted for and is continuing to pollute the Gulf Coast waters. Much of the remaining oil has dissolved into the water, invisible from the surface level.
On August 16, scientists from the University of Georgia released a less optimistic report, which contradicted the government's estimates on oil removal. Their analysis of governmental figures indicate that 80 percent of the oil that BP said it had removed was still present, albeit in dissolved form.
Investigations of the BP oil rig explosion revealed that the company may have ignored signs of potential danger in favor of saving time or money. Early reports indicate that BP failed to repair a leak in the rig's hydraulics system. The hydraulic leak was discovered weeks before the explosion, and email documentation disclose chronological information that BP was informed of the leak.
On June 16, BP agreed to establish a $20 billion ‘spill response fund' after meeting with President Obama. BP will pay $3 billion in third quarter this year, $2 billion in fourth quarter, and will continue to pay $1.5 billion per quarter until the full $20 billion escrow is used.
BP has announced that it will sell $10 billion in assets and cut down on capital spending budget to coincide with the response fund.
BP CEO Tony Hayward is expected to step down from his position effective Oct. 1. Under the terms of his contract, Hayward will receive severance pay amounting to approximately £1.05 million.
Hayward will be succeeded by Robert Dudley, who is currently the president and chief executive of the Gulf Coast Restoration Organization.
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