Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: the Bp Disaster
AP Environmental Science
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: The BP Disaster
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was one of the most infamous industrial environmental disasters ever. On April 20, 2010, a marine oil-drilling dig called the Deepwater Horizon exploded, releasing hundreds of millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This explosion resulted in the loss of human life, massive environmental damage, and widespread damage to the livelihood of people living along the Gulf Coast. The organization with the largest share in the oil drill, BP (Beyond Petroleum), is still facing consequences of this spill and lost millions of dollars as well as national support. The Obama administration also received criticism for not responding to this crisis quickly enough. This monstrous oil spill created environmental, health, social, and economic problems that were unprecedented, and the rippling effects of the spill are still being felt today. To fully understand the story behind the incident that incited massive worldwide ramifications, one must get a better understanding of the company in charge of the oil rig and what their fault was. BP, which stands for Beyond Petroleum, is, as they state, “one of the world’s leading international oil and gas companies, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, lubricants to keep engines moving, and the petrochemicals products used to make everyday items.” (BP, 2013). This now world-leading petroleum company was created in 1908 in England, and has since expanded to employ over 83,000 people in 30 different countries, and has broken records with its quarterly net income of $16.86 billion in the first quarter of 2013. On their website, BP states that they have “five values that express [their] shared understanding of what [they] believe, how [they] aim to behave, and what [they] aspire to be as an organization.” These values are, in order: 1. Safety: “We
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: The BP Disaster
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was one of the most infamous industrial environmental disasters ever. On April 20, 2010, a marine oil-drilling dig called the Deepwater Horizon exploded, releasing hundreds of millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This explosion resulted in the loss of human life, massive environmental damage, and widespread damage to the livelihood of people living along the Gulf Coast. The organization with the largest share in the oil drill, BP (Beyond Petroleum), is still facing consequences of this spill and lost millions of dollars as well as national support. The Obama administration also received criticism for not responding to this crisis quickly enough. This monstrous oil spill created environmental, health, social, and economic problems that were unprecedented, and the rippling effects of the spill are still being felt today. To fully understand the story behind the incident that incited massive worldwide ramifications, one must get a better understanding of the company in charge of the oil rig and what their fault was. BP, which stands for Beyond Petroleum, is, as they state, “one of the world’s leading international oil and gas companies, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, lubricants to keep engines moving, and the petrochemicals products used to make everyday items.” (BP, 2013). This now world-leading petroleum company was created in 1908 in England, and has since expanded to employ over 83,000 people in 30 different countries, and has broken records with its quarterly net income of $16.86 billion in the first quarter of 2013. On their website, BP states that they have “five values that express [their] shared understanding of what [they] believe, how [they] aim to behave, and what [they] aspire to be as an organization.” These values are, in order: 1. Safety: “We
Cited: * (2013, 05). Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 05, 2013 * BP. (2010, 12 05). Deepwater Horizon accident. Retrieved 05, 2013, from BP * BP. (2011, 12 31). BP at a glance. Retrieved 05 2013, from BP * BP. (2012, 05 01). Claims Information. Retrieved 05, 2013, from BP * Investigation Team. (2010). Deepwater Horizon accident investigation report. BP * Oil Spill Commission. (2011). BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. OSC. * Repanich, J. (n.d.). The deepwater horizon spill by the numbers Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 05 2013. * Schleifstein, M. (2013, April 02). National wildlife federation says environmental effects of bp spill far from over. The Times-Picayune