| On April 20th, 2010 a Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig | | | | · The situation was deemed an incident of national |
| exploded and killed 11 workers, spawning what is | | | | significance which means a National Response Team |
| predicted to be the biggest oil spill in this country's | | | | composed of 16 federal agencies will coordinate a |
| history. The oil is spilling out at over 5,000 barrels a | | | | federal response |
| day due to the three breaks in the well pipes and hit | | | | This spill is predicted to be the largest oil spill in US |
| the Louisiana coastline late Thursday night, nine days | | | | history, larger than the 1989 spill from Exxon Valdez |
| after the initial spill. | | | | that spilled 11 million gallons of oil into an ecologically |
| The oil company that owned the oil drill, BP, is | | | | sensitive area of the Prince William Sound. The |
| completely responsible for the cleanup, although | | | | difference between the spills is that in 1989 the |
| Obama and his office is enforcing environmental | | | | cause was an oil tanker which holds a finite amount |
| reforms, saying they will help the clean up in any way | | | | of oil; this spill is tapped to an underwater oil well |
| they can, including giving the aide of the Department | | | | which is predicted to spill up to 3 months. |
| of Defense, if necessary. The National Coast Guard | | | | Effect on the Environment |
| has approved an experimental plan by BP to apply | | | | Environmentalist efforts are being spawned |
| chemical dispersants underwater to help stop the oil | | | | everywhere, from Mexican and American volunteers |
| spread, and the federal government is sending as | | | | to the oil company workers. The spread of the oil |
| much help as they can: | | | | spill to the coastline poses a serious threat for marine |
| · There are over 50 boats and aircraft deployed | | | | habits as well as human health. The Environmental |
| from the Department of Homeland Security to help | | | | Protection Agency is monitoring the air quality of the |
| the spill | | | | affected area to measure the impact of the |
| · The DHS also put out 174,060 feet of absorbent | | | | controlled burning. There are two national wildlife |
| foam booms and recovered 18,180 barrels of an oily | | | | refuges around the area of the spill that has not yet |
| mixture from the gulf's surface | | | | been affected by the spill, but has the potential to |
| · Interior Department deployed SWAT teams to | | | | be. |
| inspect 30 other drilling rigs in deepwater sections of | | | | It was predicted by local fishermen/farmers that if |
| the Gulf of Mexico | | | | the oil spill hit the shore, the entire population of |
| · DHS is setting up a headquarters in Alabama as | | | | shrimp, crab and oysters would be destroyed. |
| well as the already stationed Louisiana post | | | | Change of Environmental Reforms |
| · Navy is sending 66,000 feet of inflatable boom | | | | This spill comes at an inopportune time for Obama |
| and seven skimming systems | | | | and his administration, who just last month stated |
| · Navy is offering its base in the region as a staging | | | | they would continue in their efforts at finding less |
| area for the operation | | | | environmentally damaging ways of getting oil and said |
| · National Guard troops are mobilized and ready to | | | | they were opening up over 150 million acres of water |
| assist | | | | property for oil drilling. |