Four Years Later, Marine Life Still Feeling Significant Impacts From Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

April 18, 2014

Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

As the fourth anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico approaches, much of the region’s environment and marine life are still feeling the effects of the largest accidental oil spill in US history.

Despite the continued impact on the environment and wildlife, BP – formerly British Petroleum – said in a statement on Tuesday that it has ended its “active cleanup” of Louisiana’s coast. This follows last year’s end of active cleanup in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.

BP’s announcement also follows a directive issued by the US Coast Guard transitioning the active cleanup phase to a new response phase in which crews and equipment will be pre-positioned for future response to cleanup if new reports of oil surface.

“Our response posture has evolved to target re-oiling events on coastline segments that were previously cleaned,” said Coast Guard Capt. Thomas Sparks, who serves as federal on-scene coordinator for the BP response to the spill. “But let me be absolutely clear: This response is not over – not by a long shot. The transition to the Middle Response process does not end clean-up operations, and we continue to hold the responsible party accountable for Deepwater Horizon cleanup costs.

“We are absolutely committed to continuing the clean-up of Deepwater Horizon oil along the Gulf – for as long as it takes, and to surge as necessary and as the situation dictates,” Sparks said, as cited by Manuel Torres of The Times-Picayune.

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