By Stephen Kopko

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

LOUISIANA, United States-On April 20, 2010, an oil rig owned by oil company BP exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.  The explosion killed eleven workers and has caused great damage to the waters surrounding the rig.  The rig sank a few days after the explosion.  Since then, oil has been continuously streaming into the Gulf of Mexico causing great concern from environmentalists, industry, and citizens in the southern United States.

.  Since the explosion, approximately 1.6 million gallons of oil have flowed into the Gulf.  However, the exact amount of oil may never actually be known because it is difficult to measure how much oil actually came from the well. The well sits almost 50 miles off the coast the coast of Louisiana and 5,000 feet under the sea.  It may take those charged with the clean up a great deal of time to stop the well from leaking into the Gulf.  Early estimates stated that 210,000 gallons of oil can flow from the well per day until the leakage is stopped.

Many believe that the oil spill will be worst in the history of the United States.  Until the Gulf spill, the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill was the largest in the history of the United States.  Besides damage to the waters surrounding the oil well, many have become concerned with the oiled waters reaching the coastlines of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.  Environmentalists are concerned with the destruction of the habits of many fish and corral reef in the Gulf.  They are also concerned with the destruction of the marshlands around Louisiana.  The marshes around Louisiana protect the coast from violent storm surges. Fishermen are also worried about their economic future.

Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen has been appointed by President Obama to lead cleanup efforts from the explosion.  He also is in charge of efforts to stop the spillage of the destroyed oil well.  President Obama will visit the oil spill on Sunday to assess the damage.  Also, President Obama has halted all new offshore oil drilling until the causes of the explosion and oil leakage are answered.

For more information, please see:

MSNBC-Gulf oil spill balloons, could move east-1 May 2010

NY TIMES-In Gulf Oil Spill, Fragile Marshes Face New Threat-1 May 2010

CBS News-Axelrod: No New Drilling Until Cause of Oil Spill Determined-30 April 2010