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Essay On Deepwater Horizon

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The Deepwater Horizon was an ultra-deepwater offshore oil drill. On April 20th 2010, an explosion happened on the rig caused by a blowout. A blowout is an uncontrolled release of crude oil and natural gas. The resulting fire could not be extinguished. On April 22nd, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon sank. The rig left the well gushing at the seabed and caused the largest oil spill in the U.S. waters. The explosion caused the Deepwater rig to burn and sink. This resulted in a massive offshore oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, considered the largest accidental marine oil spill in the world, and the largest environmental disaster in the U.S. history. The Deepwater Horizon explosion made a negative impact in people’s personal lives, people’s work lives and wildlife. To begin, the oil rig explosion impacted many individuals lives, especially the families of the eleven missing crewmembers. Once the rig sank, two days following the explosion, the eleven missing were assumed dead. All were males and most had children and wives. None of the men worked for BP, British Petroleum. Two were employed by M-I Swaco, a division of oil …show more content…

over 8,000 animals(birds, mammals, turtles) were reported dead just 6 months after the spill, including many that were already on the endangered list. In the months following the Gulf oil disaster, wildlife managers, rescue crews, scientists and researchers saw many impacts of the oil impacting wildlife. Oil coated birds’ feathers caused birds to lose their buoyancy and their ability to regulate body temperature. Mammals could have ingested oil, which can cause ulcers and internal bleeding. Sea turtles were covered in oil as well. Nearly half the dolphins studied were very ill. 17% of the dolphins were not expected to survive. Since the spill, each year roughly 500 sea turtles are found stranded. The Gulf oil disaster hit at the peak breeding season for many species of fish and

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