Request Legal Help Now - Free

Advertisement
LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION

Gulf Oil Spill Damaging Lives and Livelihoods

. By
New Orleans, LAAs round-the-clock crisis management of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster continues in the Gulf of Mexico, experts are suggesting that efforts to clean-up one of the worst oil spills in history could go on for years. And the costs, both in environmental and human terms, could be unprecedented, as the environmental devastation could exceed that seen with the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989.

The deep water rig located off the coast of Venice, Louisiana, exploded on April 20 and eventually sank on April 22. The cause of the explosion is not yet known. According to a report on CNN.com, the untapped wellhead has poured 1.6 million gallons of oil into the Gulf. All attempts to cap the well head have so far failed.

BP is reportedly spending an estimated $6 million per day on clean-up efforts, but the UK-based petroleum giant has started to try and shift some of the blame for the disaster to Transocean, the company that was running the rig at the time of the explosion.

In addition to the damage the fragile Louisiana wetlands will sustain, including flora, fauna and wildlife, hundreds, possibly thousands of people will suffer financial loss as a direct result of the damage to and destruction of the local fisheries. The Gulf fisheries are among the major suppliers of seafood to the mainland US, with the northern Gulf generating some 40 percent of domestic seafood product, and "95 percent of the species in the seafood harvest are dependent on the health of the nation's estuaries and marshes," CNN reports.

Additional damage may also extend to ocean front real estate, and more importantly people's health who live in the affected areas. As one environmentalist told CNN, "You're looking at a long-term poisoning of the area. Ultimately, this will have a multidecade impact."

READ ABOUT OIL AND GAS ACCIDENTS LAWSUITS

Legal Help

If you or a loved one has suffered damages resulting from this disaster, please click the link below and your complaint will be sent to a lawyer who may evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation.

ADD YOUR COMMENT ON THIS STORY

Please read our comment guidelines before posting.


Note: Your name will be published with your comment.


Your email will only be used if a response is needed.

Are you the defendant or a subject matter expert on this topic with an opposing viewpoint? We'd love to hear your comments here as well, or if you'd like to contact us for an interview please submit your details here.


Click to learn more about LawyersandSettlements.com

Request Legal Help Now! - Free