Last week, when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, officials believed oil from the platform was contained. Today the situation looks much different—it appears that more than 40,000 gallons of crude oil has leaked into the gulf, with potentially hundreds of thousands of gallons still to come.
The leak isn’t from the well itself but from a 5,000-foot pipeline leading to the rig that was damaged when the rig sank following the explosion. There is potential for a greater spill if the well opens.
As of Monday, the oil spill—about 400 square miles—is about 70 miles from shore. It’s moving slowly, about one mile per hour, but could soon reach the Chandeleurs, islands that are home to a wildlife refuge.
Although there are larger issues at stake here—the loss of life and the environmental damage—in some sense this is going to be a surface-water quality issue as well. We’ll be hearing more in the days ahead just what happens and how the affected coastal states are dealing with it. They will likely be coordinating with state and federal agencies and with BP, which is currently using underwater robots to try to repair the pipeline leaks and moving a second rig into place to deal with the well itself.
Have you faced a similar situation in your career—a large spill or storm or other event much different from what you were used to coping with? What are some of the challenges facing stormwater and water-quality managers along the gulf?