The Permanent Scars of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
I remember the stillness of the sea. The cloudless sky. The yawning, relentless heat. The bright white barrier islands stretching out like gnarled fingers towards the horizon. And the ugly black slashes of oil floating along the shoreline. Clinging to the white sand beaches. Jagged cuts across a pristine landscape.
What happened?
I was 22 when the BP oil company’s Macondo well blew out causing the Deepwater Horizon drill rig to explode. The explosion killed 11 workers and injuired 17 others. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), it is estimated that 171 million gallons of oil were released from the Macondo well into the Gulf of Mexico. During response actions, approximately 1.8 million gallons of toxic chemical dispersants were used to aid clean-up efforts.
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill is considered to be the largest oil spill in the history of marine drilling operations, and the worst oil spill in the history of the United States.
That same year, I received my undergraduate degree in environmental science, and I subsequently boarded a plane bound for New Orleans. Bound for the Gulf of Mexico. I had been contracted to work alongside other environmental scientists collecting data to evaluate the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. I was young and energetic. I was ready to save the world.
The Ongoing Environmental Impacts
According to the NRDC, the sudden release of oil contaminated over 1,100 miles of coastline, 1,200 square miles of deep ocean, and 68,000 square miles of surface water. Thousands of marine mammals and sea turtles were killed. Additionally, it is estimated that nearly one million coastal and offshore seabirds perished due to the oil spill.
As a young environmental scientist, the opportunity to work on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill with talented scientists from across the United States was surreal. I was there because I wanted to work to serve the greater good. I wanted to make a difference for future generations.
Every morning I’d wake up before dawn, rubbing sleep from my eyes to prepare for another day on the water. Lukewarm motel coffee followed by life jacket, sunscreen, and baseball hat. A scramble to make it to the docks to meet my team. My team worked on assessing oyster populations, so I spent the majority of my time collecting and cataloguing samples for future laboratory analysis. I worked on small boats operated by fishermen who were no longer able to do their jobs. Who knew the waterways like the back of their hands.
I listened to their stories. I laughed. I complained about the heat. I cursed the rainstorms that would sweep across the ocean seemingly without warning. I stood in awe of hundreds of sunrises and sunsets that made my breath catch my throat.
I worked really hard, but I also had a lot of fun. I was away from my home, but the Gulf became my second home. The people became my family. I learned a lot about myself, my chosen career field, and a culture that I wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to.
Nine years later, the environmental impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill are still ongoing. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has indicated that significant habitat restoration is still needed. Populations of several marine and wildlife species may take decades to rebound.
What is happening now?
In 2010, the Obama administration finalized the first National Ocean Policy (NOP) to promote stewardship of the ocean, coastlines, and Great Lakes. The NOP was designed to address shortcomings of traditional ocean management and instead focus on ecosystem-based management. In 2018, the Trump administration eliminated much of the NOP’s environmental restoration and protection concepts.
Recently, the Trump administration also announced rollback of some of the Obama-era safety regulations designed to prevent the type of equipment failures that caused the horrific Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
These rollbacks of regulations threaten the health and longevity of our coastal communities and deep sea ecosystem. Have we forgotten the oil-slicked sea turtles? The weary faces of fishermen who lost their livelihoods? I have not forgotten. I have not forgotten the feeling of seeing something so beautiful permanently scarred.
The story of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an important story. It is a story that needs to matter. And I will continue to fight for this story. We should all continue to fight for this story.
Because I want my future children to be able to stand at the edge of the ocean with their toes in the sand. Their arms outstretched towards the sky and think yes. Yes, this is beautiful and wild. This is the feeling we fought for. And it is worth it. So worth it.
