BP Oil Spill Topics

On April 20, 2010, the BP-operated offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank into the Gulf of Mexico becoming the worst industrial environmental disaster in U.S. history. Democracy Now! reported from the Gulf Coast, and continues to interview experts, government officials, local residents, and environmental activists about aftermath of the disaster.

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  • Thomas-lane

    Nearly 5 Years After Katrina, African American Fishing Community in Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish Faces New Struggle in Oil Spill Devastation and BP Obstruction

    Democracy Now!’s Anjali Kamat visits the town of Phoenix, Louisiana on the east bank of Plaquemines Parish, an area that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She speaks to Reverend Tyronne Edwards, a pastor and longtime community activist who spearheaded efforts to rebuild the largely African American fishing community after Katrina. In the aftermath of the BP oil spill disaster, Rev. Edwards is at the forefront of getting Washington,...
    Jun 04, 2010 | Story

  • "In Memory of All That Is Lost." By Amy Goodman

    NEW ORLEANS—The anger is palpable across the Mississippi Delta. As the Deepwater Horizon oil geyser, almost a mile underwater, continues unabated, the brunt of this, the largest environmental catastrophe in United States history, is rolling onto the coast, impacting the ecology, the economy and entire ways of life.
    Jun 02, 2010 | Columns & Articles
  • Amy-gulf-coast

    On Front Lines of BP Oil Spill: Democracy Now! Travels Across Coastal Louisiana

    The Justice Department has confirmed it’s opened a criminal and civil investigation into the BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast, now believed to be the worst environmental disaster in US history. For residents of southern Louisiana, the spill is impacting the ecology, the economy and entire ways of life. Over the past several days, Democracy Now! traveled across the bayous and towns of coastal Louisiana meeting the people on the front lines...
    Jun 02, 2010 | Story
  • Drillsign

    Anger Mounts in Gulf Coast over BP Oil Spill

    Democracy Now! travels to the Gulf region to investigate the massive BP oil spill off the coast of Louisiana. We play an address by George Barisich, the president of the United Commercial Fishermen’s Association, who spoke on Sunday at a large protest in New Orleans near Jackson Square. [includes rush transcript]
    Jun 01, 2010 | Story
  • Oilspill

    BP Oil Spill Confirmed as Worst in US History; Environmental Groups Challenge Continued Oil Operations in Gulf Excluded from New Moratorium

    Although President Obama has extended the moratorium on new deepwater drilling permits for six months and halted operations at thirty-three deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico, some oil rigs are continuing their operations. The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit to halt forty-nine offshore drilling plans in the Gulf of Mexico that were approved without full environmental review. Meanwhile, the group Food & Water Watch is...
    May 28, 2010 | Story
  • Sludge_web

    Coast Guard Grounds Ships Involved in Spill Cleanup After 7 Fall Ill; BP Reportedly Preventing Fishermen from Wearing Respirators

    At least seven fishermen involved in the cleanup of the BP oil spill were hospitalized on Wednesday after reporting nausea, dizziness, headaches and chest pains. The fishermen were likely exposed to both the leaked oil and chemical dispersants. As a precautionary measure, the Coast Guard has ordered all 125 commercial ships helping with the cleanup to return to land. For weeks, cleanup crews hired by BP have been reporting health issues, but their...
    May 27, 2010 | Story
  • Oilybird_web

    Renowned Marine Biologist Carl Safina on the BP Oil Spill's Ecological Impact on the Gulf Coast and Worldwide

    As we continue our discussion on the BP oil spill, we turn to its long-term ecological impact. Carl Safina, the founding president of Blue Ocean Institute, warns the ecological fallout from the spill may be felt across much of the world. [includes rush transcript]
    May 27, 2010 | Story
  • Horizonbp_web

    BPA? As BP Says No To The EPA, Who Is In Charge of the Oil Cleanup?

    The oil giant BP has admitted it proceeded with work on the underwater oil well in the Gulf of Mexico shortly before last month’s explosion despite warning signs of a major problem. Dogged by delays, BP faces a pivotal day today as it attempts a so-called "top kill" maneuver to choke off the gushing oil by pumping heavy drilling mud and cement into the mile-deep well. The procedure risks making the leak worse. A weak spot in the...
    May 26, 2010 | Story
  • Exxon_valdez_web

    BP Played Central Role in Botched Containment of 1989 Exxon Valdez Disaster

    The BP oil spill is the worst to hit the United States since the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989. The devastation in the Gulf Coast has renewed attention on BP’s key role in the botched containment of Exxon Valdez. We speak to Zygmunt Plater, an environmental law professor at Boston College who headed the legal team for the state-appointed Alaska Oil Spill Commission that investigated the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. [includes rush transcript]
    May 26, 2010 | Story
  • Deepwaterrig_web

    Disasters in Gulf Coast, West Virginia Spur Calls for Criminal Prosecutions of Corporate Execs

    From the Gulf of Mexico to the Massey mine of West Virginia, scores of workers have died. We speak to Corporate Crime Reporter editor Russell Mokhiber, who says corporate executives should be held criminally accountable for the disasters under their watch. Mokhber is involved with a group of citizen activists who have just launched a campaign calling on the state of West Virginia to prosecute Massey Energy for manslaughter in connection with the...
    May 26, 2010 | Story