Earlier this week, the federal government acknowledged the BP oil spill has created large underwater oil plumes. Scientists at the University of South Florida say oil plumes now stretch forty-two miles northeast of the Deepwater Horizon well site and 142 miles southwest. Despite the scientific studies, BP is still claiming the plumes don’t exist. On Wednesday, BP chief operating officer Doug Suttles appeared on Good Morning America.

Doug Suttles: “There has yet to be anyone who’s found any significant quantities below the surface, whether that’s just below the surface or at deep levels. We’re going to continue to monitor and look for those.”

Elizabeth Vargas: “We’re hearing scientists say there are huge plumes below the surface. Are you denying that, still?”

Doug Suttles: “Well, what I can tell you is no one’s yet found any concentrations that measure below the parts per — or higher than parts per million. So I think it may be depending on how you’re defining this. But what I can tell you, and I’ve looked at this data, is that we have not found any significant concentration of oil below the surface.”