http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20160429/OPINION/160429644/-1/news300?Title=We-re-still-learning-the-impacts-of-the-BP-oil-spill
We're still learning the impacts of the BP oil spill
Published: Friday, April 29, 2016 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 5:24 p.m.
It’s been more than six years since April 20, 2010, when an explosion on
the Deepwater Horizon killed 11 workers and touched off a months-long
catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
In all that time, the oil industry, the government and researchers have
studied the impact of the spill and wondered about the long-term effects
it will have on the people, plants and animals of the Gulf and the Gulf
Coast.
And one group argues that we still don’t know many of the answers.
Oceana, an environmental advocacy group, released a report earlier this
week that points out many of the lingering effects and highlights the
ongoing need for monitoring of the ecological fallout from the spill.
For instance, the reports says:
— Scientists have found hydrocarbons from the spill in 90 percent
pelican eggs tested in Minnesota. Chemical dispersant used on the spill
was found in 80 percent of the eggs. They worry that prolonged exposure
to these chemicals will have negative effects on generations of pelicans.
— Kemp’s ridley sea turtles suffered tens of thousands of deaths from
the spill, a fact that leaves the species more vulnerable than ever.
— The spill has negatively affected the mortality and reproduction rates
of bottlenose dolphins in the Barataria Bay.
— The spill poses a an ongoing danger to a host of Gulf fish species
that are important to both the food web in the ocean and the economic
success of the Gulf Coast fishing industry.
Altogether, the list of troubling consequences should do several things.
It should remind us of the delicate balance that exists between human
development and the nature around us. It also should remind us that such
a devastating event will have to be monitored for years or even decades
to appreciate the full effect — and we might not know even then.
The states and the federal government have come to the end of their
court fight against BP, and the sides have settled on fines and payments
that must be made for the oil giant’s part in this disaster.
But the people of the Gulf Coast, those who have so much to gain or lose
based on the Gulf’s health or illness, must continue to be vigilant of
the rich natural resource we all share.
We might never know the full impact that the oil spill caused, but the
accumulation of knowledge about such an important part of our history,
our culture and our economy can only be a valuable asset in the future.
The BP oil spill is still an event that evokes a broad range of
emotions, particularly from those of us who had such a close view of it.
And the effort to know more about what it did and is doing continues to
be a worthwhile pursuit.
Editorials represent the opinion of the newspaper, not of any individual.
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