BP: 1 year later

Day of remembrance on the Gulf Coast

One year after the Deepwater Horizon explosion began what became the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. A few vigils marked the day, while cleanups continued. Meanwhile, the people of the region tried to move on.

"A Sea in Flames": Ecologist Carl Safina on First Anniversary of Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Blowout.
JOHN HOCEVAR: Most of the oil is still there in the Gulf today. It’s in the water. It’s on the sediment. It’s on the seafloor. A lot of it’s washed up into the wetlands, and it’s still there. It’s still being eaten by marine life today.


http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/20/a_sea_in_flames_ecologist_carl

Voices from the Gulf: "One Year Later, We’re in the Same Situation as Last Year"

DAVID PHAM: One year later, we see that we’re in the same situation as last year, where no one really knows what’s next, where last year we didn’t know if it was going to affect as far as Alabama and our fishing industry, but this year a lot of our community members just don’t know what’s in store for them next. Will they—we’re waiting on our final claims, but what happens after the claim process is done? Can they go back to work? If they can’t go back to work, what can they do? Because I tell a lot of people, shucking oysters and picking crab—peeling crab doesn’t really translate to any other kind of job skills.

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/20/voices_from_the_gulf_one_year

Deepwater Drilling Resumes Despite Unclear Impact of BP Spill: "It is All about Hiding the Oil, Not Cleaning It Up"
Many scientists remain concerned that chemical dispersants used during the BP oil spill recovery effort may have damaged marine habitats, affecting many endangered species. "You’ve got this unbelievable chemical soup out there on the order that’s never been seen before,” says our guest, Kieran Suckling, director of the Center for Biological Diversity. Meanwhile, the federal government has awarded its first permit for deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico since lifting a moratorium imposed in the aftermath of the BP spill.

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/20/deepwater_drilling_resumes_despite_unclear_impact

Death Toll from BP Spill Still Rising as Residents Die from Spill-Related Illnesses.
"We’ve had many deaths of humans directly attributed to this disaster," says investigative journalist Dahr Jamail. "I recently spoke with Dr. Mike Robichaux, a doctor in Louisiana who’s treated scores of people. And he said, if we do not have federal government intervention immediately to deal with this and start treating people and start really cleaning this up appropriately, we’re going to have a lot of dead people on our hands."

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/20/death_toll_from_bp_spill_still

Father of Deepwater Horizon Victim: The Blowout Was “Inevitable” Due to BP’s Lack of Safety Precautions.
One year ago today, 28-year-old Gordon Jones was one of 11 workers killed aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded April 20. Today we speak to his father, Keith Jones, who has been critical of the operators of the rig. “BP and Halliburton and Transocean peeled back layer after layer after layer of safety protections, one after another, until this blowout was inevitable,” says Keith Jones.

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/20/father_of_deepwater_horizon_victim_the