BP spill in action.
Having "eluded" both the BP cleanup crews and our government for 5 years, 10 million gallons of
crude oil has finally shown up.
Up to 10 million gallons (38 million liters) of crude oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill has settled at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, where it is threatening wildlife and marine ecosystems, according to a new study.
This study supports one that came
out a year ago that projected a little more oil on the bottom of the Gulf. In the end, both projections remind of us of the long term impacts of
environmental negligence.
For now, the sunken oil may help keep the water above it clear and free of black oil particles, Chanton said, but it's turning into a long-term problem.
"There's less oxygen down there, and so that will slow the decomposition rate of the oil," Chanton said. "It might be there for a long period of time, a little reservoir of contamination." Moreover, the oil may cause tumors and lesions on underwater animals, researchsuggests.