Arguably the biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history, the leaking BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico has now been officially declared dead.
Five months after an explosion sank a drilling rig, killed 11 men instantly and began the disaster that has jeopardized the livelihoods of fishermen, hotel and restaurant workers, and others, the dramatic BP saga has finally come to an end. Last Friday, crews pumped cement into the well nearly 2.5 miles below the sea floor. The mixture was left to harden by Saturday, and a pressure test completed on Sunday confirmed that the plug would permanently hold.
Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen who is the federal government’s point man on the disaster, delivered the news that the world has been waiting to hear — the BP Deepwater Horizon well “is effectively dead.”
Now the focus shifts to further clean up efforts, as well as the legions of Gulf area residents who must begin to rebuild their lives and livelihoods. But it won’t be easy. Tourism along the Gulf coast has taken a major hit. Plenty of oil still remains in the water and continues to wash up on shore. Fishermen are struggling to make ends meet as some waters are still closed to fishing. And shrimpers are finding it increasingly difficult to sell their catch, due to the perception from people outside the region that local seafood is not safe to eat.
The oil leak itself may be over. But for many, the saga is just beginning.
