Fifteen years ago, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, killing 11 people and spilling 134 million gallons (507 million liters) of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. It was the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. The effects of the spill are still being felt along the Gulf Coast today.
Environmental groups say that the spill led to important restoration efforts in the region. However, they are worried because a key project to restore land in Louisiana has been stopped recently. They fear that the best chances to rebuild the Gulf Coast are slipping away as the Trump administration supports more offshore oil drilling.
In Lafitte, Louisiana, Tammy Gremillion remembers her daughter Jennifer, who joined a cleanup crew after the spill. Tammy had warned Jennifer not to join, but the crew offered good pay, and Jennifer went anyway. She worked for months cleaning up oil, often coming home covered in black oil, smelling of chemicals, and suffering from rashes and headaches. Jennifer was also exposed to Corexit, a chemical used to break up the oil in the water.
In 2020, Jennifer died from leukemia, a type of blood cancer. Tammy believes the oil and chemicals caused her daughter’s cancer. She filed a lawsuit against BP in 2022, but proving the link between the spill and her daughter’s cancer has been difficult in court. Most of the 4,800 lawsuits related to the spill have been dismissed. BP settled some cases in 2012, paying $67 million to ill workers and residents, but many victims only received small payments—around $1,300 each for most people.
BP denies that exposure to the oil caused health problems and has tried to discredit the medical experts in these cases.
The environmental damage from the spill was severe. PJ Hahn, a coastal manager in southeast Louisiana, described watching the oil destroy barrier islands and marshes. Oyster beds were covered in oil, reefs were ruined, and the fishing industry collapsed. Many animals, like seabirds and sea turtles, died from the oil. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated that tens of thousands of animals were lost.
Since then, some progress has been made in restoring the Gulf Coast’s environment. The Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council, a group of state and federal agencies, has approved over 300 restoration projects worth $5.38 billion. These projects have included protecting bird nesting areas in Mississippi, rebuilding reefs in Florida, and restoring marshlands in Louisiana.
Although the spill was a tragedy, it led to a movement for a healthier and more resilient Gulf Coast. The restoration projects were possible thanks to the billions of dollars BP paid as part of the settlement.
However, one major project to rebuild land in Louisiana has been put on hold. The project, which would cost $3 billion, aims to divert sediment from the Mississippi River to create 21 square miles of new land in southeast Louisiana. But it has faced opposition because it could harm local fishing industries. Louisiana’s governor has paused the project for 90 days while they look into its costs and effects.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has opened up new offshore oil drilling leases, which the oil industry says is a step forward for the country. BP recently announced a new oil discovery in the Gulf and plans to drill 40 new wells in the next three years. BP says it has improved safety measures since the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
However, Joseph Gordon, a director at the nonprofit group Oceana, warns that the legacy of the Deepwater Horizon spill should serve as a warning against expanding offshore drilling.
