🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:
Response:
Calculated Shard: 72 (from laksa048)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:
Response:

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:
Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:
Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

đź“„
INDEXABLE
âś…
CRAWLED
10 days ago
🤖
ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

FilterStatusConditionDetails
HTTP statusPASSdownload_http_code = 200HTTP 200
Age cutoffPASSdownload_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH0.3 months ago
History dropPASSisNull(history_drop_reason)No drop reason
Spam/banPASSfh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0ml_spam_score=0
CanonicalPASSmeta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsedNot set

Page Details

PropertyValue
URLhttps://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/04/deepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill/
Last Crawled2026-04-14 02:52:26 (10 days ago)
First Indexed2019-04-19 21:22:18 (7 years ago)
HTTP Status Code200
Content
Meta TitleNine Years Later, the BP Oil Spill’s Environmental Mess Isn’t Gone – Mother Jones
Meta DescriptionGulf Coast ecosystems still have not fully recovered. Some may never recover.
Meta Canonicalnull
Boilerpipe Text
A brown pelican drenched in oil by the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010. Charlie Riedel/AP Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily . Nine years ago, BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana, causing the worst oil spill in US history. The disaster on April 20, 2010 killed 11 workers as the flaming rig sank into the Gulf of Mexico. It took nearly three months to stem the flow of oil from the ruptured undersea well. By then, four million barrels of crude had seeped into the surrounding water, endangering marine wildlife and throwing local ecosystems out of balance.  The cleanup effort in the aftermath of the explosion was expansive and expensive. At its peak, more than 47,000 people worked on the response effort in the summer of 2010. By 2018, BP estimated that the spill had cost the company nearly $65 billion in legal fees, settlements, and funds for clean-up and restoration. Although much of the oil was recovered or dispersed in the ocean, the surrounding ecosystems still have not fully recovered. Some may never recover.  Donald Boesch , a professor of marine science at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science who was appointed to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling under by President Barack Obama, said the spill’s most lasting effects have been in deep-water zones, wetlands, and in the the population of larger marine animals like turtles, whales, and dolphins with long lifespans.  While most of the spill’s acute effects—oil soaked birds, beaches slick with crude—have dissipated, Boesch says some contamination persists. “Areas in the deep water near the site of the blowout still have some level of contamination of oil in the sediment,” he says. “It just takes a long time, once that material is in the sediment, to degrade because of the lack of oxygen.”  That lingering pollution has consequences near the site of the spill, particularly on the delicate microbiomes that are the building blocks of ocean life. A 2018 study led by a microbial ecologist at the University of Southern Mississippi found that biodiversity had been reduced in areas that had been affected by the spill, compared with areas that had not been exposed to the oil.  A relatively small amount of the spilled oil washed onshore. But in fragile coastline areas in Louisiana and Mississipp i , oil killed off the plants that had been holding the wetlands together. In 2016, scientists from the US Geological Survey published work showing how petroleum exposure from the BP spill increased the recession of the shoreline as vegetation died at the roots. “There are wetland areas that were oiled and died and they aren’t recovering and they just won’t recover,” Boesch says.  And for long-lived marine animal populations, the oil spill has been deadly. Up to 167,600 turtles from five endangered species were estimated to have been killed as a result of the spill, according to an assessment by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The contamination contributed to the Gulf of Mexico’s largest and longest dolphin die-off , and research points to lasting reproductive issues among the region’s population. The Obama administration heavily limited offshore drilling in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, but last year, the Trump administration began to undo those efforts. In January 2018, the administration opened nearly all US coastal waters to offshore drilling, a move environmental advocates criticized as a giveaway to the oil and gas industry. And in June 2018, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that undid protections put in place by Obama, handing more control of drilling safety to the states while making enhancing “America’s energy security” a top policy goal.  Additional c hanges to federal regulations would roll back protections put in place in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Revisions to the Well Control Rule , implemented in 2016, would loosen third-party oversight of safety mechanisms like blowout preventers, which automatically seal leaking undersea wells. In the Deepwater Horizon explosion, a design flaw in its blowout preventer prevented it from working as intended.  The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement estimated that the changes to the Well Control Rule, proposed under the Trump administration, would result in $946 million in savings to the oil industry over a decade. But Boesch points out that number is a drop in the bucket compared to the 600 million barrels of oil produced by offshore drilling in the United States. To relax the post-BP regulations, “is to forget the lessons that were learned,” he says. “I can see from an industry standpoint that you don’t want to pay it. But look at the damage that was done, not just to the environment but to the people on the Gulf Coast and to the industry itself. Why are we trying to save a nickel while potentially risking having to fork over another few billion dollars?”  Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the name of the university where Donald Boesch is affiliated.
Markdown
[Skip to main content](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/04/deepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill/#main) - - [Share on Facebook](http://facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fenvironment%2F2019%2F04%2Fdeepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill%2F) - [Share on Twitter](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Nine%20years%20later%2C%20the%20BP%20oil%20spill%27s%20environmental%20mess%20isn%27t%20gone&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fenvironment%2F2019%2F04%2Fdeepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill%2F&via=MotherJones) - [Share on Bluesky](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Nine%20years%20later%2C%20the%20BP%20oil%20spill%27s%20environmental%20mess%20isn%27t%20gone%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fenvironment%2F2019%2F04%2Fdeepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill%2F) - [Email](mailto:?subject=Nine%20Years%20Later%2C%20the%20BP%20Oil%20Spill%E2%80%99s%20Environmental%20Mess%20Isn%E2%80%99t%20Gone&body=Nine%20years%20ago%2C%20BP%E2%80%99s%20Deepwater%20Horizon%20drilling%20rig%20exploded%20off%20the%20coast%20of%20Louisiana%2C%20causing%20the%20worst%20oil%20spill%20in%20US%20history.%20The%20disaster%20on%20April%2020%2C%202010%20killed%2011%20workers%20as%20the%20flaming%20rig%20sank%20into%20the%20Gulf%20of%20Mexico.%20It%20took%20nearly%20three%20months%20to%20stem%20the%20flow%20of%20oil%20from%20the%20ruptured%20%5B%E2%80%A6%5D0https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fenvironment%2F2019%2F04%2Fdeepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill%2F) - [Comments](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/04/deepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill/#comment-container) - [Donate](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/mj/key/7LIGHTB/src/7EGP002|PEGP002) - [Donate](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/mj/key/7LIGHTB/src/7EGP007|PEGP007) - [Subscribe](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/MOJ/SUBS/?p=SEGHIP&c=SEGHIC&d=SEGHID&f=SEGHIF) Got tips? [Get in touch](https://www.motherjones.com/contribute/how-to-leak-to-us/) confidentially. - [Newsletters](https://www.motherjones.com/newsletters/?mj_oac=dropdown_nav) - [Politics](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/) - [Environment](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/) - [Criminal Justice](https://www.motherjones.com/criminal-justice/) - [Guns](https://www.motherjones.com/topics/guns) - [Race](https://www.motherjones.com/topics/race) - [Gender + Sexuality](https://www.motherjones.com/topics/sex-and-gender/) - [Food](https://www.motherjones.com/food/) - [Podcast](https://www.motherjones.com/topics/reveal-podcast) - [Video](https://www.motherjones.com/topics/video) - [Magazine](https://www.motherjones.com/magazine) Got tips? [Get in touch](https://www.motherjones.com/contribute/how-to-leak-to-us/) confidentially. [Subscribe to our magazine](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/MOJ/SUBS/?p=SEGHOP&c=SEGHOC&d=SEGHOD&f=SEGHOF) [Donate Monthly](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/mj/key/7LIGHTS/src/7EGP009|PEGP009/) [Donate](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/mj/key/7LIGHTB/src/7EGP014|PEGP014/) 50 Years of Fearless Journalism - [Politics](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/) - [Environment](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/) - [Criminal Justice](https://www.motherjones.com/criminal-justice/) - [Guns](https://www.motherjones.com/topics/guns) - [Race](https://www.motherjones.com/topics/race) - [Gender](https://www.motherjones.com/topics/sex-and-gender/) - [Food](https://www.motherjones.com/food/) - [Podcast](https://www.motherjones.com/topics/reveal-podcast) - [Video](https://www.motherjones.com/topics/video) - [Magazine](https://www.motherjones.com/magazine) - [Newsletters](https://www.motherjones.com/newsletters/?mj_oac=desktop_header_nav) ## Membership Ticker [Make a Gift](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/mj/key/7LIGHTB/src/7AHPR84%7CPAHPR84/) SPRING MEMBERSHIP DRIVE *Mother Jones* is powered by readers who care about the future of our democracy. This week is our spring membership drive, and **we need 1,000 new donations to fund the urgent investigations already in our pipeline**. Be the reason these stories get told. *Mother Jones* is powered by readers who care about the future of our democracy. **If that’s you, we need your help—this week especially**. It’s our spring membership drive, and **our goal is 1,000 new donations to fund the urgent investigations already in our pipeline**. Be the reason these stories get told. [Make a Gift](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/mj/key/7LIGHTA/src/7AHPMSH%7CPAHPMSH/) - [Environment](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/) April 19, 2019 # Nine Years Later, the BP Oil Spill’s Environmental Mess Isn’t Gone ## Gulf Coast ecosystems still have not fully recovered. Some may never recover. - [![Annie Ma](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/MaAnnie-900px.jpg?w=60&h=60&crop=1)](https://www.motherjones.com/author/annie-ma/) ### [Annie Ma](https://www.motherjones.com/author/annie-ma/ "See all posts by Annie Ma") Fellow[Bio](https://www.motherjones.com/author/annie-ma/ "See all posts by this author") - [Share on Facebook](http://facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fenvironment%2F2019%2F04%2Fdeepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill%2F) - [Share on Twitter](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Nine%20years%20later%2C%20the%20BP%20oil%20spill%27s%20environmental%20mess%20isn%27t%20gone&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fenvironment%2F2019%2F04%2Fdeepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill%2F&via=MotherJones) - [Share on Bluesky](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Nine%20years%20later%2C%20the%20BP%20oil%20spill%27s%20environmental%20mess%20isn%27t%20gone%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fenvironment%2F2019%2F04%2Fdeepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill%2F) - [Email](mailto:?subject=Nine%20Years%20Later%2C%20the%20BP%20Oil%20Spill%E2%80%99s%20Environmental%20Mess%20Isn%E2%80%99t%20Gone&body=Nine%20years%20ago%2C%20BP%E2%80%99s%20Deepwater%20Horizon%20drilling%20rig%20exploded%20off%20the%20coast%20of%20Louisiana%2C%20causing%20the%20worst%20oil%20spill%20in%20US%20history.%20The%20disaster%20on%20April%2020%2C%202010%20killed%2011%20workers%20as%20the%20flaming%20rig%20sank%20into%20the%20Gulf%20of%20Mexico.%20It%20took%20nearly%20three%20months%20to%20stem%20the%20flow%20of%20oil%20from%20the%20ruptured%20%5B%E2%80%A6%5D0https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fenvironment%2F2019%2F04%2Fdeepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill%2F) - [Comments](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/04/deepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill/#comment-container) ![](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/AP_10060312648.jpg?w=990) A brown pelican drenched in oil by the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010.Charlie Riedel/AP Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. [Sign up for the free *Mother Jones Daily*.](https://www.motherjones.com/newsletters/?mj_oac=Article_Top_No_Oligarchs) Nine years ago, BP’s [Deepwater Horizon](https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/deepwater-horizon-bp-gulf-mexico-oil-spill) drilling rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana, causing the worst oil spill in US history. The disaster on April 20, 2010 killed [11 workers](https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/04/18/short-portraits-died-deepwater-horizon/26007421/) as the flaming rig sank into the Gulf of Mexico. It took nearly three months to stem the flow of oil from the ruptured undersea well. By then, four million barrels of crude had seeped into the surrounding water, endangering marine wildlife and throwing local ecosystems out of balance. The cleanup effort in the aftermath of the explosion was expansive and expensive. At its peak, more than [47,000 people](https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42942.pdf) worked on the response effort in the summer of 2010. By 2018, BP estimated that the spill had cost the company nearly [\$65 billion](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bp-deepwaterhorizon/bp-deepwater-horizon-costs-balloon-to-65-billion-idUSKBN1F50NL) in legal fees, settlements, and funds for clean-up and restoration. Although much of the oil was recovered or dispersed in the ocean, the surrounding ecosystems still have not fully recovered. Some may never recover. ## RHC membership for blog posts [Donald Boesch](https://www.umces.edu/don-boesch), a professor of marine science at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science who was appointed to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling under by President Barack Obama, said the spill’s most lasting effects have been in deep-water zones, wetlands, and in the the population of larger marine animals like turtles, whales, and dolphins with long lifespans. While most of the spill’s acute effects—oil soaked birds, beaches slick with crude—have dissipated, Boesch says some contamination persists. “Areas in the deep water near the site of the blowout still have some level of contamination of oil in the sediment,” he says. “It just takes a long time, once that material is in the sediment, to degrade because of the lack of oxygen.” That lingering pollution has consequences near the site of the spill, particularly on the delicate microbiomes that are the building blocks of ocean life. A [2018 study](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/06/the-deepwater-horizon-spill-happened-8-years-ago-the-ocean-still-hasnt-recovered/) led by a microbial ecologist at the University of Southern Mississippi found that biodiversity had been reduced in areas that had been affected by the spill, compared with areas that had not been exposed to the oil. A relatively small amount of the spilled oil washed onshore. But in fragile coastline areas in Louisiana and Mississipp**i**, oil killed off the plants that had been holding the wetlands together. In 2016, scientists from the US Geological Survey [published work](https://www.theverge.com/2016/11/23/13730552/2010-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-land-erosion-barataria-bay-louisiana) showing how petroleum exposure from the BP spill increased the recession of the shoreline as vegetation died at the roots. “There are wetland areas that were oiled and died and they aren’t recovering and they just won’t recover,” Boesch says. And for long-lived marine animal populations, the oil spill has been deadly. Up to 167,600 turtles from five endangered species were estimated to have been killed as a result of the spill, according to an [assessment](https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/wp-content/uploads/Chapter-4_Injury_to_Natural_Resources_508.pdf) by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The contamination contributed to the Gulf of Mexico’s largest and longest [dolphin die-off](https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/summarizing-five-years-noaa-research-impacts-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-dolphins.html), and research points to lasting reproductive issues among the region’s population. The Obama administration heavily limited offshore drilling in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, but last year, the Trump administration began to undo those efforts. In January 2018, the administration opened [nearly all US coastal waters](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/climate/trump-offshore-drilling.html) to offshore drilling, a move environmental advocates criticized as a giveaway to the oil and gas industry. And in June 2018, President Donald Trump issued an [executive order](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-regarding-ocean-policy-advance-economic-security-environmental-interests-united-states/) that undid protections put in place by Obama, handing more control of drilling safety to the states while making enhancing “America’s energy security” a top policy goal. Additional **c**hanges to federal regulations would roll back protections put in place in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Revisions to the [Well Control Rule](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/05/11/2018-09305/oil-and-gas-and-sulfur-operations-in-the-outer-continental-shelf-blowout-preventer-systems-and-well), implemented in 2016, would loosen third-party oversight of [safety mechanisms](https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/proposed-changes-key-safety-rule-Well-Control-Rule-suggest-influence-offshore-drilling-industry) like blowout preventers, which automatically seal leaking undersea wells. In the Deepwater Horizon explosion, a [design flaw](https://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/114208-trump-administration-proposes-scaling-back-macondo-era-well-control-rule) in its blowout preventer prevented it from working as intended. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement estimated that the changes to the Well Control Rule, proposed under the Trump administration, would result in [\$946 million in savings](https://www.ogj.com/articles/2018/04/bsee-proposes-revisions-to-post-macondo-offshore-oil-gas-rules.html) to the oil industry over a decade. But Boesch points out that number is a drop in the bucket compared to the [600 million barrels of oil](https://www.data.bsee.gov/Production/OCSProduction/Default.aspx) produced by offshore drilling in the United States. To relax the post-BP regulations, “is to forget the lessons that were learned,” he says. “I can see from an industry standpoint that you don’t want to pay it. But look at the damage that was done, not just to the environment but to the people on the Gulf Coast and to the industry itself. Why are we trying to save a nickel while potentially risking having to fork over another few billion dollars?” *Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the name of the university where Donald Boesch is affiliated.* ### Looking for news you can trust? *Subscribe to the* Mother Jones Daily *to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.* [Close](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/04/deepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill/#sailthru-signup-widget) Thank you for subscribing\! By signing up, you agree to our [privacy policy](https://www.motherjones.com/about/privacy-policy/) and [terms of use](https://www.motherjones.com/about/terms/), and to receive messages from *Mother Jones* and our partners. ### The truth needs defenders. Be one. For 50 years, *Mother Jones* has been publishing investigative journalism that doesn’t hold back. We’re independent from corporations and uninfluenced by those in power. **Our commitment is solely to the truth**. **That’s only possible because of you**. Our nonprofit newsroom is funded by donors from every state in the union—blue, red, and purple, all part of a community of readers who care about the future of our democracy. This week is our spring membership drive, and **we need 1,000 new donations to fund the urgent investigations already in our pipeline**. Be the reason these stories get told. Make a donation to fund independent journalism, and help us reach our goal this week. One-Time Monthly \$12 \$15 \$25 Other Amount Continue ![Available payment methods include Visa, Master Card, Discover, and Paypal.](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/themes/motherjones/img/payment-methods.png) ### The truth needs defenders. Be one. For 50 years, *Mother Jones* has been publishing investigative journalism that doesn’t hold back. We’re independent from corporations and uninfluenced by those in power. **Our commitment is solely to the truth**. **That’s only possible because of you**. Our nonprofit newsroom is funded by donors from every state in the union—blue, red, and purple, all part of a community of readers who care about the future of our democracy. This week is our spring membership drive, and **we need 1,000 new donations to fund the urgent investigations already in our pipeline**. Be the reason these stories get told. Make a donation to fund independent journalism, and help us reach our goal this week. One-Time Monthly \$35 \$50 \$100 Other Amount Continue ![Available payment methods include Visa, Master Card, Discover, and Paypal.](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/themes/motherjones/img/payment-methods.png) - [Corporations](https://www.motherjones.com/topics/corporations/) - [Energy](https://www.motherjones.com/topics/energy/) - [Regulatory Affairs](https://www.motherjones.com/topics/regulatory-affairs/) ## Related - [![](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/RyanZinkeTreeLighting.jpg?w=990)](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/01/ryan-zinkes-real-legacy-is-rolling-back-environmental-protections-and-cozying-up-to-big-oil/ "Ryan Zinke’s Real Legacy Is Rolling Back Environmental Protections and Cozying Up to Big Oil") [Ryan Zinke’s Real Legacy Is Rolling Back Environmental Protections and Cozying Up to Big Oil](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/01/ryan-zinkes-real-legacy-is-rolling-back-environmental-protections-and-cozying-up-to-big-oil/ "Ryan Zinke’s Real Legacy Is Rolling Back Environmental Protections and Cozying Up to Big Oil") [Chris D’Angelo](https://www.motherjones.com/author/chris-dangelo/ "Posts by Chris D’Angelo") - [![](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/doug-master.jpg?w=990)](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/10/great-invisible-film-deepwater-horizon-bp-margaret-brown/ "These Guys Were on the Deepwater Horizon When It Blew Up") [These Guys Were on the Deepwater Horizon When It Blew Up](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/10/great-invisible-film-deepwater-horizon-bp-margaret-brown/ "These Guys Were on the Deepwater Horizon When It Blew Up") [Tim McDonnell](https://www.motherjones.com/author/tim-mcdonnell/ "Posts by Tim McDonnell") - [![A man in a black suit speaks at a podium, in front of an audience.](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-2166319430-3.jpg?w=990)](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/data-centers-confidentiality-requirements-local-state-government-tax-incentives-economic-health-impacts-secret/ "The Actual Economic Impact of Data Centers on a Place? That’s a Secret.") [The Actual Economic Impact of Data Centers on a Place? That’s a Secret.](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/data-centers-confidentiality-requirements-local-state-government-tax-incentives-economic-health-impacts-secret/ "The Actual Economic Impact of Data Centers on a Place? That’s a Secret.") [Lisa Sorg](https://www.motherjones.com/author/lisa-sorg/ "Posts by Lisa Sorg") - [![A man pours water from a disposable bottle on his face while standing outside.](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-1242303266.jpg?w=990)](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2026/04/study-heat-humidity-deadly-heatwaves-wet-bulb-temperature-survivability-cool/ "“Nonsurvivable”: Today’s Heatwaves Have Surpassed Our Bodies’ Ability to Stay Cool") [“Nonsurvivable”: Today’s Heatwaves Have Surpassed Our Bodies’ Ability to Stay Cool](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2026/04/study-heat-humidity-deadly-heatwaves-wet-bulb-temperature-survivability-cool/ "“Nonsurvivable”: Today’s Heatwaves Have Surpassed Our Bodies’ Ability to Stay Cool") [Graham Readfearn](https://www.motherjones.com/author/graham-readfearn/ "Posts by Graham Readfearn") ## We Recommend - [![Victor Orbán, a tan man with short gray hair, waves in front of red and white drapery](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Orban-Election.jpg?w=990)](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/viktor-orban-hungary-election-loss-magyar-fidesz/ "Goodbye, Viktor Orbán") [Goodbye, Viktor Orbán](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/viktor-orban-hungary-election-loss-magyar-fidesz/ "Goodbye, Viktor Orbán") [Daniel Moattar](https://www.motherjones.com/author/daniel-moattar/ "Posts by Daniel Moattar") - [![Photo collage featuring the cover of "EXPECTING INEQUALITY" over a decorative pattern on the left and a portrait of the author, Khiara Bridges, a young African American woman, on the right.](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/0406_jkhiara-bridges_qna_2000px.jpg?w=990)](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/the-hidden-inequality-facing-even-the-wealthiest-black-mothers/ "The Hidden Health Inequality Facing Even the Wealthiest Black Mothers") [The Hidden Health Inequality Facing Even the Wealthiest Black Mothers](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/the-hidden-inequality-facing-even-the-wealthiest-black-mothers/ "The Hidden Health Inequality Facing Even the Wealthiest Black Mothers") [Nina Martin](https://www.motherjones.com/author/nina-martin/ "Posts by Nina Martin") - [![A pixelated close-up portrait of a person wearing a blue suit against a solid yellow-orange background.](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260413_zuck-ai_2000b.jpg?w=990)](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/zuckerberg-ai-meta-metaverse-employees/ "Zuckerberg Didn’t Think He Was Robotic Enough Already, So Now He’s Using AI") [Zuckerberg Didn’t Think He Was Robotic Enough Already, So Now He’s Using AI](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/zuckerberg-ai-meta-metaverse-employees/ "Zuckerberg Didn’t Think He Was Robotic Enough Already, So Now He’s Using AI") [Alex Nguyen](https://www.motherjones.com/author/alex-nguyen/ "Posts by Alex Nguyen") - [![](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/moms_2000x1124.jpg?w=990)](https://www.motherjones.com/sponsored/meet-the-moms-fighting-toxic-air-pollution-you-could-be-next/ "Meet the Moms Fighting Toxic Air Pollution (You Could Be Next)") Sponsored Post [Meet the Moms Fighting Toxic Air Pollution (You Could Be Next)](https://www.motherjones.com/sponsored/meet-the-moms-fighting-toxic-air-pollution-you-could-be-next/ "Meet the Moms Fighting Toxic Air Pollution (You Could Be Next)") [Moms Clean Air Force](https://www.momscleanairforce.org/) ## Latest - [![Trump is walking outside at night. He is wearing a black suit, a red tie, and a red hat with the white letters "USA" on the front. A patch of the American flag is on the left side of his hat. He is holding up his right hand to wave "hello."](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AP26103063851578-1.jpg?w=990)](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/a-non-exhaustive-list-of-trumps-deleted-posts/ "A Non-Exhaustive List of Trump’s Deleted Posts") [A Non-Exhaustive List of Trump’s Deleted Posts](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/a-non-exhaustive-list-of-trumps-deleted-posts/ "A Non-Exhaustive List of Trump’s Deleted Posts") [Alex Nguyen](https://www.motherjones.com/author/alex-nguyen/ "Posts by Alex Nguyen") - [![Graham Platner, a white man, sitting in front of a piece of art](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AP26090610426253.jpg?w=990)](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/graham-platner-maine-tattoo-slur/ "Graham Platner Claims He’s Changed. Why Is He Still Using the R-Word?") [Graham Platner Claims He’s Changed. Why Is He Still Using the R-Word?](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/graham-platner-maine-tattoo-slur/ "Graham Platner Claims He’s Changed. Why Is He Still Using the R-Word?") [Julia Métraux](https://www.motherjones.com/author/julia-metraux/ "Posts by Julia Métraux") - [![](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/pope.jpg?w=990)](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/pope-leo-trump-i-have-no-fear-war-iran/ "Pope Leo: “I Have No Fear” of Trump") [Pope Leo: “I Have No Fear” of Trump](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/pope-leo-trump-i-have-no-fear-war-iran/ "Pope Leo: “I Have No Fear” of Trump") [Inae Oh](https://www.motherjones.com/author/inae-oh/ "Posts by Inae Oh") - [![](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-04-12-WallStreetSign.jpg?w=990)](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/trump-sec-financial-crimes-enforcement-drop-wall-street/ "Trump’s SEC Is Going After Fewer Wall Street Crimes") [Trump’s SEC Is Going After Fewer Wall Street Crimes](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/trump-sec-financial-crimes-enforcement-drop-wall-street/ "Trump’s SEC Is Going After Fewer Wall Street Crimes") [Hannah Levintova](https://www.motherjones.com/author/hannah-levintova/ "Posts by Hannah Levintova") ### Sign up for our free newsletter *Subscribe to the* Mother Jones Daily *to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.* [Close](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/04/deepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill/#sailthru-signup-widget) Thank you for subscribing\! By signing up, you agree to our [privacy policy](https://www.motherjones.com/about/privacy-policy/) and [terms of use](https://www.motherjones.com/about/terms/), and to receive messages from *Mother Jones* and our partners. ### Get our award-winning magazine *Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.* [Subscribe](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/MOJ/SUBS/?p=SEGHGP&c=SEGHGC&d=SEGHGD&f=SEGHGF "Subscribe") ### Support our journalism *Help* Mother Jones*' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.* [Donate](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/mj/key/7DONATE/src/7EGPBA1/) [view comments](http://motherjones.com.disqus.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fnode%2F745907) ## Mag Promo ### Independent. In print. In your mailbox. Inexpensive, too! Subscribe today and get a full year of *Mother Jones* for just \$19.95. [Subscribe](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/MOJ/SUBS/?p=SEGHGP&c=SEGHGC&d=SEGHGD&f=SEGHGF "Subscribe") [![Mother Jones Magazine Cover : March + April 2026](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/mojo_cover_marapr26.jpg?w=575)](https://www.motherjones.com/mag/2026/03/toc/) [April 2026](https://www.motherjones.com/mag/2026/03/toc) [![Mother Jones Magazine Cover : January + February 2026](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/mojo_cover_janfeb26.jpg?w=575)](https://www.motherjones.com/mag/2026/01/toc/) [February 2026](https://www.motherjones.com/mag/2026/01/toc) [![Mother Jones Magazine Cover : November + December 2025](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/mojo_cover_novdec25.jpg?w=575)](https://www.motherjones.com/mag/2025/11/toc/) [December 2025](https://www.motherjones.com/mag/2025/11/toc) [![podcast](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ig-mj-logo-layers@2x.png)![podcast](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/themes/motherjones/img/the-mother-jones-podcast-logo-615-615.png?w=200)](https://www.instagram.com/motherjonesmag/) ### Bold. Brave. Beautiful. Award-winning photojournalism. Stunning video. Fearless conversations. [Follow us on Instagram \>](https://www.instagram.com/motherjonesmag/) ### Looking for news you can trust? *Subscribe to the* Mother Jones Daily *to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.* [Close](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/04/deepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill/#sailthru-signup-widget) Thank you for subscribing\! By signing up, you agree to our [privacy policy](https://www.motherjones.com/about/privacy-policy/) and [terms of use](https://www.motherjones.com/about/terms/), and to receive messages from *Mother Jones* and our partners. - [About](https://www.motherjones.com/about/) - [Our Staff](https://www.motherjones.com/about/staff/) - [DEI\&B](https://www.motherjones.com/mother-jones-commitment-to-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/) - [Financials](https://www.motherjones.com/about/financials/) - [Careers](https://www.motherjones.com/careers/) - [Freelance Guidelines](https://www.motherjones.com/contribute/writer-guidelines/) - [Contact Us](https://www.motherjones.com/contact/) - [Support](https://www.motherjones.com/support/) - [Ways to Give](https://www.motherjones.com/support/) - [Advertise With Us](https://www.motherjones.com/advertising/) - [Licensing / Reprints](https://www.motherjones.com/customer-service/permissions/) - [Store](http://store.motherjones.com/?utm_source=motherjones&utm_medium=footer&utm_content=orangefooterlink&utm_campaign=evergreen) - [Subscribe](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/MOJ/SUBS/?p=SEGNOP&c=SEGNOC&d=SEGNOD&f=SEGNOF) - [Magazine Subscriptions](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/MOJ/SUBS/?p=SEGNOP&c=SEGNOC&d=SEGNOD&f=SEGNOF) - [Give a Gift Subscription](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/mj/key/YGIFVP/) - [Email Newsletters](https://www.motherjones.com/newsletters/) - [Customer Service](https://www.motherjones.com/customer-service/) This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. Privacy Manager Copyright © 2026 Mother Jones and [the Center for Investigative Reporting](https://www.cir.org/). All Rights Reserved. - [Terms of Service](https://www.motherjones.com/about/terms/) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.motherjones.com/about/privacy-policy/) [![Powered by WordPress VIP](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/vip-helpers/images/vip-powered-light-small.png?ver=20220317)](https://wpvip.com/?utm_source=vip_powered_wpcom&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=VIP%20Footer%20Credit&utm_term=www.motherjones.com) ## We see you're using an ad blocker... And we respect that! But maybe you’re of a mind to support our work directly instead? We have until December 31 to raise the last \$400,000 we need to keep our nonprofit newsroom running at full strength into 2026. Will you make a gift today? **We noticed you have an ad blocker on.** Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund *Mother Jones'* investigative journalism? [Donate](https://secure.motherjones.com/flex/mj/key/7LIGHTB/src/7EGZS1A|PEGZS1A) [Not Now]() **Chaos and confusion: Not here.** **Just clarity, context—and the truth**. The administration and their allies in corporate media are shouting their spin, attempting to redefine what’s real. **But at *Mother Jones*, we report what’s actually happening—and help you make sense of it**. We do it because we know that without a truly independent media, you’ll never get the full story. We care about the truth, and we know you do too. You give a damn about the future of our country. **And it’s only because of people like you that we’re able to do this work**. If you can, help us keep publishing the truth by making a donation to support relentless journalism. One-Time Monthly \$ \$ \$ Other Amount Continue ![Available payment methods include Visa, Master Card, Discover, and Paypal.](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/themes/motherjones/img/payment-methods.png) **Chaos and confusion: Not here.** **Just clarity, context—and the truth**. The administration and their allies in corporate media are shouting their spin, attempting to redefine what’s real. **But at *Mother Jones*, we report what’s actually happening—and help you make sense of it**. We do it because we know that without a truly independent media, you’ll never get the full story. We care about the truth, and we know you do too. You give a damn about the future of our country. **And it’s only because of people like you that we’re able to do this work**. If you can, help us keep publishing the truth by making a donation to support relentless journalism. One-Time Monthly \$35 \$50 \$100 Other Amount Continue ![Available payment methods include Visa, Master Card, Discover, and Paypal.](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/themes/motherjones/img/payment-methods.png) [close]() ## Don't let an algorithm decide what news you see. Sign up for the free *Mother Jones Daily* newsletter and follow the news that matters. [Close](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/04/deepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill/#sailthru-signup-widget) Thank you for subscribing\! Notifications AdvertisementClose X
Readable Markdown
![](https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/AP_10060312648.jpg?w=990) A brown pelican drenched in oil by the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010.Charlie Riedel/AP Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. [Sign up for the free *Mother Jones Daily*.](https://www.motherjones.com/newsletters/?mj_oac=Article_Top_No_Oligarchs) Nine years ago, BP’s [Deepwater Horizon](https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/deepwater-horizon-bp-gulf-mexico-oil-spill) drilling rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana, causing the worst oil spill in US history. The disaster on April 20, 2010 killed [11 workers](https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/04/18/short-portraits-died-deepwater-horizon/26007421/) as the flaming rig sank into the Gulf of Mexico. It took nearly three months to stem the flow of oil from the ruptured undersea well. By then, four million barrels of crude had seeped into the surrounding water, endangering marine wildlife and throwing local ecosystems out of balance. The cleanup effort in the aftermath of the explosion was expansive and expensive. At its peak, more than [47,000 people](https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42942.pdf) worked on the response effort in the summer of 2010. By 2018, BP estimated that the spill had cost the company nearly [\$65 billion](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bp-deepwaterhorizon/bp-deepwater-horizon-costs-balloon-to-65-billion-idUSKBN1F50NL) in legal fees, settlements, and funds for clean-up and restoration. Although much of the oil was recovered or dispersed in the ocean, the surrounding ecosystems still have not fully recovered. Some may never recover. [Donald Boesch](https://www.umces.edu/don-boesch), a professor of marine science at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science who was appointed to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling under by President Barack Obama, said the spill’s most lasting effects have been in deep-water zones, wetlands, and in the the population of larger marine animals like turtles, whales, and dolphins with long lifespans. While most of the spill’s acute effects—oil soaked birds, beaches slick with crude—have dissipated, Boesch says some contamination persists. “Areas in the deep water near the site of the blowout still have some level of contamination of oil in the sediment,” he says. “It just takes a long time, once that material is in the sediment, to degrade because of the lack of oxygen.” That lingering pollution has consequences near the site of the spill, particularly on the delicate microbiomes that are the building blocks of ocean life. A [2018 study](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/06/the-deepwater-horizon-spill-happened-8-years-ago-the-ocean-still-hasnt-recovered/) led by a microbial ecologist at the University of Southern Mississippi found that biodiversity had been reduced in areas that had been affected by the spill, compared with areas that had not been exposed to the oil. A relatively small amount of the spilled oil washed onshore. But in fragile coastline areas in Louisiana and Mississipp**i**, oil killed off the plants that had been holding the wetlands together. In 2016, scientists from the US Geological Survey [published work](https://www.theverge.com/2016/11/23/13730552/2010-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-land-erosion-barataria-bay-louisiana) showing how petroleum exposure from the BP spill increased the recession of the shoreline as vegetation died at the roots. “There are wetland areas that were oiled and died and they aren’t recovering and they just won’t recover,” Boesch says. And for long-lived marine animal populations, the oil spill has been deadly. Up to 167,600 turtles from five endangered species were estimated to have been killed as a result of the spill, according to an [assessment](https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/wp-content/uploads/Chapter-4_Injury_to_Natural_Resources_508.pdf) by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The contamination contributed to the Gulf of Mexico’s largest and longest [dolphin die-off](https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/summarizing-five-years-noaa-research-impacts-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-dolphins.html), and research points to lasting reproductive issues among the region’s population. The Obama administration heavily limited offshore drilling in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, but last year, the Trump administration began to undo those efforts. In January 2018, the administration opened [nearly all US coastal waters](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/climate/trump-offshore-drilling.html) to offshore drilling, a move environmental advocates criticized as a giveaway to the oil and gas industry. And in June 2018, President Donald Trump issued an [executive order](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-regarding-ocean-policy-advance-economic-security-environmental-interests-united-states/) that undid protections put in place by Obama, handing more control of drilling safety to the states while making enhancing “America’s energy security” a top policy goal. Additional **c**hanges to federal regulations would roll back protections put in place in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Revisions to the [Well Control Rule](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/05/11/2018-09305/oil-and-gas-and-sulfur-operations-in-the-outer-continental-shelf-blowout-preventer-systems-and-well), implemented in 2016, would loosen third-party oversight of [safety mechanisms](https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/proposed-changes-key-safety-rule-Well-Control-Rule-suggest-influence-offshore-drilling-industry) like blowout preventers, which automatically seal leaking undersea wells. In the Deepwater Horizon explosion, a [design flaw](https://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/114208-trump-administration-proposes-scaling-back-macondo-era-well-control-rule) in its blowout preventer prevented it from working as intended. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement estimated that the changes to the Well Control Rule, proposed under the Trump administration, would result in [\$946 million in savings](https://www.ogj.com/articles/2018/04/bsee-proposes-revisions-to-post-macondo-offshore-oil-gas-rules.html) to the oil industry over a decade. But Boesch points out that number is a drop in the bucket compared to the [600 million barrels of oil](https://www.data.bsee.gov/Production/OCSProduction/Default.aspx) produced by offshore drilling in the United States. To relax the post-BP regulations, “is to forget the lessons that were learned,” he says. “I can see from an industry standpoint that you don’t want to pay it. But look at the damage that was done, not just to the environment but to the people on the Gulf Coast and to the industry itself. Why are we trying to save a nickel while potentially risking having to fork over another few billion dollars?” *Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the name of the university where Donald Boesch is affiliated.*
ML Classification
ML Categories
/Science
95.6%
/Science/Ecology_and_Environment
85.3%
/Science/Ecology_and_Environment/Climate_Change_and_Global_Warming
63.7%
/Law_and_Government
13.4%
/Law_and_Government/Legal
11.3%
/News
10.2%
Raw JSON
{
    "/Science": 956,
    "/Science/Ecology_and_Environment": 853,
    "/Science/Ecology_and_Environment/Climate_Change_and_Global_Warming": 637,
    "/Law_and_Government": 134,
    "/Law_and_Government/Legal": 113,
    "/News": 102
}
ML Page Types
/Article
99.9%
/Article/News_Update
76.8%
Raw JSON
{
    "/Article": 999,
    "/Article/News_Update": 768
}
ML Intent Types
Informational
99.9%
Raw JSON
{
    "Informational": 999
}
Content Metadata
Languageen-us
Authornull
Publish Time2019-04-19 17:10:56 (7 years ago)
Original Publish Time2019-04-01 00:00:00 (7 years ago)
RepublishedNo
Word Count (Total)2,177
Word Count (Content)854
Links
External Links39
Internal Links90
Technical SEO
Meta NofollowNo
Meta NoarchiveNo
JS RenderedYes
Redirect Targetnull
Performance
Download Time (ms)322
TTFB (ms)310
Download Size (bytes)52,209
Shard72 (laksa)
Root Hash16707082813907978072
Unparsed URLcom,motherjones!www,/environment/2019/04/deepwater-horizon-bp-oil-spill/ s443