🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 179 (from laksa131)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa179.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nrdc.org/stories/what-we-learned-bp-oil-disaster\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nrdc.org/stories/what-we-learned-bp-oil-disaster\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/what-we-learned-bp-oil-disaster","crawl_time":1775658883,"first_indexed_time":1679013820,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"org,nrdc!www,\/stories\/what-we-learned-bp-oil-disaster s443","src_root_hash":"6861268066384318379","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"What We Learned from the BP Oil Disaster","meta_descriptions":["The resulting loss to life, livelihoods, and the environment hasn't slowed offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. But it should."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Oil burning off the water's surface near the source of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico\nCredit:\nREUTERS\/Lee Celano\nThe biggest offshore oil spill in American history began on April 20, 2010, about 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana. In mile-deep water, a BP-operated well blew out, causing the Deepwater Horizon drill rig to explode and uncork a geyser of raw crude oil and gas that gushed into the surrounding waters for 87 days. Hundreds of millions of gallons of oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico, creating one of the worst manmade environmental calamities on record.\nYears have passed since the deadly accident aboard the offshore drilling platform tarred hundreds of miles of beaches and inflicted billions of dollars in economic damages on businesses and residents in the Gulf, but only recently has the federal government released its assessment of the disaster's environmental impacts. It concluded that the damage from the spill—as well as the cleanup techniques—changed the ecosystem of the entire northern Gulf of Mexico.\nHere are the facts: Eleven workers on the Deepwater Horizon died, and another 17 were seriously injured. Tens of thousands of dolphins and whales were exposed to the oil, with a record high number of dolphin deaths. Nearly 100,000 birds from 93 species died. Centuries-old deep-sea corals were smothered by oil.\nA brown pelican coated in heavy oil tries to take flight on Louisiana's East Grand Terre Island.\nCredit:\nWin McNamee\/Getty Images\nAmong the most enduring images of the disaster, TV viewers will remember the heartbreaking photos of brown pelicans, Louisiana's state bird and a species made famous by the watercolors of John James Audubon, hopelessly weighed down with sludge the color of raw sewage. Some of our nation’s most imperiled species were especially hard hit. All five species of the Gulf's sea turtles, for instance, are endangered—the spill killed as many as 7,600 large sea turtles and as many as 160,000 baby ones. Endangered sperm whales suffered an estimated 7 percent decline in their population, which will take 21 years to recover. Half of all Bryde’s whales were impacted by the spill, resulting in a 22 percent population loss; that means it'll take 69 years to get them back to where they were.\nWhere did all the oil, only a small amount of which (perhaps 8 percent) was skimmed and collected from the surface of the ocean, eventually go? That was one of the questions NRDC asked in an investigation commissioned on the fifth anniversary of the disaster. The answer? Potentially as much as half of the crude spewed by the runaway gusher before it was eventually capped\nis likely to still be in the deep ocean.\nWhich means the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster is not over—far from it.\nWhile the immediate cleanup was still underway, NRDC worked on several fronts to prevent the repeat of a disaster that could have been prevented with stricter laws and industrial oversight. We documented the ecological and economic impact on the region's population, animal life, and ecosystems. We\npartnered with StoryCorps\nto tell the stories of residents struggling to live through the resulting economic downturn, including Gulf fishermen, shrimpers, tour operators, and Native Americans whose ancestors have lived in the Mississippi River Delta for centuries. Frances Beinecke, then NRDC's president, served on President Obama's committee convened to investigate the disaster, which issued\nrecommendations\nto make offshore drililng safer and more ecologically sound (Congress has yet to act on most of these).\nSara Stone wipes away tears as she listens to her husband, Deepwater Horizon survivor Stephen Stone, testify before the House Judiciary Committee on May 27, 2010, as BP America Executive Vice President David Nagel (right) listens.\nCredit:\nChip Somodevilla\/Getty Images\nThe only sure way to prevent offshore oil spills, of course, is to abandon drilling for oil offshore. Even removing human error from the equation—an outcome that is arguably impossible—would not eliminate the dangers risked by oil drilling on the outer continental shelf, since natural disasters are also inevitable. During hurricanes Katrina and Rita, for example, high winds and waves caused 514 individual spills and the release of 11 million gallons of oil—the same amount dumped by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska’s Prince William Sound in 1989. NRDC applauds President Obama’s March 2016 actions to close the waters off the Atlantic states to oil and gas production but is concerned by the administration's announcement of plans to lease in 13 new areas off of Alaska (including in the fragile Arctic) and in the Gulf to energy companies for oil and gas exploration.\n“Obviously, this is an important win for the Atlantic,” says\nMichael Jasny\n, director of NRDC's Marine Mammal Protection Project. “But the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic remain at risk in this plan. It’s destructive of ocean life, destructive to communities, and inconsistent with the president’s vision and commitment to a clean energy future.”\nAt a time when the paramount ecological challenge faced by humankind is climate change, does it make sense to spend billions of dollars every year to seek out and exploit sources of fuels that release carbon into the atmosphere rather than to invest in clean and renewable energy? The answer—for the sake of our health, our livelihoods, and the environment—is no.\nThis NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can’t republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should\ndrop us a note\nto let us know when you’ve used one of our stories.","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to main content](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/what-we-learned-bp-oil-disaster#main)\n\n![Kemp's ridley sea turtle hatchlings crawling toward the Gulf of Mexico from Padre Island National Seashore, Texas](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/small_2x3_100\/public\/2026-04\/kemp%27s-ridley-sea-turtle-hatchlings-padre-island-texas-0B96B65C3BDFBCCA_popup%20%281%29.jpg.jpg?h=9f0d2d8e&itok=WmWB9N9H)\n\nCredit:\n\nNPS\n\n## Sea Turtles. Manatees. Whales.\nThe Trump administration’s so-called God Squad just greenlighted their extinction in the Gulf of Mexico to make way for more devastating oil and gas drilling.\n\nNRDC is suing to stop them.\n\n**You can help by making an early Earth Day gift today—MATCHED \\$1-for-\\$1 until 4\/22.**\n\n[MATCH MY GIFT](https:\/\/action.nrdc.org\/donation\/4855-esa-squad-040226?initms=WBSNAEDWDONC30426&ms=WBSNAEDWDONC30426)\n\nSearch\n\n## Search\n\n- Learn About the Climate Crisis\n  - [Climate Crisis 101](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/climate-crisis)\n  - [What Is Climate Change?](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/what-climate-change)\n  - [Causes](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/what-are-causes-climate-change)\n  - [Effects](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/what-are-effects-climate-change)\n  - [Solutions](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/what-are-solutions-climate-change)\n  - [Take Action](https:\/\/action.nrdc.org\/letter\/4573-ocs-5-year-plan-112125?initms=WBSNAOCSPETC31125&ms=WBSNAOCSPETC31125)\n- About NRDC\n  - 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[Leadership & Board of Trustees](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/leadership)\n  - [Our Experts](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/experts)\n  - [How We Work](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/about#how-we-work)\n  - [Where We Work](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/about#where-we-work)\n  - [Financials](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/about#financials)\n  - [Sustainability at NRDC](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/sustainability-nrdc)\n- Our Work\n  - [Climate Change](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/issues\/climate-change)\n    Toggle Subnav\n    - [Agriculture & Food](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/issues\/agriculture-food)\n    - [Buildings](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/issues\/buildings)\n    - [Climate Adaptation](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/issues\/climate-adaptation)\n    - [Fossil Fuels](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/issues\/fossil-fuels)\n    - [Industrial Production](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/issues\/industrial-production)\n    - [Renewable Energy](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/issues\/renewable-energy)\n    - [Sustainable Cities](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/issues\/sustainable-cities)\n    - 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[Data, Reports & Resources](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/data-reports-resources)\n  - [Court Battles](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/court-battles)\n  - [Subscribe](https:\/\/action.nrdc.org\/petition\/4273-email-and-text-alerts?initms=WBSNAETASIGC30825SI&ms=WBSNAETASIGC30825SI)\n- Take Action\n  - [Petitions & Letters](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/take-action\/add-your-voice)\n  - [Toolkits & How-Tos](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/take-action\/toolkits)\n  - [Events](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/take-action\/events)\n  - [Ways to Give](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/ways-give)\n  - [Action Alerts](https:\/\/action.nrdc.org\/petition\/4273-email-and-text-alerts?initms=WBSNAETASIGC30825TA&ms=WBSNAETASIGC30825TA)\n- Ways to Give\n  - [Donate](https:\/\/action.nrdc.org\/donation\/2554-support-nrdc?initms=HOMENV&ms=HOMENV)\n  - [Give Monthly](https:\/\/action.nrdc.org\/donation\/2554-support-nrdc?initms=HOMENV&ms=HOMENV)\n  - [Renew Membership](https:\/\/action.nrdc.org\/donation\/1308-renewal-match-010123?initms=HOMENV&ms=HOMENV)\n  - [Donor-advised Funds](https:\/\/nrdc.planmygift.org\/donor-advised-funds)\n  - [Gifts of Stock](https:\/\/nrdc.tfaforms.net\/wfJ7219)\n  - [More Ways to Give](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/ways-give?initms=HOMENV&ms=HOMENV)\n\n[Donate](https:\/\/action.nrdc.org\/donation\/2554-support-nrdc?initms=HOMERB&ms=HOMERB)\n\n1. [See all News & Commentary](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/news-and-commentary?f%5B0%5D=news_commentary_language%3Aen#listing-page-content)\n\n[Explainer](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/news-and-commentary?f%5B0%5D=news_commentary_language%3Aen&f%5B1%5D=news_commentary_type%3A327#listing-page-content)\n\n# What We Learned from the BP Oil Disaster\nThe resulting loss to life, livelihoods, and the environment hasn't slowed offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. But it should.\n\nApril 20, 2016\n\n![Fireboats spray water on flames rising from the ocean's surface while two huge plumes of black smoke rise over the water in the distance](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium_16x9_100\/public\/media-uploads\/rm_rtr2ffdk_2400_1.jpg.jpg?h=c3635fa2&itok=fNRaze59)\n\nOil burning off the water's surface near the source of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico\n\nCredit:\n\nREUTERS\/Lee Celano\n\n[Patrick Rogers Contributor](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/bio\/patrick-rogers)\n\nShare this page\n\nThe biggest offshore oil spill in American history began on April 20, 2010, about 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana. In mile-deep water, a BP-operated well blew out, causing the Deepwater Horizon drill rig to explode and uncork a geyser of raw crude oil and gas that gushed into the surrounding waters for 87 days. Hundreds of millions of gallons of oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico, creating one of the worst manmade environmental calamities on record.\n\nYears have passed since the deadly accident aboard the offshore drilling platform tarred hundreds of miles of beaches and inflicted billions of dollars in economic damages on businesses and residents in the Gulf, but only recently has the federal government released its assessment of the disaster's environmental impacts. It concluded that the damage from the spill—as well as the cleanup techniques—changed the ecosystem of the entire northern Gulf of Mexico.\n\nHere are the facts: Eleven workers on the Deepwater Horizon died, and another 17 were seriously injured. Tens of thousands of dolphins and whales were exposed to the oil, with a record high number of dolphin deaths. Nearly 100,000 birds from 93 species died. Centuries-old deep-sea corals were smothered by oil.\n\n![A pelican with oil coating its body tries to extend its wings and fly on a sandy beach](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium_100\/public\/media-uploads\/rm_101619657_2400.jpg.jpg?itok=Vb8fq0-J)\n\nA brown pelican coated in heavy oil tries to take flight on Louisiana's East Grand Terre Island.\n\nCredit:\n\nWin McNamee\/Getty Images\n\nAmong the most enduring images of the disaster, TV viewers will remember the heartbreaking photos of brown pelicans, Louisiana's state bird and a species made famous by the watercolors of John James Audubon, hopelessly weighed down with sludge the color of raw sewage. Some of our nation’s most imperiled species were especially hard hit. All five species of the Gulf's sea turtles, for instance, are endangered—the spill killed as many as 7,600 large sea turtles and as many as 160,000 baby ones. Endangered sperm whales suffered an estimated 7 percent decline in their population, which will take 21 years to recover. Half of all Bryde’s whales were impacted by the spill, resulting in a 22 percent population loss; that means it'll take 69 years to get them back to where they were.\n\nWhere did all the oil, only a small amount of which (perhaps 8 percent) was skimmed and collected from the surface of the ocean, eventually go? That was one of the questions NRDC asked in an investigation commissioned on the fifth anniversary of the disaster. The answer? Potentially as much as half of the crude spewed by the runaway gusher before it was eventually capped [is likely to still be in the deep ocean.](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZxJV-oGa2kc) Which means the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster is not over—far from it.\n\nWhile the immediate cleanup was still underway, NRDC worked on several fronts to prevent the repeat of a disaster that could have been prevented with stricter laws and industrial oversight. We documented the ecological and economic impact on the region's population, animal life, and ecosystems. We [partnered with StoryCorps](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/stories-gulf) to tell the stories of residents struggling to live through the resulting economic downturn, including Gulf fishermen, shrimpers, tour operators, and Native Americans whose ancestors have lived in the Mississippi River Delta for centuries. Frances Beinecke, then NRDC's president, served on President Obama's committee convened to investigate the disaster, which issued [recommendations](https:\/\/www.gpo.gov\/fdsys\/pkg\/GPO-OILCOMMISSION\/pdf\/GPO-OILCOMMISSION.pdf) to make offshore drililng safer and more ecologically sound (Congress has yet to act on most of these).\n\n![A man speaks into a microphone with people sitting in rows listening behind him](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium_100\/public\/media-uploads\/rm_101009559_2400.jpg.jpg?itok=pKg2lBV_)\n\nSara Stone wipes away tears as she listens to her husband, Deepwater Horizon survivor Stephen Stone, testify before the House Judiciary Committee on May 27, 2010, as BP America Executive Vice President David Nagel (right) listens.\n\nCredit:\n\nChip Somodevilla\/Getty Images\n\nThe only sure way to prevent offshore oil spills, of course, is to abandon drilling for oil offshore. Even removing human error from the equation—an outcome that is arguably impossible—would not eliminate the dangers risked by oil drilling on the outer continental shelf, since natural disasters are also inevitable. During hurricanes Katrina and Rita, for example, high winds and waves caused 514 individual spills and the release of 11 million gallons of oil—the same amount dumped by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska’s Prince William Sound in 1989. NRDC applauds President Obama’s March 2016 actions to close the waters off the Atlantic states to oil and gas production but is concerned by the administration's announcement of plans to lease in 13 new areas off of Alaska (including in the fragile Arctic) and in the Gulf to energy companies for oil and gas exploration.\n\n“Obviously, this is an important win for the Atlantic,” says [Michael Jasny](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/experts\/michael-jasny), director of NRDC's Marine Mammal Protection Project. “But the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic remain at risk in this plan. It’s destructive of ocean life, destructive to communities, and inconsistent with the president’s vision and commitment to a clean energy future.”\n\nAt a time when the paramount ecological challenge faced by humankind is climate change, does it make sense to spend billions of dollars every year to seek out and exploit sources of fuels that release carbon into the atmosphere rather than to invest in clean and renewable energy? The answer—for the sake of our health, our livelihoods, and the environment—is no.\n\n[Play Video: https:\/\/youtu.be\/FjlbmYx4HdQ](\"Play Video\")\n\n***\n*This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can’t republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should*[*drop us a note*](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/contact-us)*to let us know when you’ve used one of our stories.*\n\nRelated Issues\n\n[Fossil Fuels](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/issues\/fossil-fuels) [Ocean](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/issues\/oceans) [Nature & Wildlife](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/issues\/nature-wildlife) [Wildlife](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/issues\/wildlife) [Equity & Justice](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/issues\/equity-justice)\n\n## Related Stories\n[Skip carousel items](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/what-we-learned-bp-oil-disaster#carousel)\n\n![Deb Haaland speaks at a press conference to present a \"clean, just economic recovery plan.”](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium_16x9_100\/public\/media-uploads\/2cgeeh8_2400.jpg.jpg?h=c3635fa2&itok=g-3XdoIj)\n\n[Deb Haaland Is the Interior Secretary Our Country Needs](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/deb-haaland-interior-secretary-our-country-needs)\n\nFebruary 22, 2021\n\nLatest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine\n\nThe fact that senators tied to the fossil fuel industry are opposing her nomination is a big clue as to why.\n\n![Protesters holding banner with \"We the People\"](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium_16x9_100\/public\/hanchen53894692-2400.jpg.jpg?h=2c947859&itok=IlTItNKj)\n\n[This Is How We Stand Up to Trump](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/how-we-stand-trump)\n\nDecember 20, 2017\n\nNRDC in ActionUnited StatesNicole Greenfield\n\nMeet a handful of the NRDC staffers who resisted Trump’s attacks and defended our environment in 2017—and who won’t stop fighting anytime soon.\n\n![Photo of a Louisiana oysterman and his grandchildren.](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium_16x9_100\/public\/2023-03\/byron11.jpg.jpg?h=308cfba5&itok=3OvdOXnD)\n\n[Empty Nests](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/empty-nests)\n\nApril 9, 2015\n\nPerspectivesLouisianaSarah Craig, Rocky Kistner\n\nA Louisiana oysterman wants to pass on his trade to his grandkids—if only there were any oysters left to catch.\n\nThanks for signing up. You’ll receive your first NRDC action alert and update email soon\\!\n\n## Thank you for subscribing\\!\nWe will be reaching out to you at:  \n \\[Email\\]\n\n## Thank you for the information\\!\nProviding us ways to reach out allows us to work together to solve the issues facing us. You can expect updates at:\n\n\\[Email\\]  \n \\[Phone number\\]\n\nClose\n\n- [About NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/about)\n- [Resources](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/data-reports-resources)\n- [Media Center](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/media)\n- [Careers](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/careers)\n- [Contact Us](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/contact-us)\n- [En Español](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/es\/nrdc-espanol)\n\n- [Bluesky](https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/nrdc.org)\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nrdc.org)\n- [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nrdc_org\/)\n- [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/natural-resources-defense-council\/)\n- [RSS](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/rss.xml)\n- [TikTok](https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@nrdc.org)\n- [X](https:\/\/twitter.com\/nrdc)\n- [YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/NRDCflix)\n\n- [Sitemap](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/sitemap)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/privacy-policy)\n- [State Disclosures](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/state-disclosures)\n\n© 2026 NRDC. All rights reserved.","attrs_readable_markdown":"![Fireboats spray water on flames rising from the ocean's surface while two huge plumes of black smoke rise over the water in the distance](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium_16x9_100\/public\/media-uploads\/rm_rtr2ffdk_2400_1.jpg.jpg?h=c3635fa2&itok=fNRaze59)\n\nOil burning off the water's surface near the source of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico\n\nCredit:\n\nREUTERS\/Lee Celano\n\nThe biggest offshore oil spill in American history began on April 20, 2010, about 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana. In mile-deep water, a BP-operated well blew out, causing the Deepwater Horizon drill rig to explode and uncork a geyser of raw crude oil and gas that gushed into the surrounding waters for 87 days. Hundreds of millions of gallons of oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico, creating one of the worst manmade environmental calamities on record.\n\nYears have passed since the deadly accident aboard the offshore drilling platform tarred hundreds of miles of beaches and inflicted billions of dollars in economic damages on businesses and residents in the Gulf, but only recently has the federal government released its assessment of the disaster's environmental impacts. It concluded that the damage from the spill—as well as the cleanup techniques—changed the ecosystem of the entire northern Gulf of Mexico.\n\nHere are the facts: Eleven workers on the Deepwater Horizon died, and another 17 were seriously injured. Tens of thousands of dolphins and whales were exposed to the oil, with a record high number of dolphin deaths. Nearly 100,000 birds from 93 species died. Centuries-old deep-sea corals were smothered by oil.\n\n![A pelican with oil coating its body tries to extend its wings and fly on a sandy beach](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium_100\/public\/media-uploads\/rm_101619657_2400.jpg.jpg?itok=Vb8fq0-J)\n\nA brown pelican coated in heavy oil tries to take flight on Louisiana's East Grand Terre Island.\n\nCredit:\n\nWin McNamee\/Getty Images\n\nAmong the most enduring images of the disaster, TV viewers will remember the heartbreaking photos of brown pelicans, Louisiana's state bird and a species made famous by the watercolors of John James Audubon, hopelessly weighed down with sludge the color of raw sewage. Some of our nation’s most imperiled species were especially hard hit. All five species of the Gulf's sea turtles, for instance, are endangered—the spill killed as many as 7,600 large sea turtles and as many as 160,000 baby ones. Endangered sperm whales suffered an estimated 7 percent decline in their population, which will take 21 years to recover. Half of all Bryde’s whales were impacted by the spill, resulting in a 22 percent population loss; that means it'll take 69 years to get them back to where they were.\n\nWhere did all the oil, only a small amount of which (perhaps 8 percent) was skimmed and collected from the surface of the ocean, eventually go? That was one of the questions NRDC asked in an investigation commissioned on the fifth anniversary of the disaster. The answer? Potentially as much as half of the crude spewed by the runaway gusher before it was eventually capped [is likely to still be in the deep ocean.](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZxJV-oGa2kc) Which means the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster is not over—far from it.\n\nWhile the immediate cleanup was still underway, NRDC worked on several fronts to prevent the repeat of a disaster that could have been prevented with stricter laws and industrial oversight. We documented the ecological and economic impact on the region's population, animal life, and ecosystems. We [partnered with StoryCorps](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/stories-gulf) to tell the stories of residents struggling to live through the resulting economic downturn, including Gulf fishermen, shrimpers, tour operators, and Native Americans whose ancestors have lived in the Mississippi River Delta for centuries. Frances Beinecke, then NRDC's president, served on President Obama's committee convened to investigate the disaster, which issued [recommendations](https:\/\/www.gpo.gov\/fdsys\/pkg\/GPO-OILCOMMISSION\/pdf\/GPO-OILCOMMISSION.pdf) to make offshore drililng safer and more ecologically sound (Congress has yet to act on most of these).\n\n![A man speaks into a microphone with people sitting in rows listening behind him](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium_100\/public\/media-uploads\/rm_101009559_2400.jpg.jpg?itok=pKg2lBV_)\n\nSara Stone wipes away tears as she listens to her husband, Deepwater Horizon survivor Stephen Stone, testify before the House Judiciary Committee on May 27, 2010, as BP America Executive Vice President David Nagel (right) listens.\n\nCredit:\n\nChip Somodevilla\/Getty Images\n\nThe only sure way to prevent offshore oil spills, of course, is to abandon drilling for oil offshore. Even removing human error from the equation—an outcome that is arguably impossible—would not eliminate the dangers risked by oil drilling on the outer continental shelf, since natural disasters are also inevitable. During hurricanes Katrina and Rita, for example, high winds and waves caused 514 individual spills and the release of 11 million gallons of oil—the same amount dumped by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska’s Prince William Sound in 1989. NRDC applauds President Obama’s March 2016 actions to close the waters off the Atlantic states to oil and gas production but is concerned by the administration's announcement of plans to lease in 13 new areas off of Alaska (including in the fragile Arctic) and in the Gulf to energy companies for oil and gas exploration.\n\n“Obviously, this is an important win for the Atlantic,” says [Michael Jasny](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/experts\/michael-jasny), director of NRDC's Marine Mammal Protection Project. “But the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic remain at risk in this plan. It’s destructive of ocean life, destructive to communities, and inconsistent with the president’s vision and commitment to a clean energy future.”\n\nAt a time when the paramount ecological challenge faced by humankind is climate change, does it make sense to spend billions of dollars every year to seek out and exploit sources of fuels that release carbon into the atmosphere rather than to invest in clean and renewable energy? The answer—for the sake of our health, our livelihoods, and the environment—is no.\n\n***\n*This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can’t republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should*[*drop us a note*](https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/contact-us)*to let us know when you’ve used one of our stories.*","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	What We Learned from the BP Oil Disaster
Meta Description	The resulting loss to life, livelihoods, and the environment hasn't slowed offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. But it should.
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Boilerpipe Text	Oil burning off the water's surface near the source of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico Credit: REUTERS/Lee Celano The biggest offshore oil spill in American history began on April 20, 2010, about 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana. In mile-deep water, a BP-operated well blew out, causing the Deepwater Horizon drill rig to explode and uncork a geyser of raw crude oil and gas that gushed into the surrounding waters for 87 days. Hundreds of millions of gallons of oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico, creating one of the worst manmade environmental calamities on record. Years have passed since the deadly accident aboard the offshore drilling platform tarred hundreds of miles of beaches and inflicted billions of dollars in economic damages on businesses and residents in the Gulf, but only recently has the federal government released its assessment of the disaster's environmental impacts. It concluded that the damage from the spill—as well as the cleanup techniques—changed the ecosystem of the entire northern Gulf of Mexico. Here are the facts: Eleven workers on the Deepwater Horizon died, and another 17 were seriously injured. Tens of thousands of dolphins and whales were exposed to the oil, with a record high number of dolphin deaths. Nearly 100,000 birds from 93 species died. Centuries-old deep-sea corals were smothered by oil. A brown pelican coated in heavy oil tries to take flight on Louisiana's East Grand Terre Island. Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images Among the most enduring images of the disaster, TV viewers will remember the heartbreaking photos of brown pelicans, Louisiana's state bird and a species made famous by the watercolors of John James Audubon, hopelessly weighed down with sludge the color of raw sewage. Some of our nation’s most imperiled species were especially hard hit. All five species of the Gulf's sea turtles, for instance, are endangered—the spill killed as many as 7,600 large sea turtles and as many as 160,000 baby ones. Endangered sperm whales suffered an estimated 7 percent decline in their population, which will take 21 years to recover. Half of all Bryde’s whales were impacted by the spill, resulting in a 22 percent population loss; that means it'll take 69 years to get them back to where they were. Where did all the oil, only a small amount of which (perhaps 8 percent) was skimmed and collected from the surface of the ocean, eventually go? That was one of the questions NRDC asked in an investigation commissioned on the fifth anniversary of the disaster. The answer? Potentially as much as half of the crude spewed by the runaway gusher before it was eventually capped is likely to still be in the deep ocean. Which means the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster is not over—far from it. While the immediate cleanup was still underway, NRDC worked on several fronts to prevent the repeat of a disaster that could have been prevented with stricter laws and industrial oversight. We documented the ecological and economic impact on the region's population, animal life, and ecosystems. We partnered with StoryCorps to tell the stories of residents struggling to live through the resulting economic downturn, including Gulf fishermen, shrimpers, tour operators, and Native Americans whose ancestors have lived in the Mississippi River Delta for centuries. Frances Beinecke, then NRDC's president, served on President Obama's committee convened to investigate the disaster, which issued recommendations to make offshore drililng safer and more ecologically sound (Congress has yet to act on most of these). Sara Stone wipes away tears as she listens to her husband, Deepwater Horizon survivor Stephen Stone, testify before the House Judiciary Committee on May 27, 2010, as BP America Executive Vice President David Nagel (right) listens. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The only sure way to prevent offshore oil spills, of course, is to abandon drilling for oil offshore. Even removing human error from the equation—an outcome that is arguably impossible—would not eliminate the dangers risked by oil drilling on the outer continental shelf, since natural disasters are also inevitable. During hurricanes Katrina and Rita, for example, high winds and waves caused 514 individual spills and the release of 11 million gallons of oil—the same amount dumped by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska’s Prince William Sound in 1989. NRDC applauds President Obama’s March 2016 actions to close the waters off the Atlantic states to oil and gas production but is concerned by the administration's announcement of plans to lease in 13 new areas off of Alaska (including in the fragile Arctic) and in the Gulf to energy companies for oil and gas exploration. “Obviously, this is an important win for the Atlantic,” says Michael Jasny , director of NRDC's Marine Mammal Protection Project. “But the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic remain at risk in this plan. It’s destructive of ocean life, destructive to communities, and inconsistent with the president’s vision and commitment to a clean energy future.” At a time when the paramount ecological challenge faced by humankind is climate change, does it make sense to spend billions of dollars every year to seek out and exploit sources of fuels that release carbon into the atmosphere rather than to invest in clean and renewable energy? The answer—for the sake of our health, our livelihoods, and the environment—is no. This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can’t republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when you’ve used one of our stories.
Markdown	[Skip to main content](https://www.nrdc.org/stories/what-we-learned-bp-oil-disaster#main) ![Kemp's ridley sea turtle hatchlings crawling toward the Gulf of Mexico from Padre Island National Seashore, Texas](https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/styles/small_2x3_100/public/2026-04/kemp%27s-ridley-sea-turtle-hatchlings-padre-island-texas-0B96B65C3BDFBCCA_popup%20%281%29.jpg.jpg?h=9f0d2d8e&itok=WmWB9N9H) Credit: NPS ## Sea Turtles. Manatees. Whales. The Trump administration’s so-called God Squad just greenlighted their extinction in the Gulf of Mexico to make way for more devastating oil and gas drilling. NRDC is suing to stop them. You can help by making an early Earth Day gift today—MATCHED \$1-for-\$1 until 4/22. 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[See all News & Commentary](https://www.nrdc.org/news-and-commentary?f%5B0%5D=news_commentary_language%3Aen#listing-page-content) [Explainer](https://www.nrdc.org/news-and-commentary?f%5B0%5D=news_commentary_language%3Aen&f%5B1%5D=news_commentary_type%3A327#listing-page-content) # What We Learned from the BP Oil Disaster The resulting loss to life, livelihoods, and the environment hasn't slowed offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. But it should. April 20, 2016 ![Fireboats spray water on flames rising from the ocean's surface while two huge plumes of black smoke rise over the water in the distance](https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium_16x9_100/public/media-uploads/rm_rtr2ffdk_2400_1.jpg.jpg?h=c3635fa2&itok=fNRaze59) Oil burning off the water's surface near the source of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico Credit: REUTERS/Lee Celano [Patrick Rogers Contributor](https://www.nrdc.org/bio/patrick-rogers) Share this page The biggest offshore oil spill in American history began on April 20, 2010, about 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana. In mile-deep water, a BP-operated well blew out, causing the Deepwater Horizon drill rig to explode and uncork a geyser of raw crude oil and gas that gushed into the surrounding waters for 87 days. Hundreds of millions of gallons of oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico, creating one of the worst manmade environmental calamities on record. Years have passed since the deadly accident aboard the offshore drilling platform tarred hundreds of miles of beaches and inflicted billions of dollars in economic damages on businesses and residents in the Gulf, but only recently has the federal government released its assessment of the disaster's environmental impacts. It concluded that the damage from the spill—as well as the cleanup techniques—changed the ecosystem of the entire northern Gulf of Mexico. Here are the facts: Eleven workers on the Deepwater Horizon died, and another 17 were seriously injured. Tens of thousands of dolphins and whales were exposed to the oil, with a record high number of dolphin deaths. Nearly 100,000 birds from 93 species died. Centuries-old deep-sea corals were smothered by oil. ![A pelican with oil coating its body tries to extend its wings and fly on a sandy beach](https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium_100/public/media-uploads/rm_101619657_2400.jpg.jpg?itok=Vb8fq0-J) A brown pelican coated in heavy oil tries to take flight on Louisiana's East Grand Terre Island. Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images Among the most enduring images of the disaster, TV viewers will remember the heartbreaking photos of brown pelicans, Louisiana's state bird and a species made famous by the watercolors of John James Audubon, hopelessly weighed down with sludge the color of raw sewage. Some of our nation’s most imperiled species were especially hard hit. All five species of the Gulf's sea turtles, for instance, are endangered—the spill killed as many as 7,600 large sea turtles and as many as 160,000 baby ones. Endangered sperm whales suffered an estimated 7 percent decline in their population, which will take 21 years to recover. Half of all Bryde’s whales were impacted by the spill, resulting in a 22 percent population loss; that means it'll take 69 years to get them back to where they were. Where did all the oil, only a small amount of which (perhaps 8 percent) was skimmed and collected from the surface of the ocean, eventually go? That was one of the questions NRDC asked in an investigation commissioned on the fifth anniversary of the disaster. The answer? Potentially as much as half of the crude spewed by the runaway gusher before it was eventually capped [is likely to still be in the deep ocean.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxJV-oGa2kc) Which means the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster is not over—far from it. While the immediate cleanup was still underway, NRDC worked on several fronts to prevent the repeat of a disaster that could have been prevented with stricter laws and industrial oversight. We documented the ecological and economic impact on the region's population, animal life, and ecosystems. We [partnered with StoryCorps](https://www.nrdc.org/stories/stories-gulf) to tell the stories of residents struggling to live through the resulting economic downturn, including Gulf fishermen, shrimpers, tour operators, and Native Americans whose ancestors have lived in the Mississippi River Delta for centuries. Frances Beinecke, then NRDC's president, served on President Obama's committee convened to investigate the disaster, which issued [recommendations](https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-OILCOMMISSION/pdf/GPO-OILCOMMISSION.pdf) to make offshore drililng safer and more ecologically sound (Congress has yet to act on most of these). ![A man speaks into a microphone with people sitting in rows listening behind him](https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium_100/public/media-uploads/rm_101009559_2400.jpg.jpg?itok=pKg2lBV_) Sara Stone wipes away tears as she listens to her husband, Deepwater Horizon survivor Stephen Stone, testify before the House Judiciary Committee on May 27, 2010, as BP America Executive Vice President David Nagel (right) listens. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The only sure way to prevent offshore oil spills, of course, is to abandon drilling for oil offshore. Even removing human error from the equation—an outcome that is arguably impossible—would not eliminate the dangers risked by oil drilling on the outer continental shelf, since natural disasters are also inevitable. During hurricanes Katrina and Rita, for example, high winds and waves caused 514 individual spills and the release of 11 million gallons of oil—the same amount dumped by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska’s Prince William Sound in 1989. NRDC applauds President Obama’s March 2016 actions to close the waters off the Atlantic states to oil and gas production but is concerned by the administration's announcement of plans to lease in 13 new areas off of Alaska (including in the fragile Arctic) and in the Gulf to energy companies for oil and gas exploration. “Obviously, this is an important win for the Atlantic,” says [Michael Jasny](https://www.nrdc.org/experts/michael-jasny), director of NRDC's Marine Mammal Protection Project. “But the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic remain at risk in this plan. It’s destructive of ocean life, destructive to communities, and inconsistent with the president’s vision and commitment to a clean energy future.” At a time when the paramount ecological challenge faced by humankind is climate change, does it make sense to spend billions of dollars every year to seek out and exploit sources of fuels that release carbon into the atmosphere rather than to invest in clean and renewable energy? The answer—for the sake of our health, our livelihoods, and the environment—is no. [Play Video: https://youtu.be/FjlbmYx4HdQ]("Play Video") *** This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can’t republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should[drop us a note](https://www.nrdc.org/contact-us)to let us know when you’ve used one of our stories. Related Issues [Fossil Fuels](https://www.nrdc.org/issues/fossil-fuels) [Ocean](https://www.nrdc.org/issues/oceans) [Nature & Wildlife](https://www.nrdc.org/issues/nature-wildlife) [Wildlife](https://www.nrdc.org/issues/wildlife) [Equity & Justice](https://www.nrdc.org/issues/equity-justice) ## Related Stories [Skip carousel items](https://www.nrdc.org/stories/what-we-learned-bp-oil-disaster#carousel) ![Deb Haaland speaks at a press conference to present a "clean, just economic recovery plan.”](https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium_16x9_100/public/media-uploads/2cgeeh8_2400.jpg.jpg?h=c3635fa2&itok=g-3XdoIj) [Deb Haaland Is the Interior Secretary Our Country Needs](https://www.nrdc.org/stories/deb-haaland-interior-secretary-our-country-needs) February 22, 2021 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine The fact that senators tied to the fossil fuel industry are opposing her nomination is a big clue as to why. ![Protesters holding banner with "We the People"](https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium_16x9_100/public/hanchen53894692-2400.jpg.jpg?h=2c947859&itok=IlTItNKj) [This Is How We Stand Up to Trump](https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-we-stand-trump) December 20, 2017 NRDC in ActionUnited StatesNicole Greenfield Meet a handful of the NRDC staffers who resisted Trump’s attacks and defended our environment in 2017—and who won’t stop fighting anytime soon. ![Photo of a Louisiana oysterman and his grandchildren.](https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium_16x9_100/public/2023-03/byron11.jpg.jpg?h=308cfba5&itok=3OvdOXnD) [Empty Nests](https://www.nrdc.org/stories/empty-nests) April 9, 2015 PerspectivesLouisianaSarah Craig, Rocky Kistner A Louisiana oysterman wants to pass on his trade to his grandkids—if only there were any oysters left to catch. 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Readable Markdown	![Fireboats spray water on flames rising from the ocean's surface while two huge plumes of black smoke rise over the water in the distance](https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium_16x9_100/public/media-uploads/rm_rtr2ffdk_2400_1.jpg.jpg?h=c3635fa2&itok=fNRaze59) Oil burning off the water's surface near the source of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico Credit: REUTERS/Lee Celano The biggest offshore oil spill in American history began on April 20, 2010, about 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana. In mile-deep water, a BP-operated well blew out, causing the Deepwater Horizon drill rig to explode and uncork a geyser of raw crude oil and gas that gushed into the surrounding waters for 87 days. Hundreds of millions of gallons of oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico, creating one of the worst manmade environmental calamities on record. Years have passed since the deadly accident aboard the offshore drilling platform tarred hundreds of miles of beaches and inflicted billions of dollars in economic damages on businesses and residents in the Gulf, but only recently has the federal government released its assessment of the disaster's environmental impacts. It concluded that the damage from the spill—as well as the cleanup techniques—changed the ecosystem of the entire northern Gulf of Mexico. Here are the facts: Eleven workers on the Deepwater Horizon died, and another 17 were seriously injured. Tens of thousands of dolphins and whales were exposed to the oil, with a record high number of dolphin deaths. Nearly 100,000 birds from 93 species died. Centuries-old deep-sea corals were smothered by oil. ![A pelican with oil coating its body tries to extend its wings and fly on a sandy beach](https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium_100/public/media-uploads/rm_101619657_2400.jpg.jpg?itok=Vb8fq0-J) A brown pelican coated in heavy oil tries to take flight on Louisiana's East Grand Terre Island. Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images Among the most enduring images of the disaster, TV viewers will remember the heartbreaking photos of brown pelicans, Louisiana's state bird and a species made famous by the watercolors of John James Audubon, hopelessly weighed down with sludge the color of raw sewage. Some of our nation’s most imperiled species were especially hard hit. All five species of the Gulf's sea turtles, for instance, are endangered—the spill killed as many as 7,600 large sea turtles and as many as 160,000 baby ones. Endangered sperm whales suffered an estimated 7 percent decline in their population, which will take 21 years to recover. Half of all Bryde’s whales were impacted by the spill, resulting in a 22 percent population loss; that means it'll take 69 years to get them back to where they were. Where did all the oil, only a small amount of which (perhaps 8 percent) was skimmed and collected from the surface of the ocean, eventually go? That was one of the questions NRDC asked in an investigation commissioned on the fifth anniversary of the disaster. The answer? Potentially as much as half of the crude spewed by the runaway gusher before it was eventually capped [is likely to still be in the deep ocean.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxJV-oGa2kc) Which means the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster is not over—far from it. While the immediate cleanup was still underway, NRDC worked on several fronts to prevent the repeat of a disaster that could have been prevented with stricter laws and industrial oversight. We documented the ecological and economic impact on the region's population, animal life, and ecosystems. We [partnered with StoryCorps](https://www.nrdc.org/stories/stories-gulf) to tell the stories of residents struggling to live through the resulting economic downturn, including Gulf fishermen, shrimpers, tour operators, and Native Americans whose ancestors have lived in the Mississippi River Delta for centuries. Frances Beinecke, then NRDC's president, served on President Obama's committee convened to investigate the disaster, which issued [recommendations](https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-OILCOMMISSION/pdf/GPO-OILCOMMISSION.pdf) to make offshore drililng safer and more ecologically sound (Congress has yet to act on most of these). ![A man speaks into a microphone with people sitting in rows listening behind him](https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium_100/public/media-uploads/rm_101009559_2400.jpg.jpg?itok=pKg2lBV_) Sara Stone wipes away tears as she listens to her husband, Deepwater Horizon survivor Stephen Stone, testify before the House Judiciary Committee on May 27, 2010, as BP America Executive Vice President David Nagel (right) listens. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The only sure way to prevent offshore oil spills, of course, is to abandon drilling for oil offshore. Even removing human error from the equation—an outcome that is arguably impossible—would not eliminate the dangers risked by oil drilling on the outer continental shelf, since natural disasters are also inevitable. During hurricanes Katrina and Rita, for example, high winds and waves caused 514 individual spills and the release of 11 million gallons of oil—the same amount dumped by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska’s Prince William Sound in 1989. NRDC applauds President Obama’s March 2016 actions to close the waters off the Atlantic states to oil and gas production but is concerned by the administration's announcement of plans to lease in 13 new areas off of Alaska (including in the fragile Arctic) and in the Gulf to energy companies for oil and gas exploration. “Obviously, this is an important win for the Atlantic,” says [Michael Jasny](https://www.nrdc.org/experts/michael-jasny), director of NRDC's Marine Mammal Protection Project. “But the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic remain at risk in this plan. It’s destructive of ocean life, destructive to communities, and inconsistent with the president’s vision and commitment to a clean energy future.” At a time when the paramount ecological challenge faced by humankind is climate change, does it make sense to spend billions of dollars every year to seek out and exploit sources of fuels that release carbon into the atmosphere rather than to invest in clean and renewable energy? The answer—for the sake of our health, our livelihoods, and the environment—is no. *** This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can’t republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should[drop us a note](https://www.nrdc.org/contact-us)to let us know when you’ve used one of our stories.
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