It’s been five years since eleven people were killed on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.
An estimated 4.9 million gallons of oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico.
Another 1.8 million gallons of chemical dispersant were used on the oil spill.
USF Scientists have been studying the impact of the environmental disaster from the beginning.
“We were then able to go out and document indeed that the sub-surface plumes were actually occurring,” said Dr. David Hollander from the USF College of Marine Science.
Dr. Hollander believes the impact of the oil spill is far greater than B.P. has been willing to admit.
“The map of the sediments collected reflected 12-hundred square miles, which were actually quite severely impacted, not just a three kilometer ring around the well head,” said Dr. Hollander.
U.S. Representative Kathy Castor says B.P. has a history of downplaying the oil spill.
“B.P. can not simply say it’s over and done five years later. This is a disaster that we’re going to have to research for decades to come and for them to say it’s over is simply ridiculous,” said Castor.
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