The Obama Administration has granted authorization for British Petroleum (BP) to drill in the Gulf of Mexico despite the uncertain and incomplete clean up of the biggest oil spill in US history occurring in April 2010. Presently over 25,000 abandoned oil wells exist in the Gulf, some that have been there since the early 1940s. Temporarily and permanently abandoned wells cause a major concern for the environment because they release toxins, oil and greenhouse gases. Environmental organizations such as Oceana object to permission granted BP because of the potentially major environmental impact such wells possess. However, the government and oil companies have apparently been ignoring this issue for several years. Further, BP still has not finished paying cleanup workers who have exerted their time and energy in cleaning up the April 2010 spill.
Sources:
Article Title: BP Acquires Permission to Drill among 28,000 Abandoned Wells in the Gulf of Mexico: “Stage Two” of the BP Gulf of Mexico Environmental Disaster, Centre of Research on Globalization, Food Freedom.wordpress.com, October 24, 2011
Author: Rady Ananda
URL: http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/bp-28000-unmonitored-abandoned-wells-gulf/
Student Researcher: Camila Rocha Lima, Florida Atlantic University
Faculty Advisor: James F. Tracy, Florida Atlantic University