The BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico is reported to be the largest accidental marine oil spill to date. The spill occurred because of the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion that killed 11 men working on the platform and injured 17 others. On July 15, a cap was applied to stop the release of oil, after it had released about 185 million gallons of crude oil. Even with the cap emplaced, oil was still flowing from the well until September 19, when the federal government declared the well "effectively dead". The spill stretched from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and reached the western coast of Florida, including Pensacola and Panama City. As of Aug. 16, more than 7,000 birds, sea turtles and dolphins have been found dead or debilitated in the gulf since the oil spill began.
Created By: Brittany Auer, Ashley McNamara, Jonathon Stella and Alicia Wing
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