"To the people here in the Gulf, we are going to be standing by your side. And to Americans all across the country, come on down and visit."
-- President Barack Obama, U.S. Coast Guard Panama City District Office, Panama City, Florida, 8/14
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Construction on Deepwater Horizon starts in Ulsan, South Korea.
Deepwater Horizon Rig was delivered to USA.
It was still described as "one of the most powerful rigs in the world".
Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig catches on fire. 17 people injured and 11 people missing out of 126 people on board.
The Coast Guard launches a major search effort to find the missing 11 people. Investigation to find how the explosion started. Firefighters keep trying to put out the huge flames.
Oil rig sinks and a 1-by-5-mile oil slick appears on the water.
Coast Guard stops search and presumes the missing to be dead. Oil slick grows to 1 by 12 miles long.
Coast Guard confirms oil is leaking at 2 places in the well at about 1,000 barrels or 42,000 barrels a day. Oil slick is 30 miles away from touching shore.
Coast Guard increases estimate of oil coming out to 5,000 barrels a day. BP announces that a third leak has been found in the pipeline. So far, efforts to close the flow of oil have been unsuccessful.
Oil spill is now 120 miles long. It starts threatening the Louisiana coast. Wildlife conservation groups say the oil could be a disaster for coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary declares the spill a crisis of "national significance." This allows the federal government to release resources from across the country into cleanup effort.
President Barack Obama meets with local, state and federal officials in southeastern Louisiana. He says the spill may not be stopped for several days even though the most advanced technology is available.
BP's chief executive says they will pay for the cleanup of the oil spill. The spill is 9 miles off the Louisiana coast. Tony Hayward told NPR's "Morning Edition, " it is indeed BP's responsibility to deal with this and we're dealing with it and where legitimate claims (of damages) are made, we will be good for them" according to NPR's website.
Oil spill reaches shores of barrier islands off Louisiana’s Chandelier and Breton sounds.
The smallest leak of the 3 is capped.
President Obama proposes measures that would give an additional $118 million for oil spill relief efforts. Also includes, a 1-cent tax increase on each barrel of oil that oil companies pay into the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration extend restricted fishing area in gulf.
President Barack Obama announces the creation of bipartisan commission that will investigate what caused the spill.
Government estimates that this oil spill is now the largest in USA history
BP CEO Tony Hayward says the "top kill" had some success. Engineers also tried a "junk shot".
BP announces both methods failed to stop the flow of oil.
Oil reaches Dauphin Island, a barrier island in Alabama.
Obama arrives in Louisiana to look at the damage and speak with political and business leaders.
Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker accuses BP of having "misrepresented what their technology could do."
President Obama used his first Oval Office address to the nation to say 90% of the oil gushing into the gulf will be captured within weeks. Government scientists estimate between 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day.
Hurricane Alex hits and causes heavy seas throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Cleanup efforts are put on hold.
BP proceeds with a test on the crippled well in the Gulf.
BP announces Robert Dudley will replace Tony Hayward. Tony was cheif executive officer. He replaced him October 1st.
Crews remove the cap from the ruptured well.
Officials declared an end to the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
U.S. Federal Government sues BP Exploration and Production Inc. and 8 other companies for unlimited liability, in a effort to have them pay for a massive expenses of the environmental and cleanup recovery of the spill.
Overview
At about 9:45 p.m. (Central Time) on April 20, 2010, methane gas from the well, under high pressure, shot all the way up and out of the drill column, expanded onto the platform, and then ignited and exploded. The fire then tookover the platform.
Most of the workers escaped the Deepwater Horizon by lifeboat and were airlifted by helicopter for medical treatment. Although, 12 workers were never found despite a 3-day Coast Guard search operation, they were probaly dead from the fire. Many boats tried to put out the flames but they were unsuccessful.
After burning for about 36 hours, the boat sank on the morning of April 22, 2010. That afternoon an oil leak was found and it started spreading. According to, the Flow Rate Technical Group the leak amounted to about 205.8 million gallons of oil. Exceeding the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill as the largest ever to come from U.S.-controlled waters. By April 25, the oil spill covered 580 square miles. Oil began washing up on the beaches of Gulf Islands National Seashore on June 1st.
Olivia Bouler
Olivia is in 5th grade and is 11 years old. She was featured on Disney Friends for Change for helping the gulf oil spill. She has visited the gulf many times to visit family. When Olivia heard about the spill she was so sad for all the animals that were hurt. Olivia Just had to take action. Olivia wrote to the Audubon Society about her fundraising idea, using her talent as an artist to give bird drawings to those who donated to wildlife recovery efforts. Now Olivia has drawn at least 100 different species of birds in 400 original drawings.
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