Gulf Coast Oil Spill

Watch Live: BP Oil Spill Commission Hearing
Nov. 8, 2010
The National Oil Spill Commission is holding two days of public hearings this week on the cause of the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion that triggered the disaster.
Ban Lifted on Deep Water Oil Drilling
Oct. 12, 2010
The Obama administration said Tuesday that it is lifting a moratorium on offshore oil drilling imposed after the Deepwater Horizon spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
Report: Government Underestimated, Underreported Oil Spill Size
Oct. 6, 2010
According to the National Oil Spill Commission investigating the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf, the White House blocked efforts by federal scientists to tell the public the worst-case estimates of the leak in late April or early May.
Feinberg: Distance Not a Determining Factor in Paying Oil Spill Claims
Oct. 4, 2010
Since BP first announced it would establish a $20 billion fund to pay claims from the oil spill disaster along the Gulf Coast, one of the more vexing questions has been about what kind of role proximity to the disaster should play in the compensation decisions.
Feinberg: Gulf Oil Spill Claims Paid More Quickly, But Tough Calls Ahead
Oct. 1, 2010
Payments for claims tied to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are set to crack the $1 billion mark next week, but there are still at least 20,000 claims that have yet to be resolved and there seem to be a larger number of cases of fraud than expected. We get an update from Ken Feinberg, the administrator of the claims fund.
New Gulf Oil Spill Flow Rate Estimate Released
Sept. 23, 2010
In the early days of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, estimates varied wildly on the amount of oil gushing from the blown-out well. But on Thursday in the journal Science, Timothy Crone, a marine geophysicist from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, released another estimate.
Oil Disaster Draws New Attention to Louisiana's Coastal Erosion
Sept. 22, 2010
Even though the blown-out BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico has been permanently sealed, Louisiana is continuing its battle against another environmental challenge: coastal erosion. Tom Bearden reports.
Adm. Allen on Oil Cleanup: 'We're Negotiating How Clean Is Clean'
Sept. 20, 2010
Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen speaks with Jeffrey Brown about the permanent sealing of BP's blown-out oil well, what has been learned to prevent or contain future disasters, and what must be done to clean up the Gulf of Mexico and the fragile coastal wetlands.
Oil Well Killed, But Legal and Environmental Battles Just Beginning
Sept. 20, 2010
After a weekend of final sealing and testing, the federal government on Sunday declared the Macondo oil well officially dead. The "well-kill" is an end to one chapter of the Deepwater Horizon story, but other chapters are just beginning. Here's a roundup of stories to watch:
Bacteria Gobbling Natural Gas in the Gulf
Sept. 16, 2010
While attention on the Gulf has mostly focused on oil, the explosion and spill also released tremendous amounts of natural gas.
Slide Show: Capturing the Gulf's Healing Process
Sept. 9, 2010
AP photographer Gerald Herbert has been documenting the Gulf oil disaster -- from the land, sea and air -- since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded. Since we last spoke with him, Herbert has followed not only the spill's effect on wildlife -- but also the lingering human and economic tolls.
8 Key Failures Led to Gulf Oil Spill, BP Report Says
Sept. 8, 2010
In its long-awaited internal report on this summer's Deepwater Horizon oil spill, BP blamed contractors Halliburton and Transocean for many of the problems leading up to the country's worst-ever oil spill -- igniting anger from the companies blamed.
Wednesday: BP Releases Report on Gulf Spill; Obama to Propose Economic Plans
Sept. 8, 2010
In a 193-page report posted on its website Wednesday, British oil company BP partly blamed itself for the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and the disastrous Gulf of Mexico spill, as well as companies Transocean and Halliburton and a complex "sequence of failures.
Pride Prevalent, but Wounded, at Louisiana Shrimp and Oil Festival
Sept. 3, 2010
Even after the BP oil spill all but canceled this year's shrimp harvest in the Gulf of Mexico, the 75th Annual Shrimp and Petroleum Festival in Morgan City, Louisiana, is proceeding full-steam ahead.Pride Prevalent, But Wounded at Louisiana Shrimp and Oil Festival
Louisiana Shrimp, Petroleum Festival Draws Attention Amid Oil Woes
Sept. 3, 2010
Some people might find it odd that Morgan City, La. has a Shrimp and Petroleum Festival. Somehow the two don't seem to go together. But some local citizens get a bit testy if you ask them about that juxtaposition. Tom Bearden reports.
Another Gulf Oil Rig Explodes; 13 Workers Rescued
Sept. 2, 2010
Thirteen workers were plucked from the water after another offshore oil rig exploded Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico. One person was reported to be injured, but there were no deaths.
An Updated Oil Widget
Aug. 26, 2010
This widget is the latest version of what has long been the PBS NewsHour's SpillCam.
At Louisiana Forum, Questions on Oil Spill's Long-Term Impact
Aug. 26, 2010
About 60 people gathered in Buras, La., last week to ask a panel of experts questions about the long-term impact of the spill on their lives and livelihoods. NewsHour correspondent Tom Bearden co-moderated the forum with Louisiana Public Broadcasting's program "Louisiana Public Square."
Study: Oil-Eating Microbes Plentiful in Gulf Oil Spill
Aug. 24, 2010
Oil-eating bacteria proliferated below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico this summer, helping to break down and clean up an underwater oil plume that stretched miles from the Deepwater Horizon wellhead, according to a study released Tuesday by the journal Science.
Oil Plume Study Raises New Questions on Spill
Aug. 19, 2010
Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution released the first conclusive evidence of an underwater oil plume in the Gulf of Mexico. Jeffrey Brown talks to one of the study's authors, Chris Reddy, and David Farenthold of The Washington Post.
Scientists Map Gulf Oil Plume
Aug. 19, 2010
Months after the Deepwater Horizon oil leak began, a 22-mile-long, 1.2-mile-wide and 650-foot-high plume of microscopic oil compounds floated 3,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico near the well, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.
Gulf Relief Well Completion Delayed to Mid-September
Aug. 19, 2010
The government and BP have pushed back to mid-September the completion of a relief well that will permanently kill the blown-out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said Thursday.
Oil Well Is Almost Dead, but Legal Wrangling Just Beginning for BP
Aug. 17, 2010
In the coming years, BP will face a complex stew of litigation, fines and penalties stemming from the Gulf oil spill.
Gulf Fishermen Debate Whether to Risk Selling Seafood Again
Aug. 13, 2010
No oil has leaked from the broken Gulf well since July, and the federal government is reopening some waters for fishing. But some fishermen are split over whether to start trawling the waters again when there may be a risk of seafood being contaminated with oil and dispersants. Tom Bearden reports.
Debate Over Reopening Gulf Fishing Grounds Falls Along Surprising Lines
Aug. 13, 2010
The state of Louisiana is about to reopen several state-controlled fishing grounds that were closed because of the Macondo oil well disaster. You'd think that fishermen would be thrilled with that idea. You'd be wrong.
BP May Have Already Sealed Well for Good; Decision on Plug Expected
Aug. 13, 2010
Officials hope to know early Friday if BP's oil well in the Gulf of Mexico has been sealed for good. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the federal government's person in charge of the effort, scheduled a news conference for 1:45 p.m. EDT to give an update on the operation.
What Happens to Debris From Gulf Oil Cleanup?
Aug. 11, 2010
Piles of plastic bags containing tar balls from Gulf Coast shorelines are packed up each day and millions of gallons oily water have been skimmed. But where is the debris from the Gulf oil disaster being taken? Tom Bearden reports.
In Louisiana, Journalists and Cleanup Crews Bake in the Heat
Aug. 6, 2010
If you're not used to it, the heat and humidity along the Gulf Coast can be devastating. Correspondent Tom Bearden's not used to it, despite having made eight trips to the Gulf since April 28. He lives in Colorado, where the humidity rarely gets above 60 percent. Read more in his latest dispatch from Louisiana.
Gulf Residents Wonder How Long BP, Government Will Stick Around for Cleanup
Aug. 5, 2010
The government reports that most of the leaked oil is gone from Gulf waters and shorelines, but there is now growing concern and questions on how long cleanup crews will be around. Tom Bearden reports from Venice, Louisiana.
Gulf Residents Ask: Will Promises Be Broken on the Oil Spill Response?
Aug. 5, 2010
A lot of people in south Louisiana think the rest of the country is about to abandon them.

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