As we approach the 10 year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, new research suggests it was worse than originally estimated. Scientists with the University of Miami believe the spill may have been 30% larger than originally thought. The Gulf oil spill was the worst offshore oil spill in US history.
The current figures of the oil spill stand at 210 million gallons of oil released. The broken well spewed oil for 5 months, affecting Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Scientists say the oil killed up to 50% of the marine life it came into contact with.
Ten years later, the Trump administration is pushing to expand offshore drilling. They have issued a record number of lease permits for drilling, including expansion in the Gulf of Mexico. The demand for oil in the US remains high.