All’s Well That Ends Well, Right?

When it comes to natural and man-made disasters, resolving the exigent crisis is only the first step on the road to recovery. This is the case with the gulf states and the BP oil spill. MSNBC and the Associated Press reported on Sunday that at long last, BP killed the once-gushing well in the Gulf of Mexico, putting an end to part of the worst environmental disaster the US has ever faced. At 5:54 a.m. CDT, the final pressure test was completed. It’s over. The well-kill part of the project, that is. Although the media attention may fade as time passes, it will take years to recuperate from the loss and damages of the spill.

The “dead well” milestone comes at great cost to BP, the wildlife of the area, the fishermen, shop-owners, and others who make their living in the gulf. The initial blast from the blown-out well killed 11 men working on the rig, and an estimated 206 million gallons of oil (which is possibly a low estimate) gushed into the gulf. The oil itself continues to wash ashore, which dwindled tourism to the area all summer, ruined the fishing season before it got started, and the seafood the gulf fishermen do catch is difficult to sell because of misperceptions about the food safety. Meanwhile, BP saw its stock price plummet over the summer, as well as take a near 30 billion dollar hit, between cleanup costs and pledged compensation funds. Its involvement and handling of the disaster has also raised questions about its decisions and practices regarding worker and environmental safety.

Although a great price has been and continues to be paid for this mess, we can only hope that BP keeps its promise to make the people of the gulf whole and learns its lessons about safety and puts the good of the environment ahead of that of its shareholders.

Article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39256717/ns/us_news-environment/