Efforts to stem the Deepwater Horizon oil spill Efforts to stem the Deepwater Horizon oil spill Efforts to stem the "Deepwater Horizon" oil spill were ongoing from the time that the "Deepwater Horizon" exploded on 4/20/2010 until the well was sealed by a cap on July 15, 2010. Various species of dolphins and other mammals (61 casualties), birds (2,095 casualties), and the endangered sea turtles (467 casualties) have been killed either directly or indirectly by the oil spill. The "Deepwater Horizon" spill has surpassed in volume the 1989 "Exxon Valdez" oil spill as the largest ever to originate in U.S.-controlled waters; it is comparable to the 1979 Ixtoc
Oil spill governance in the United States The OPA is the primary legislation that governs oil spills in the U.S. The establishment of the OPA substantiated the federal government's role in responding to oil spill cleanups. The OPA made amendments to the already existing CWA to provide 3 options to the delegated authorities through the president. The options include conducting immediate cleanup by federal authorities, to monitor the response of the responsible party or commandeer the cleanup activities of the responsible party. Hence giving the federal government the authority to determine the level of cleanup required. A second significant amendment the OPA makes to the CWA is