Environmental impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill Environmental impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill The 2010 "Deepwater Horizon" oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been described as the worst environmental disaster in the United States, releasing about of crude oil making it the largest marine oil spill. Both the spill and the cleanup efforts had effects on the environment. The oil spill was called the "worst environmental disaster the US has faced" by White House energy adviser Carol Browner. The spill was by far the largest in US history, almost 20 times greater than the usual estimate of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Factors
Volume and extent of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill over areas of the gulf to document the scope of the disaster. Meanwhile, Phil Radford documented BP's methods of escaping liability and keeping people hired to clean the oil spill out of areas affected by the oil spill. These accusations were leveled at BP, its contractors, local law enforcement, USCG, and other government officials. Scientists also complained about prevention of access to information controlled by BP and government sources. BP stated that its policy was to allow the media and other parties as much access as possible. On 30 June 2010, the USCG put new restrictions in place across the