It’s welcome news that the blown-out oil well that spilled about 205 million gallons into the Gulf has been permanently sealed. In spring and early summer the BP spill seemed like a never-ending catastrophe.
Workers, technicians, advisers, bosses and government officials who labored for months deserve credit for eventually bringing the disaster to an end. In mid-July they capped the wellhead, and last week the well was plugged more than two miles below the seafloor.
On Sunday morning, five months after a drilling rig explosion ruptured the wellhead, the BP well was declared “effectively dead.”
But like the ongoing cleanup efforts, and the capping of the well in July, the final plug is just a footnote. The spill itself, and its impact on the environment and the economy, are what we will remember in the years ahead.
Everyone is now aware of the immense difficulties in plugging offshore wells. The environmental impact of such a disaster may be unpredictable, but the economic damage of any future spill can be readily imagined.
Some Gulf waters are still closed to fishing, and many customers are avoiding gulf shrimp and seafood. Businesses that rely on tourists are struggling to survive. According to the Associated Press, BP has spent $9.5 billion on the cleanup and has budgeted $20 billion for claims. The cost to BP from fines and lawsuits remains to be seen.
After this disaster, the possibility of a damaging spill must be figured into the cost-benefit analysis of every oil well. The lessons of this experience provide a strong argument for investing in alternative sources of energy and demanding much better efficiency.
— Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Nick Cowenhoven at nickc@journaltribune.com.
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