Will Deepwater Horizon Set a New Standard for Catastrophe?

摘要

The fiery destruction of an oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April may have triggered one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. The impact of the crisis, which began with the deaths of 11 workers and then simmered for several days before an expanding oil slick grabbed worldwide attention, promises to test the federal government's ability to protect habitat, wildlife, and the economic well-being of a four-state region on a scale never before imagined.rnSecretary Ken Salazar of the Department of the Interior declared on 2 May that the government's role is to "keep its boot on the neck of BP," the British-based oil giant that had contracted to use the drilling rig, Deep-water Horizon. And BP CEO Tony Hayward said his company "will absolutely be paying for the cleanup operation. There is no doubt about that. It's our responsibility-we accept it fully."