Helping Wildlife Impacted by the BP Gulf Oil Disaster
On April 20, 2010, BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers, and pumping more than 200 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 straight days—making it America’s largest environmental catastrophe in history.
Thousands of birds, sea turtles, dolphins and other wildlife were found dead or injured in the disaster zone immediately after the spill. How are they faring now?
BP violated both the Clean Water Act and Oil Pollution Act, and faces upwards of $50 billion in fines. Make sure BP is forced to pay >>
Recognizing the disaster’s unprecedented impact on wildlife, NWF staff—already on the ground in Louisiana—quickly swung into action. Learn more about our work in the Gulf >>
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On Feb. 25, 2013, the trial began to
determine penalties for BP's Clean Water Act violations, with potential fines reaching upwards of $50 billion. “A potential settlement as low as the reported $16 billion would not be much of a deterrent for an oil giant like BP—and it is unlikely to be enough to fully restore the Gulf of Mexico as the law requires," said NWF CEO and President Larry Schweiger. "The Obama Administration can and must do more to hold BP accountable.”