Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
New Orleans, LA -- It is now estimated that an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico from a ruptured pipeline could be nearly twice as large as originally reported. When the spill was first discovered, the company behind the pipeline initially said up to 9,350 barrels of crude had been released into the Gulf, making it the largest Gulf oil spill since the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010. Now the Coast Guard is reporting that the spill is much larger, with estimates as high as 16,000 barrels.
The spill comes as Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is working to expand offshore drilling into previously protected areas off America’s coasts and to dismantle safety measures implemented in the wake of Deepwater Horizon.
In response, Athan Manuel, Director of the Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program, issued the following statement in response:
“For far too long, the Gulf has been treated as a sacrifice zone by polluters. They’ve drilled in their waters, spilled recklessly, and burned fossil fuels and chemicals in their communities. Now, as Gulf communities continue to recover from Hurricane Harvey, they’re forced to grapple with yet another disaster to their community. Worse yet, as the Gulf is forced to watch yet another offshore oil spill unfold, Donald Trump and Ryan Zinke are working to expose more of our coasts to the threats of drilling and to dismantle safety measures put in place to prevent these disasters from happening. Coastal communities should not be asked to pay the price for this administration’s reckless plans to give handouts to corporate polluters and make it easier for them to foul our coasts and public waters.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.