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The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill of the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 became the largest oil spill in history. The
oil spill resulted from an explosion on the Transocean oil rig. This explosion resulted in the death of 11
people and left over 115 people injured. This disaster caused over 4.9 million barrels of oil to be spilled
into the Gulf of Mexico, and over 1300 miles of the Gulf coast from Florida to Texas were affected (EPA,
2019). This major crisis could have been adverted had the rig been equipped with an automatic shut off
valve. This disaster caused catastrophic irreversible harm to the land and environment, and yes, the
government and BP executives should support a law making it a requirement for all rigs to have this
safety measure in place. I feel that after this incident happened both sides should adopt sustainability
strategies that protect the environment. This would show that there is an interest in the long-term
survival and flourishing of ecological habitats and natural resources. The government and companies
should be expected to respect societal goals in their business activities.
I don’t think that oil companies should be able to lobby against safety regulations that are put in place to
not only protect workers, but the environment as well. The safety of both groups should hold priority
when mandating safety laws and regulations, and should never be deemed unimportant in lieu of
profits, monetary gain or loss, or any gain a company can make by not implementing safety measures.
Public attitudes in the United States after the 2010 oil spill support stronger offshore drilling safety
regulations. BP’s oil spill led to a series of major reforms. In response, President Barack Obama signed an
executive order creating a commission to study the spill. The commission recommended new safety
rules, accountability standards, and environmental regulations for drilling in US waters. Obama then
signed another executive order to promote environmental stewardship of the ocean, coasts, and the
Great Lakes in light of the oil spill. According to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the new rules
were “the most aggressive and comprehensive reforms to offshore oil and gas regulation and oversight
in U.S. history.” (BOEM, 2018). In June of 2018, President Donald Trump revoked Obama’s stewardship
directive, replacing it with a new executive order giving more responsibility to states for offshore oil and
gas drilling, as well as prioritizing business interests ahead of the environment. While oil industry groups
were elated at the prospect of undoing the changes; environmental groups were aghast (Turrentine,
2018).
