Years later, Deepwater Horizon’s impact still haunts Gulf communities and environment.
Fifteen years have passed since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana. Eleven people lost their lives, and over 130 million gallons of oil poured into the Gulf of Mexico, coating water, wildlife, and entire shorelines. It’s been called the worst offshore oil disaster in U.S. history. Since then, billions have been spent trying to restore the damaged coastline, and the legal battles are still ongoing. But for many who live in the region, especially those who worked on the cleanup or were exposed to the aftermath, the pain and loss are far from over.
Tammy Gremillion remembers begging her daughter not to take one of the well-paid cleanup jobs BP offered in the months after the spill. But the money was tempting, and Jennifer signed on. Tammy said they didn’t know how dangerous it would be. Jennifer worked in thick oil for months. She came home smelling like chemicals, her skin blotched, head pounding, breaking out in rashes. She also came into contact with Corexit, a chemical that was sprayed on the oil to help it break down but has since raised serious concerns for its health effects. Years later, Jennifer developed leukemia and died in 2020. Tammy is sure the illness came from her daughter’s time on the cleanup crews.
Tammy’s story is not the only one. Thousands of people filed lawsuits linking health problems to the spill. But most of those cases never made it far. Only one has been settled, and many others were dismissed. A few are still pending. In a 2012 settlement, BP paid out $67 million to workers and residents who said they got sick, but that came out to around $1,300 per person for most claimants. For people who lost loved ones or now live with chronic illness, that doesn’t even begin to make up for what they’ve been through.
While people have struggled to find justice in court, efforts to restore the land and water have made some progress. Conservation groups say the disaster forced states to come together and fund large-scale projects to rebuild the coast. Some of these projects created new land where marshes had washed away and tried to bring back habitats for wildlife. But even that work is hitting roadblocks. A major land-building project in Louisiana was recently paused, raising concerns about whether the momentum is fading. Meanwhile, as new offshore oil and gas projects are approved, some worry that all the work done so far could be undone by another accident.
The damage from the original spill went far beyond just the coastline. Oyster beds were smothered. Reefs were covered in oil and chemicals. Fishers lost their catch. Pelicans and sea turtles turned up dead by the thousands. PJ Hahn, a former local official who worked on the frontlines, said he watched the land fall apart, describing marsh islands that crumbled in his hands “like cookies in hot coffee.” For people who live in the region, it wasn’t just an environmental disaster — it was a community one. And for many, the wounds still haven’t healed.
Sources:
Deepwater Horizon oil spill anniversary: Status of BP lawsuits and coastal restoration in 2025
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