Agence France-Presse, via Grist:
Louisiana marshes hit by Gulf oil slick; wildlife threatenedby Agence France-Presse
20 May 2010 4:30 PM
USAVENICE, La. -- Crude oozed Thursday into Gulf Coast wetlands, prompting furious Louisiana officials to accuse BP of destroying fragile marshes beyond repair and leaving coastal fishing communities in ruin.
With some of the worst fears of environmental disaster being realized in the marshlands of the Mississippi Delta, BP was also forced to concede it had underestimated the amount of oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico.
The British energy giant had always maintained that only 5,000 barrels -- or 210,000 gallons -- of crude was gushing each day from a pipe ruptured when its Deepwater Horizon rig exploded one month ago and sank.
But BP spokesman Mark Proegler said Thursday that this amount was already being siphoned away from the leak by its mile-long insertion tube device and live television pictures showed a significant quantity still streaming out. ..........(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://www.grist.org/article/2010-05-20-louisiana-marshes-hit-by-gulf-oil-slick-wildlife-threatened/