The Deepwater Horizon Tragedy: The Victims Are Still Suffering, Six Years Down the Line

It’s the largest accidental oil spill in history. Over 130 million gallons of oil were accidentally spilled into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, spreading the catastrophe to Louisiana and with traces of slick spreading further to the Florida Panhandle. Six weeks after the accident, the severely damaged wellhead of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig was still spilling thousands of gallons of oil every single day.

Marine life was destroyed and people died while others got severely ill. Six years down the line, people who were exposed to the massive spill are still sick and suffering.

The Use of a Chemical Dispersant: The Biggest Mistake of All Time

Right after the massive spill, a chemical dispersant was used to break up the oil. This move was made even after government scientists expressed concern about the adverse health implications of mixing large quantities of chemical dispersants with millions of gallons of crude oil.

According to occupational health experts, it’s this toxic mix that caused numerous health complications (that doctors were unable to treat) among the locals as well as some of the 47, 000 people who took part in BP’s (British Petroleum) cleanup operation.

Exposure to the thick fumes of crude oil and the chemical dispersants brought all sorts of health complications such as seizures, dizziness, uncontrollable ear and nose bleeds, blood stool, blindness due to irreversible optical nerve scarring, memory lapses, brain damage, chronic respiratory complications, heart damage, infertility in women, severe headaches, nerve damage, internal bleeding, chemical pneumonia, premature aging, decline in cognitive function, and all sorts of neurological problems.

According to Michael Harbut, an environmental and occupational health expert, and a professor at Michigan State University, exposure to organic solvents such as the chemical dispersants used to break up the oil cause the same adverse effects as lead poisoning.

He also believes that some of the victims who were heavily exposed could experience chronic adverse health effects such as kidney and liver disease, developmental disorders, birth defects, and a rise in certain types of cancers such as lung, leukemia, lymphoma, and skin cancers.

Michael Robichaux, a nose, throat, and ear therapist also believes that a good number of people who were heavily exposed to the chemicals will undoubtedly be ill for the rest of their lives.

Lawsuits

According to figures from claims administrators, more than 37, 500 victims filed claims by 2010. The British Petroleum company agreed on a $7.8 billion medical settlement that would have each victim get up to $60, 700 per person.

This class-action settlement also allowed the victims to file further claims should they develop more serious health complications.

Sadly, only a small fraction of the claims have been paid and up to now, many are still pursuing the lawsuits. It might take years before they finally obtain these claims.

Six years down the line and the victims of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy are still suffering. Maybe if things could have been done differently, the aftermath wouldn’t have been so catastrophic.

Hopefully, the same mistakes will be avoided in future accidental spills as clearly, the health effects are just too much to deal with.