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Obama, Gulf Coast Residents Mark Oil Spill Anniversary

   VOA News  April 20, 2011
   An oil-drenched bird struggles to climb onto a boom from the waters of
   Barataria Bay, Louisiana, which are filled with oil from the BP
   Deepwater Horizon oil spill (File Photo - June 26, 2010)

Photo: AP

   An oil-drenched bird struggles to climb onto a boom from the waters of
   Barataria Bay, Louisiana, which are filled with oil from the BP
   Deepwater Horizon oil spill (File Photo - June 26, 2010)

   U.S. President Barack Obama says Americans have made significant
   progress in cleaning up last year's prolonged oil spill in the Gulf of
   Mexico, but he says the job is not done.
   Obama made the statement Wednesday, the one-year anniversary of the
   explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that killed 11 people and
   touched off an 85-day, underwater oil leak. It was the worst offshore
   oil spill in U.S. history.
   Obama said he continues to hold the BP oil company and other
   responsible parties fully accountable for the painful losses they have
   caused.
   Communities on the U.S. Gulf Coast are expected to mark the anniversary
   with gatherings focused on environmental awareness.
   Experts say while the initial damage does not look as bad as they
   feared, it will be years before the full effect of the spill on the
   environment is known.
   Tourists have been returning to the beaches this season, after the
   crisis at peak season last year prompted many to change their vacation
   plans. But fishermen say their business has not recovered. And
   residents say the sand and soil on the coast is still saturated with
   foul-smelling, oily residue.
   The United States announced in December that it is suing oil giant BP
   and eight other companies for their roles in the spill.

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