Pensacola groups fight new drilling on anniversary of 'horrific' BP oil spill
There are approximately 2,100 oil and chemical spills reported in the Gulf of Mexico each year, according to a new report.
Three offshore workers die annually, on average there is a fire related to offshore oil or gas infrastructure every three days and one particular rig has been leaking for more than 13 years and its pollutants could still be killing wildlife 100 years from now, says a report from the environmental protection group Gulf Restoration Network.
On Friday morning, GRN joined with a local business owner, a county commissioner and several environmental advocates to take a stand against new drilling in the Gulf and the possibility of relaxed regulations on well safety.
During a press conference on Casino Beach Friday the eighth anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill Christian Wagley, GRN coastal organizer for Florida and Alabama, recounted how the BP oil spill claimed the lives of 11 workers, injured 17 others and spilled 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf over 87 days.
"We're here today because we don't ever want that to happen again," Wagley said.
More (Includes photos): https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2018/04/20/pensacola-coalition-fights-new-offshore-drilling-bp-oil-spill-anniverary/536481002/#ampshare=https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2018/04/20/pensacola-coalition-fights-new-offshore-drilling-bp-oil-spill-anniverary/536481002/
Signs against drilling for oil along the Florida coast are placed in the sand during a press conference on Pensacola Beach on Friday, April 20, 2018. The date marks the 8th anniversary of the BP oil spill, which was caused by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that was off the coast of Louisiana. The explosion killed or injured more than two dozen workers and led to more than 210 million gallons of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico. Jody Link/online@pnj.com