1. Natalie Santore 5H

2. National Wildlife Federation-Ranger Rick How is the leak being cleaned up? Why couldn't the oil leak be stopped quickly? What happened? Why are people so worried about the leak? What happens to the animals that get covered in oil? BP Gulf Oil Spill

3. Click here to return to slide #2. As you know, there was an awful oil spill in the gulf coast on April 20 th 2010. The oil wells that were drilled at the bottom of the Gulf exploded, causing oil to flow all around in the water causing people and animals to die. People have been trying to get the oil out using many different methods. The platform that the tubes that were connected to the oil wells were attached to the platform. Eleven of the people that were on the platform died. After that people started to find sea animals covered in oil. Many of them were dead, but some managed to survive. It was mostly the birds, sea turtles, and dolphins that got hurt from the oil. When the birds would swoop down to get a fish to eat they would sometimes swallow the oil. It also got stuck in their feathers. It harmed the dolphins and the sea turtles when they had to resurface for air. Hopefully we will be able to save some of these poor, helpless animals.

4. Click here to return to slide #2. There are a few reasons why the oil leak couldnt be stopped quickly. When people dug the wells, they made a button called the blowout preventer, just incase things like this ever happened. Well, it did so they pressed the button, but it didnt work. Water was still spewing out of the well into the gulf. Which was not a good thing for all of the animals that live in the gulf. Another way they tried to help get rid of the oil was to put a thing similar to a cap on top of the pipe to plug up the oil and to stop it from keep leaking into the water. Doing this helped a little bit, but oil was still flowing out. After many tries, they were finally successful on July 15 th by putting a new, tighter cap that has been holding in all the oil since then.

5. Click here to return to slide #2. Chemical Dispersants – When you put chemical dispersants into the water, it separates the waster from the oil, so the oil can be taken out. The down side of doing this is that it can harm the animals that live in the water. Skimming- Skimming is when boats suck up the oil and storing it in big tanks in a boat. If you use chemical dispersants then try to suck it up, there is a good chance it will not work. Burning- You can burn the oil right off of the surface of the water. This also hurts the air pollution. This is not good considering that the air is already to polluted as it is. Separating – People are now working to create thirty-two new machines. They can suck up the oil and water, then it gets rid of the oil, and pumps the clean oil-free water back into the gulf.

6. Click here to return to slide #2. The animals that get covered in oil often die, but some are lucky enough to be saved. The animals that are most affected are the birds, sea turtles, dolphins, and young sea creatures. When the birds go into the water to find some food, the oil gets stuck in their feathers. If they try to clean it out with their beaks, they might swallow some of the oil. The oil can damage their lungs and their eyes. People are working hard to take some of the birds and are able to get them free of oil. The dolphins and sea turtles share the same issue, coming to the surface of the water for air. Even though they are sea animals, they have lungs, which need air. Every once in a while, they need to resurface for air causing them to inhale and swallow oil. The oil can harm most living things. Click here to see my Excel project about the birds that got covered in oil.

7. People are so worried about the leak because it gives of fumes that smell very bad and are dangerous to breathe. Everything the oil touches gets covered with a thick, black and sticky covering. The oil also pollutes the air more than it already is, which makes it worse fro people and animals to breathe. So much oil has leaked that it has covered hundreds of square miles. Also, so many poor helpless animals are dying. Click here to go to slide #8