Unbelievable: Burning Spilled Oil in Gulf of Mexico

NASA

The Center's aggressive opposition to expanded offshore oil drilling is being justified by the latest twist in the Gulf accident scenario: the U.S. Coast Guard is going to burn the spilled oil. Now the ocean pollution problem will be an air pollution problem too. In the grand scheme of bad choices, it is probably better to burn it than to allow it to hit the beaches and marshes along the Gulf Coats. But let us not forget, in addition to the air and water threats, 11 lives were lost in the accident.

The oil slick is 100 miles by 45 miles now, about the size of Jamaica, and is about 15 miles off the Louisiana coast.

The Transocean Ltd. rig Deepwater Horizon caught fire on April 20 and sank on April 22. BP PLC, the oil company, contracted with Transocean to use the rig, had failed to shut down the gushing crude.