Overview of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill of 2010

The Deepwater Horizon or British Petroleum (BP) oil spill of 2010 is the largest oil spill in history resulting from the April 20, 2010 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig located about 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana.  The courts eventually ruled that 3.19 million barrels of oil leaked into Gulf waters by the time the well was capped on July 12, 2010.  Because of the spill’s detrimental impacts, BP and the other liable entities have paid billions of dollars for:

• Cleanup activities,
• Criminal charges, and
• Natural resource damage assessments, claims, and restoration efforts.

In addition to the above listed payments resulting from the spill, BP also agreed to pay $5.9 billion for economic damage claims and $5.5 billion for RESTORE Act civil and administrative penalties.

Economic Damage Claims:

The five Gulf States (Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida) and local governments have received $5.9 billion in economic claims resulting from an April 5, 2016 court approved settlement. These claims included $7.1 million for Pinellas County to spend as the County chooses. In its continued effort to engage citizens, the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners is inviting residents to provide additional input by June 30, 2016.  Submit your ideas..

RESTORE Act Penalties:

The RESTORE Act of 2012 specified how penalty dollars resulting from Clean Water Act (CWA) water pollution violations are to be directed. They must be spent on programs, projects, and activities that restore and protect the environment and economy of the Gulf Coast region. The RESTORE Act allocates 80% of CWA penalties from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund. 

• Ocean Conservancy of RESTORE Act funding distributions by state .

The Gulf Coast Restoration Trust fund dollars will be allocated as described below.

• 35% (Pot 1) to the Direct Component to be split equally among the five Gulf Coast States. 
  For Florida’s allocation:
  • 75% will go to the eight disproportionately affected counties along the panhandle from Escambia to Wakulla counties.
  • 25% will go to the 15 non-disproportionately affected Gulf coast counties from Jefferson to Monroe counties.
    • Pinellas County will receive 2.75% of the total amount of Trust Funds coming to Florida estimated at about $10 million to be distributed over a 15-year period ending in 2032. Details on how Pinellas County is proceeding with this funding allocation can be found at RESTORE Act.

• 30% (Pot 2) to the Council–Selected Restoration Component for the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to develop and implement the Comprehensive Plan to restore the ecosystem and economy of the Gulf Coast region. These funds are applicable to all five states.

• 30% (Pot 3) to the Spill Impact Component divided among the five Gulf Coast States. In Florida, the Gulf Consortium composed of 23 Gulf Coast county representatives is developing a State Expenditure Plan .

• 2.5% (Pot 4) for the Research, Observation, and Monitoring Component for expenditures among all five states by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Gulf Restoration Science Progra .

• 2.5% (Pot 5) for the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Component whereby a Center of Excellence will be established for each of the five states.  For Florida, one-fifth of the allocation (0.5%) is for the Florida Institute of Oceanography to administer competitive grants.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Sea Grant and the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative responded to five common questions from tourists about the aftermath of the oil spill.

• Answers to the top 5 frequently asked question about the deepwater Horizon oil spill .
  • Is Gulf seafood safe to eat?
  • What are the impacts to wildlife?
  • What cleanup techniques were used, and how were they implemented?
  • Where did the oil go and where is it now?
  • Do dispersants make it unsafe to swim in the water?