British oil giant BP has agreed to compensate thousands of victims but many key issues remain unresolved.
It was the worst oil spill in US history.
Over the course of 87 days, nearly five million barrels of crude oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in April 2010.
Over the course of 87 days, nearly five million barrels of crude oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in April 2010.
The impact on the environment was devastating - both for the people living along the coastline of the Gulf states as well as for the $3bn fishing industry there.
| "All along the way BP has done the right thing, has stepped up to the plate. To their credit and to the credit of [all those involved] one will find that everybody gets compensated in a fair manner. It's not that BP has unlimited resources to provide … this was a mistake. This was accidental. This was not purposeful action on their part." - Randa Fahmy Hudome, a former Halliburton representative |
Late last week, the British oil giant BP agreed to pay out an estimated $7.8bn to settle a lawsuit with more than a 120,000 victims of the disaster.
And, whatever the outcome some important issues still remain unanswered.
Firstly, the health impact of the chemical dispersants - more than eight million litres - that were used to break up the oil spill is still unknown.
Secondly, there is the environmental damage. While the oil may have visibly cleared from the Gulf, it may be years before ecologists know the full impact of the spill.
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