April 16, 2014 — BP says it’s so, now round up the party favors: The cleanup efforts to wipe away all memory of the 2010 oil spill that lasted 85 days and sullied some 778 miles of Gulf of Mexico shore when the company’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded is, after exhausting $14 billion and 70 million man-hours, officially over.
Never mind that the U.S. Coast Guard, which has been partnering with and monitoring BP in the cleanup effort, is far from through. What do they know?
The statement from John Minge, BP America’s chairman and president: “Reaching this milestone is the result of the extraordinary efforts of thousands of people from BP, local communities, government agencies and academic institutions working together. Immediately following the Deepwater Horizon accident, BP committed to cleaning the shoreline and supporting the Gulf’s economic and environmental recovery. Completing active cleanup is further indication that we are keeping that commitment.”
But The Hill reports that BP didn’t consult with Coast Guard officials prior to making its announcement. Though the first phase of the shoreline remediation plan has been completed, Coast Guard Capt. Thomas Sparks, the federal coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon Response Team, said the cleanup efforts are merely transitioning to a “Middle Response” phase, in which the focus will now be more tailored to “re-oiling” events and more fine-tuned cleanup using more technologically advanced equipment and specialized staff.