On April 20th, land in the Gulf of Mexico was dramatically affected by a large oil spill off its coast.  Recent reports state that millions of gallons of crude oil have been released into the water. Owned by BP, The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig located 50 miles offshore, was hit with an explosion. This tragedy has placed great strain on families closely impacted. With 11 of BP’s employees still missing, the area’s fishing industry hindered, and affected wildlife in the Gulf’s perimeters, people want answers and results.

The CEO of BP, Tony Hayward, quickly addressed the media stating, “We will absolutely be paying for the cleanup operation. There is no doubt about that. It’s our responsibility — we accept it fully.” If the CEO and employees of BP hadn’t made it clear they will pay for all damages, including those involving the family of the missing employees, President Obama reiterated the statement, claiming that BP is soley responsible and they will pay for the damages.

Officials released that due to the pipeline rupture, oil will continue to spill into the Gulf of Mexico for another week at least. BP has assured they are working as fast as possible to fix the rupture located 50,000 feet below sea level, but installation of a device to capture the oil will take some time.