ABSTRACT
On 20 April 2010, there was an explosion of gas on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig of massive dimensions. Eleven oil workers were killed, and as the explosion created a huge leak in the drill pipeline, millions of gallons of crude oil were spilt into the Gulf of Mexico, creating the worst environmental disaster in US history. On 5 February 2015, BP agreed to a $20.8 billion civil claims settlement with US federal and state authorities over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster, with $8.1 billion of the funds designated for coastal wetlands and marine mammals as part of a 15-year Gulf of Mexico restoration programme. The goals of this programme focus on wildlife, habitat, water quality and recreational activities. BP had a scarcely concealed appalling health and safety record. This record included a 2005 explosion at its Texas City oil refinery which caused 15 deaths and injured 180 people.
