Oil Spill Work Halted Due to Bonnie

With Tropical Storm Bonnie brewing in the Bahamas, the Gulf oil spill relief efforts have been halted temporarily as the storm could pose a significant risk to the resue efforts.

This is just one setback in a series of many disruptions and errors that have delayed the efforts to permanently stop the leak in the Deepwater Horizon well, which has been spilling oil since the explosion rocked the Gulf on April 20, 2010.

 U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said the storm could reach the Gulf of Mexico by Saturday. Experts are concerned that the hurricane season, which includes tropical storms like Bonnie, could cause more environmental damage to the Gulf as the powerful winds and waves would push the oil deeper into the wetlands and estuaries and further slicking up surrounding beaches.

This concern is so great that work on the oil spill cap has stopped after ships from around the region were ordered to evacuate before the Tropical Storm Bonnie hit. Experts were debating about reopening the cap when the storm comes passing through but for now, they believe the cap is strong enough to withhold the power of the storm. Currently, the cap still remains closed even though work to plug the well permanently with cement has stopped.

Tags: oil spill, tropical storm bonnie