The Gulf Oil Spill, Two Years Later By Debra Atlas Two years
have passed since Deepwater Horizon, the environmental disaster
that coated the Gulf of Mexico in oil. The huge oil slicks are
gone, as are the heart-wrenching pictures of dying seabirds and
littered wetlands. Commercial and recreational fishing has
resumed and beaches look pristine once more. Chris Macaluso,
Coastal Outreach Coordinator for the Louisiana Wildlife
Federation, says there is a misunderstanding that folks should
stay away from Louisiana because everything is covered in oil.
You can go to public beaches or go boating, and you will not see
the effects of the crude. There are areas where there are a lot
of good fish, and last year was a good duck hunting season.
“There are a lot of places, really good recreational
opportunities, that we want people to come and take advantage
of,” says Macaluso. Yet much is unresolved in this large,
ecologically diverse area that was the site of environmental
mayhem two years ago. And while some beaches do