Ninety-five percent of the oil
spilled in Louisiana during hurricanes Katrina and Rita has been
removed, evaporated or dissipated, according to the Federal Emergency
Management Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.
The U.S. Coast Guard, which has led the oil recovery effort, has
recovered nearly 3.9 million gallons of oil. More than 4 million gallons
of oil has either evaporated or dissipated naturally, according to FEMA.
About 404,000 gallons of oil, or 5 percent of the oil spilled, remains
to be removed, according to FEMA.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Louisiana DEQ are
evaluating the environmental impact of the spill.
With more than 9 million gallons of oil spilled in Louisiana, the
disaster approaches the magnitude of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1992,
in which a tanker ran aground in Alaska, releasing 11 million gallons of
oil, according to FEMA.