Gulf Oil Spill Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen finally said what millions along the Gulf Coast have been waiting to hear; The BP well that polluted the Gulf of Mexico with 5 million barrels of oil is dead. The official announcement came on Sunday, 2 days after the relief well, which was started on May 2, reached the casing of the blown-out Macondo oil well responsible for the worst oil spill disaster in American history.

“The gusher was contained  in mid-July after a temporary cap was successfully fitted atop the well. Mud and cement were later pushed down through the top of the well, allowing the cap to be removed. But the well could not be declared dead until a relief well was drilled so that the ruptured well could be sealed from the bottom, ensuring it never causes a problem again. The relief well intersected the blown-out well Thursday, and crews started pumping in the cement on Friday.”

The disaster began on April 20, 2010 when a gas bubble pushed its way to the surface of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig and caused an explosion that took eleven lives.

The rig burned for two days before it sank into the Gulf of Mexico and the Macondo well began gushing, 5,000 feet below the surface. It took nearly three months to get a temporary cap on the deep-water monster, and another 2 months to finally declare it dead.

The incident leaves behind significant damage to Louisiana wetlands, thousands of dead birds, endangered species turtles, dolphins, whales and an uncertain future for the Gulf fishing industry. The long-term effects of oil dispersed with 2 million gallons of Corexit is unknown. However, based on studies done on the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound in Alaska, it is likely that there has been permanent damage to some species of wildlife and the ecosystem.

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