A month after Deepwater Horizon explosion, oil keeps flowing

Today marks one month since the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The accident caused a massive fire that killed eleven workers. And days later, the rig capsized and sank. Ever since, an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil have been gushing into the Gulf every day. (That’s a minimum, according to BP: Many observers think the rate is much, much higher.) Three companies are being held responsible: BP owns the well, Transocean owned the rig and Halliburton was contracted to run certain rig services. Over the past month, we’ve seen the executives from those three companies pass the blame around on Capitol Hill, we’ve heard leading politicians change their stance on offshore drilling, and we’ve learned of innovative technologies that have been used to try to plug the leak and clean up the spill (with little success).

Just before the disaster, we talked with Frances Coleman, the editorial page editor for Alabama’s Mobile Press Register. At the time, she supported President Obama’s position on offshore drilling. We talk with her again today for a review of the events over the past month and to see if her position has changed.