Via the Associated Press: U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier is expected to hear opening arguments today in the trial surrounding 2010 Gulf Oil Spill.
BP has said it already has racked up more than $24 billion in spill-related expenses and has estimated it will pay a total of $42 billion to fully resolve its liability for the disaster that killed 11 workers and spewed millions of gallons of oil.
But the trial attorneys for the federal government and Gulf states and private plaintiffs hope to convince the judge that the company is liable for much more.
Regardless, the damages to the habitat and environment from the 4.9 million gallons of crude oil are still being documented and studied. Early indications, however, paint a grim picture for Gulf wildlife. And its true impact may not be known for years to come.
We’ll post more as the trial unfolds. But in the meantime, here’s a telling infographic from the National Wildlife Federation — 1,000 days since the spill:
riseandtide.com 