Another Oil Rig Explodes in the Gulf

It was just reported that another oil rig has exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. Thankfully, CNN is reporting that thirteen people have been accounted for, with one person injured. The rig, owned by Mariner Energy was not currently producing, and so this explosion will not result in hundreds of millions of gallons of oil being spewed into the Gulf.

UPDATE: The Coast Guard is now reporting that "a mile-long oil sheen is spreading from the site off an offshore petroleum platform that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana." This may be worse than we originally reported.

Just five months ago, the Deepwater Horizon explosion killed 11 workers and the disaster led to the largest off-shore oil spill in U.S. history. Though today’s explosion may not further pollute the waters off the shore of Louisiana, much of the oil from the BP explosion is still in the Gulf. Today’s accident should serve as a reminder of the risks that offshore drilling presents, and that the victims of the BP oil spill have only just begun to recover.

Earlier this week we released the trailer for our upcoming documentary Crude Justice: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and the Search for Justice.

Shot on location in Louisiana, the film explores the damage done by the unimaginable environmental calamity to the lives and livelihoods of the people who depend on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico for their income, their food, and the continuation of their culture. The 15-minute documentary will look at the difficulties ordinary people face in finding fair compensation and a secure future for their families in the face of corporate domination of the courts, statutes favoring big business, judges with ties to the oil and gas industries, and the uncertainties that accompany an incident where the long-term effects may not be known for years.

We hope that you will take a moment to watch the Crude Justice trailer and think about the long road ahead for the victims of the BP oil spill.