Sign In
Not register? Register Now!
Pages:
1 page/≈275 words
Sources:
1 Source
Style:
APA
Subject:
Law
Type:
Case Study
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 4.32
Topic:

Drilling for Oil in the Arctic Offshore

Case Study Instructions:

Read the following case study and respond to the question below.
In April 2010, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, killing 11 workers and spewing four million barrels of light crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. It was the largest oil spill in U.S. history and ranked among the top 10 world’s worst human-caused environmental disasters. Approximately 47,000 square miles, or one-fifth of the total area of the Gulf, was affected, as well as beaches and coastal marshes. Before it was finally contained three months later, the spill killed hundreds of sea turtles, sea birds, and marine mammals, in addition to countless fish. BP worked with the U.S. Coast Guard and other government agencies to contain the damage. BP ended active clean-up operation in November 2011 and is now focusing on restoring areas damaged by the spill.
Effects of the spill on the ecosphere and animal life will not be known for years, although recovery has been faster than expected. Hundreds of people, including fishers, shrimpers, and workers in the tourism industry, were out of work as a result of the spill. BP set up a $20 billion fund to compensate victims of the spill. Disputes overcompensation are still ongoing (1).
The explosion causing the spill occurred on April 20, 2010. On April 30, the U.S. Justice Department banned new drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. President Barack Obama used the authority granted to the president by the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Land Act, to withdraw all the Chukchi Sea and the majority of the Beaufort Sea in the Arctic from future oil and gas drilling. (2)
The Trump administration has opened up the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic U.S. coastal areas to oil and gas drilling. Environmentalists argue that it would be difficult or almost impossible to contain an oil spill in the Arctic because of the area's remoteness, the ice cover, and the lack of daylight during the winter months.
Question: Should we be drilling for oil in the Arctic offshore?
Sources
The Guardian. 2010. Deepwater Horizon: US Bans New Drilling in Gulf of Mexico. https://www(dot)theguardian(dot)com/environment/2010/apr/30/oil-spill-reaches-us-coastline
Instructions
Use the Case Study Assignment Template to do the following:
-Describe the relevant facts of the case.
-Clarify concepts relevant to the case.
-Apply a moral standard to the case.
-Articulate a conclusion to the stated question.

Case Study Sample Content Preview:
Drilling for Oil in the Arctic Offshore
Facts
* The April 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion was the largest oil spill in the history of the U.S. and among the top 10 world’s worst anthropogenic environmental disasters.
* The spill killed hundreds of marine mammals, sea birds, sea turtles, and countless fish rendering fishers, shrimpers, and workers in the tourism sector jobless.
* While BP had set $20 billion for victim compensation, active clean-up ended in November 2011, and disputes over compensation are still in progress.
* The U.S Justice Department banned drilling activities in the Gulf of Mexico on April 30, 2010, and through the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Land Act, U.S. President Barack Obama withdrew gas drilling in Arctic oil and gas drilling in the Chukchi Sea and the Beaufort Sea.
* In spite of the previous bans, the Trump administration reopened oil and gas drilling at the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic coastal areas in the U.S.
* According to environmentalists, it is difficult to contain oil spills in the Arctic due to the ice cover, remoteness, and lack of daylight in the winter months.
Relevant Concepts
The Arctic offshores are largely remote, have dense ice cover, and lack daylight during winter. A...
Updated on
Get the Whole Paper!
Not exactly what you need?
Do you need a custom essay? Order right now:

👀 Other Visitors are Viewing These APA Case Study Samples:

HIRE A WRITER FROM $11.95 / PAGE
ORDER WITH 15% DISCOUNT!