Transocean Deepwater Horizon Drilling Rig Oil Slick, Gulf of Mexico, USA

Transocean Deepwater Horizon Drilling Rig Oil Slick, Gulf of Mexico, USA, originally uploaded by DigitalGlobe-Imagery.

This is a 2.4 multispectral satellite view by http://www.digitalglobe.com/ taken on 4/26 of the oil slick after the explosion at Transocean Deepwater Horizon Drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and the attempted clean up. CNN is reporting that the Coast Guard estimates approximately 1.6 million gallons has spilled since the explosion.

CNN is now reporting that it is now starting to hit the Gulf Coast in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi and that fishing and tourism will come to a halt in many areas. The article also indicated that Environmentalist Richard Charter of the Defenders of Wildlife organization said the extent of the damage the spill caused could impact the area for decades.

See the full article at http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/01/louisiana.oil.spill/index.html