Psy 460 - Bp Oil Spill Congressional Hearing Analysis

Analysis of a Congressional Hearing

The After Affects of the BP Oil Spill

PSY/460

February 6,2012

Simone F. Senhouse, PhD

The After Affects of the BP Oil Spill

Most experience disasters through movies, books, news broadcasts and newspapers that often paint a picture demonstrating heroism and giving us glimpses of lives and events of real life drama as it unfolds. However; rarely do we see the long term effects such as social and mental disorders associated with the prolonged exposure splashed across the headlines and screens. Although the effects of a disaster appear to be almost instantaneous the initial impact is not the end of the impact felt by all. All too often the long range effects on wildlife, economy, ecology, health and more importantly the psychology of those affected is forgotten or left by the wayside as they tend to lose that luster so desired by our media hounds.

A shining example of this type of response can be seen in the BP Oil Spill. This manmade disaster affected thousands of individuals and businesses in the Gulf Coast region as well as creating a cascade affect in ecological, healthcare and economical stability throughout the United States. Like ripples created in a pond when a tiny pebble is thrown in the after affects; experienced by the individual as well as the communities; generated from the original event are similar though they may be experienced at lesser degrees nationwide.

The BP Oil Spill news reads like a Steven Segal movie script. It begins on a beautiful spring day (April 20th) with a failed preventer and ends with mass destruction of the surrounding environment and a way of life for those live in the Gulf area. According to the timeline published by the Guardian; a website produced by Guardian Research out of the UK; the environmental disaster began with the failure of a man made blowout preventer. Its sole purpose is to prevent crude oil from escaping the pipeline in the event of mechanical failure or damage to the rig (Guardian, 2010).

After the preventer failed the rig capsized and sank an amazing 5,000 feet and produces an oil slick five miles long in the Gulf of Mexico. By April 25th the search for survivors is suspended as the realization that the blow out preventer has failed and is now spewing approximately 1,000 barrels of crude into the ocean per day. With no seemingly intelligent ideas left the Coast Guard is charged with setting fire to the oil in order to slow its expansion and the MMS plans for two relief wells to stop the leak. On April 27th the US Government recognizes the potential impact and releases this statement “Release of crude oil, natural gas and diesel fuel poses a high risk of environmental contamination in the Gulf of Mexico (Guardian, 2010).”