Before deepwater drilling, the Gulf was a 'Dead Sea' — VOICES for REASONVOICES for REASON

To me, the most interesting part of a recent New York Times feature describing corruption in the relationship between certain oil companies and the Minerals and Management Service is a passing reference to what the Gulf Coast was like before deepwater drilling.

For years, fading interest in the Gulf of Mexico had punished the local economy and left Louisiana to mourn its “Dead Sea.” Now, rising oil prices and new technology were setting off the deep-water version of a gold rush.

We have heard endless stories about how the oil spill has “ruined” the Gulf–the same Gulf the administration is now admitting it is already safe to eat from. But while the dangers of drilling accidents have been overblown, the fundamentally productive, life-giving nature of oil drilling has been largely evaded. We should remember that it was oil drilling that brought the “Dead Sea” to life.

Image: Wikimedia Commons