An aerial photo shows the oil beginning to penetrate the marshlands of the Louisiana coast. The affected plant life will die off completely, erasing valuable wildlife habitat. It will take decades, at best, to restore these areas to their former fertility. (AP Photo/ Gerald Herbert)
- An aerial photo shows the oil beginning to penetrate the marshlands of the Louisiana coast. The affected plant life will die off completely, erasing valuable wildlife habitat. It will take decades, at best, to restore these areas to their former fertility. (AP Photo/ Gerald Herbert)
- This absorbent boom was supposed to soak up the oil and prevent it from reaching the grasses of the Louisiana coastal marshland. Tides, winds and waves make booms like these only marginally effective. This photo was taken on June 19th. (AP Photo/ Patrick Semansky)
- These brown pelican chicks show evidence of oil staining. They may survive if they are not contaminated further. (AP Photo, Derick E. Hingle)
- The oil on the gulf waters is so thick in some places that the ocean can be set on fire to try to burn off some of the oil. This photo was taken on June 16. (AP Photo, Dave Martin)
- Oil floating in the gulf waters from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig spill. (AP Photo, Press-Register, G.M. Andrews)
- This bird will not survive landing in what it thought was the ocean. Thick black oil continues to wash up on the beaches of Louisiana. Photo taken on June 3rd. (AP Photo/ Charlie Riedel)
- The BP gulf oil spill is also responsible for killing fish. These were collected from a large fish die-off on the shores of Barataria Bay in Louisiana. They were being stored in aluminum foil by state wildlife officials, presumably for testing. This photo was taken on June 15th. (AP Photo/ Gerald Herbert)
- Thick, goopy oil is making its way past the protective barrier booms and finding its way to the marshes and beaches of the Louisiana coastline from the leaking BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Photo from June 20th. (AP Photo/ Patrick Semansky)
- As waves and winds drive the oil deeper into the marshes, it will kill all the plants that it contacts. This will leave the marsh subject to rapid erosion and permanent destruction. The oil from BP gulf oil spill is expected to keep gushing from the well through August at the very least. (AP Photo/ Patrick Semansky)
- Republican Congressman Steve Scalise of Louisiana expresses his outrage while holding a picture of the brown pelican, the state bird of Louisiana, during congressional hearings on the cause of the BP gulf oil spill. (AP Photo/ Haraz N. Ghanbari)
- Oil washing up on the shore of Queen Bess Island in Plaquemines Parrish in Louisiana. Protective booms are doing little to protect the sensitive shorelands from the effects of the BP gulf oil spill. (AP Photo/ Gerald Herbert)
- The wake of this ship reveals a bit of water amidst the oil leaking from the damaged BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Tens of thousands of gallons are still leaking into the gulf every day. (AP Photo/ Charlie Neibergall)
- A still unmarred bird flies over thick oil off East Grand Terre Island in Louisiana. If it touches down in the thick mess, it will surely die. (AP Photo/ Charlie Riedel)
- Absorbent booms have been unable to stop oil from reaching the marshlands of Louisiana from the BP gulf oil spill. These booms have been tossed about and tangled by tides, waves and wind. (AP Photo/ Patrick Semansky)
- This dolphin surfaces near an oil slick in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. Dolphins, sea turtles and whales have been turning up dead in the area. Testing is underway to determine if it is directly related to toxic oil or chemical dispersants being used by BP to combat the oil spill in the gulf. (AP Photo/ Charlie Niebergall)
- An underwater camera shows that the oil is still gushing into the gulf at the rate of millions of gallons per day despite the cap being used by BP to help contain and siphon the oil to the surface.
- This bird was firmly mired in oil along the beach at East Grand Terre Island in Louisiana. (AP Photo/ Charlie Riedel)
- These birds made the mistake of landing on the beach at East Grand Terre Island on June 3rd. Both are almost certain to die despite and rescue attempts. Small birds have a low survival rate even if they are cleaned after being coated in oil. Larger-bodied birds like the pelican shown in the back of this picture are better able to withstand the toxicity and the cleaning process, but many will still not survive. (AP Photo/ Charlie Semansky)
- This is the orange or caramel colored remnants of partially broken down oil. Haley Barbour says this stuff is not so bad and the damage from the BP gulf oil spill is being over-hyped. (AP Photo, Gerald Herbert)
- This photo shows that the beaches of Louisiana are fine. Just remember to bring a shovel and a bucket for the kids. Clearly, asking BP to set aside sufficient funds to reimburse those damaged by this gulf oil spill and to pay for clean-up efforts represents an unwarranted shake-down. Should taxpayers foot the bill for the gulf oil spill mitigation efforts until things can be sorted out in the courts years from now? (AP Photo/ Patrick Semansky)
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