BP Caps Leak, Oil Flow Into Gulf Stopped

AP Photo/BP PLC

A story with only tangential connections to our area but a story we've followed all the same: 86 days after the disaster began, BP announced this afternoon they have successfully capped the oil guhser and that no more oil is spilling into the Gulf of Mexico. The oil company is now testing the integrity of the well, measuring the pressure to see if the well can be shut with cement next month. If pressure in the well is below a certain threshold, it means oil could be leaking from elsewhere and the company will have to begin a new search. BP Vice President Kent Wells said, "I'm very pleased that there's no oil going in the Gulf of Mexico, in fact I'm excited that there's no oil going in the Gulf of Mexico. Where I'm holding back my emotion is we're just starting the test. I don't want to create a false sense of excitement." And now the massive clean-up effort of the devastated region, will continue in earnest.