Disasters

"Transocean  is the world’s largest offshore drilling company, but until its Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in April, few Americans outside the energy business had heard of it. It is well known, however, in a number of other countries — for testing local laws and regulations."

"New Orleans, which managed to escape the oil from the BP spill for more than two months, can't hide any longer. For the first time since the accident, oil from the ruptured well is seeping into Lake Pontchartrain."

"Oily beaches and lost livelihoods are the visible effects of the massive well leaking into the Gulf Coast. But consequences that are harder to spot are starting to get more attention now, like the need for mental health care."

"Waste Management on Wednesday began dumping oil-coated materials from Mississippi coast beaches into the Pecan Grove landfill, which it is permitted to do, but which is an activity local officials are against."

Workers on the massive project to clean oil from Prince William sound after the Exxon Valdez spill two decades ago are struggling with severe health problems. CNN investigates whether Gulf oil spill cleanup workers face the same fate.

"HOUSTON — To hear the people at Baker Hughes tell it, a drill string — length after length of narrow pipe that can extend for miles into the earth — is far from a rigid assembly of high-strength steel. It is more like a wet noodle."

"Less than four months after President Barack Obama took office, his new administration received a forceful warning about the dangers of offshore oil drilling."

"The Gulf of Mexico oil spill has sparked a lobbying rush as companies involved in drilling seek help navigating new policies and influencing ones under development."

"The nearest glob of leaked oil is more than 800 miles away from this spot, where low buildings and the tang of dead shellfish hug a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. But for all the crying that BP's spill in the Gulf of Mexico has caused at W.E. Kellum seafood, it may as well be seeping under the door."

"In the 77 days since oil from the ruptured Deepwater Horizon began to gush into the Gulf of Mexico, BP has skimmed or burned about 60 percent of the amount it promised regulators it could remove in a single day."