Bp Oil Spill Research Paper

The BP oil spill happened on April 20, 2010, when a major explosion ripped through the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and dumped an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The explosion killed 11 workers, injured 17 others, and has been dubbed, “the worst environmental disaster in America’s History” (Center 224). The public relations efforts from the BP team were textbook and timely, but the only downfall was the one spokesperson they decided to use, BP CEO Tony Hayward. BP installed marine protection booms along the coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida to keep the oil from getting too far inland. The company also utilized robots and submarines to activate a shut-off switch on the well, coordinated …show more content…
Although he went to the oil spill site to help coordinate the company’s clean-up efforts, his verbal gaffes lacked empathy and harmed BP more than it helped. First, he upset Gulf residents by saying the spill was just a tiny drop in a “very big ocean,” and that “the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to have been very, very modest.” Next, when adding to the “massive disruption” to the lives of Gulf residents, he added, “There’s no one who wants this thing over more than I do. You know, I’d like my life back.” President Obama condemned Hayward and stated that he’d fire him if he were his employee. Also, Haywards lack of compliance when compromising with the Congressional Committee was seen as “tired” and “rather bored.” Another jaw-dropping action that Hayward did was going on a yachting trip around Britain’s Isle of Wight during the oil spill crisis. British celebrity publicist Max Clifford commented, “Either he’s being deliberately steered in to becoming the most demonized man in the world, or the man has got absolutely no clue about public relations and public perception.” On July 27, less than two weeks after BP capped the Gulf leak, BP announced that Hayward would be replaced as CEO by Mississippi native Robert Dudley, effective October 1,

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