The BP chief executive, once America's most-hated man, whined, "I want my life back" –and seemed to get it. But now it looks like the feds are eyeing Tony Hayward for possible manslaughter charges related to the 22 deaths that ultimately resulted from the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Still, the gaffe-prone Brit might skate by. Lately, Hayward's been reported to be in talks to create an investment fund with financier Nathaniel Rothschild.
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Retired U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen has saved the day on many occasions. President George W. Bush assigned him to direct the federal response to Hurricane Katrina and head the disaster relief effort. After 9/11, he was the Coast Guard chief of staff in charge of tightening port security. And most recently, Allen was "national incident commander" of the BP oil spill, responsible for organizing the public cleanup effort—from the states to the U.S. government. As the media and environmentalists turned to him for answers on the spill's impact, he became a key voice in the Obama administration on behalf of the disaster. In an interview last week Allen said, "Politics is like the weather. You have to account for it, and it might get in the way of your work, but you can't stop the rain from falling." Allen is a senior fellow at RAND Corp., teaches at George Washington University, and is working on a book about the BP disaster response.
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The moratorium on deepwater drilling was lifted in October, but for the oilmen who need the work, the return has been too little and too late. A Louisiana State University economist says the local oil business has shed 13,000 jobs. But the White House says oil workers have their bosses to blame for their being out of work; it recently released a report claiming that two-thirds of the Gulf of Mexico's oil and gas leases are sitting idle. More oil rigs are pumping nationwide than were running during the Bush years.
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Doug Suttles worked at BP for more than 22 years and led technical efforts to plug up the company's leaking well during the oil spill. While other BP executives were scrutinized for being elusive, Suttles was known for being honest about what was really going on under water. After the well was plugged, Suttles admitted that BP's work was far from done, and outlined the dangers of the millions of feet of absorbent boom the company had used to block the well. "This same boom now becomes a risk and a hazard because it can create damage in the marshes, it can wash up on the roads, it can wrap around the docks," Suttles said last August. He announced his retirement from BP on Jan. 12, 2011.
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It's shrimp season again in the Gulf, and the FDA says people should have no fear of grabbing a po' boy or sitting down to a bowl of gumbo. But nearly 85 percent of oyster reefs were lost. Catches of grouper and red snapper remain small. Government scientists have tracked three spikes in dolphin deaths since the gusher. On average, more than one dolphin a day has washed up on the shores of the Gulf in 2011. Whale and dolphin deaths could total 50 times the number of carcasses actually discovered, researchers say.
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Steve Newman continues to the serve as the president and CEO of Transocean, a position he took in March 2010, the month before the oil rig explosion. Newman recently made headlines when he announced that he would donate his safety bonus to the families of the workers on the Deepwater Horizon. His announcement followed a Transocean financial filing that said 2010 was its "best year" for safety. In a statement he said, "Nothing is more important to Transocean than our people, and it was never our intent to diminish the effect the Macondo tragedy has had on those who lost loved ones." Four other executives donated their safety bonuses as well.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP Photo
Oceanographers worry that the spill has harmed the ability of marine life to reproduce, endangering the livelihood of generations of fishermen on the Gulf Coast. Many fishermen believe BP has been negligent in paying restitution. In addition to the $20 billion pledged to the region, BP has promised $500 million for research and to boost local fishing.
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Martin Feldman, a U.S. district Judge in New Orleans, caused controversy in June of last year after overturning Obama's six-month drilling moratorium, when it was revealed that he had ties to a number of offshore drilling companies. He made news again in February 2011, when he ruled that the government defied his initial order, saying, "Each step the government took following the court's imposition of preliminary injunction showcases its defiance."
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Unlike Hurricane Katrina, which was a disaster for Louisiana politicians, the oil spill gave the Gulf's leaders a chance to shine. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour played his "aw shucks" part to the hilt. "Come on down here and play golf," he beckoned. He's a potential 2012 presidential candidate. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, always a comer, took a more alarmist tone, giving constant and detailed updates on his state's distress. Florida's Charlie Crist didn't fare so well: after losing his Senate race, he fled the GOP and is now out of office.
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Remember when the spill was going to be Obama's Katrina? Back then, Peggy Noonan said, "I don't see how you politically survive this." But the spill proved just a small digression, and now it barely ranks on the list of issues threatening his approval ratings. With skyrocketing oil prices, a looming battle over the debt ceiling, and turmoil in the Middle East, the spill is the least of Obama's headaches.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP Photo
The former top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Joe Barton suffered a huge public backlash after apologizing to BP CEO Tony Hayward at a House meeting and saying the company had been the victim of a $20 billion " shakedown." Barton already had a strained relationship with House Speaker John Boehner. (Barton voted against the House's budget compromise last week). Boehner gave the energy committee position to Fred Upton. Since then, Barton has been fighting the GOP power players at home in a state redistricting campaign.
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One of the first professional causalities of the oil spill, Liz Birnbaum stepped down as head of the now-defunct Minerals Management Service on May 27. Despite shedding its most high-profile member, the MMS was split into two agencies by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. As for Birnbaum herself, she is keeping a low profile in Northern Virginia and doing volunteer work with the environment section of the District of Columbia Bar Association.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP Photo
Tasked with distributing BP's $20 billion compensation fund for the victims of the spill, Feinberg has been criticized by the victims, the politicians and most recently, BP itself. While many along the coast have argued for more money, BP has said Feinberg's contributions were too generous. Feinberg says he is optimistic the $20 billion will cover all claims, even though he received 504,000 requests. His office has paid 176,540 of those—35 percent. But unpopularity is nothing new to Feinberg: while he was in charge of the September 11 Victim's Compensation Fund, one widow wrote to him: "I spit on you, and your children."
Rogelio V. Solis / AP Photo
