GULF DISASTER

Oil Leak Could Last Until Xmas

Four million barrels of oil would be in Gulf.

Suppose we can't really give BP coal in its stocking, can we? Some analysts are predicting that the Gulf oil leak could continue until Christmas, which would mean an estimated 4 million barrels of oil into the Gulf at the current rate of 12,000 to 14,000 barrels leaking a day. That much oil would wipe out all life in the Gulf and completely change the ecosystem, scientists say. And one scientist went further, and said the well may never be capped, leaking oil for over a decade. BP declined to comment on what the company considered the worst-case scenario, but CEO Tony Hayward has said it will take 90 days to stem the leak with a relief well.