Disaster

Oil Spill Much Bigger Than Thought

Another leak caused five times the mess.

With the discovery of another leak sending oil rushing into the Gulf of Mexico, the oil spill threatening the waters of Louisiana is five times as big as previously thought. The amount of oil leaking into the water is 5,000 barrels a day, not 1,000, according to the Coast Guard battling the spill. The company responsible for the rig, British Petroleum, denies the new estimate. Eleven workers are missing from the BP oil rig and are thought dead. Officials tell say that the leak could hit Louisiana by week's end. One environmental group said the spill could surpass the amount oil that was leaked in the Exxon Valdez disaster. According to The Wall Street Journal, crews began setting the oil on fire Wednesday to control environmental damage.