Is the Gulf Making a Comeback from the Spill?

In April of 2010, a BP oil rig unsuccessfully sealed a well which leaked oil and methane for 87 straight days. It is known as the worst environmental disaster ever. An estimated 4.2 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf. I remember it. It was a mess. Now, five years later, the question is if the Gulf and its environment is bouncing back or still suffering impacts. BP claims that the Gulf is getting better and reported it has largely recovered. They have not been disproven, but trustees of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment say their claims are not accurate because it is too early to tell if there are any long-lasting impacts. A government official even said that BP only "cherry-picked" the good results and overlooked the negatives. So far, studies show a balance in positive recoveries and negative impacts. The fishing industry is seeing normal amounts again and the FDA's tests on the seafood show no excess hydrocarbons. An ocean conservationist, Cousteau, saw a bounty of sharks and other marine life, but noticed a dolphin struggling. There has been reports of dolphins dying very fast, but that actually was said to have started before the oil spill. Thousands of sea turtles were exposed to the oil, but so far, nobody knows the overall impact on them. An oceanographer, Mandy Joye, has studied where the oil went and states that it is distributed in patches over more than 1,200 square miles of sea floor. BP countered by saying that they cleaned up all of their oil except in two spots: a two kilometer radius around the oil well  and in tar mats and balls that have not been cleaned up on the beaches.

From what I gathered, it is too early to tell anything. There are so many results for both sides of the argument of if the Gulf is getting better or still suffering impacts. But I do have a problem with how BP is handling it. The "BIG" company says everything is alright and there is no need to worry. I feel like very major corporation says this whenever there are negative statements against them. Look at the smoking companies who say smoking is not bad for you. Science says it is though. In this case, science hasn't said the BP is wrong, but they are still pretty eager to cover their butts. I would trust the facts from conservationists, who aren't multi-billion dollar businesses, much sooner than I would the facts of a multi-billion dollar business.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/14/us/gulf-oil-spill-unknowns/index.html