In 2004, mudslides caused by Hurricane Ivan sank oil production platforms owned by Taylor Energy. These oil wells still haven’t been capped and have been slowly leaking oil into the Gulf for the last 14 years.

The site, which sits 12 miles off the coast of Louisiana, has been spilling between 10,000 and 30,000 gallons, or between 300 and 700 barrels, of oil per day. At this rate, the Taylor spill is set to bypass BP’s Deepwater Horizon as the worst offshore environmental disaster ever.

“This is one of those dirty little stories that has been hidden for too long,” John Amos, founder of the nonprofit environmental watchdog group SkyTruth, told CNN. He added that area locals have known what’s happening for years, but the spill never managed to gain national attention.

“That’s the problem with these chronic, slow-moving things. They don’t slap you in the face like the BP oil spill did.”






[link to nypost.com (secure)]