'Ocean Saratoga': A second leaking oil well?
A second rig may be spewing crude into the Gulf of Mexico. How concerned should we be?
There's a "new" oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, according the federal government. The second, much smaller leak, originating from the Ocean Saratoga rig only 40 miles from the Deepwater Horizon spill, has reportedly been releasing small amounts of oil — about a half-barrel per day — into Gulf waters since 2004, when the well was damaged by Hurricane Ivan. (The rig's owner, Diamond Offshore, denies the existence of a leak.) This report proves we need "public, transparent monitoring everywhere offshore drilling is going on in U.S. waters," says John Amos, president of Skytruth.org, a nonprofit environmental group. Maybe so, says Michael Reilly in Discovery News, but keep in mind that a "million-plus barrels of oil" flow naturally into the sea every year. So, let's not blow this out of proportion. Watch video of the Ocean Saratoga oil slick:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
6 elegant Queen Anne Victorian homes
Feature Featuring original diamond-glass doors in New York and a registered historic landmark in Arkansas
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC