HARRY R. WEBER and SETH BORENSTEIN
Associated Press Writers
HOUSTON – New numbers showing the amount of oil gushing from a well in the Gulf of Mexico may be double as much as previously thought means the crude is likely to travel farther away, threatening more birds, fish and other wildlife that call the fragile waters their home, scientists said Friday.
The new figures could mean about 40 million gallons to more than 100 million gallons of oil have already fouled the Gulf’s delicate ecosystem and are affecting people who live, work and play along the coast from Louisiana to Florida – and perhaps beyond.
More oil means the giant gooey cloud can spread out over a greater distance, having far worse consequences for the environment, said Paul Montagna, a marine biologist at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi.