Monday marks five years since the Deepwater Horizon Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
The explosion killed eleven people and led to the worst oil spill in American history. More than 200 million gallons of oil seeped into the Gulf for months, before the blowout could be capped.
The spill had devastating effects on the environment and economy that still linger today.
Bethany Kraft from the Gulf Restoration Program with the Ocean Conservancy says the road to recovery is a long one.
She told GMNO anchor Anne Cutler, “When the Exxon Valdez happened 26 years ago, we’re still seeing the impact of that.”
“We have a long way to go and the disparity of between economic development and environmental restoration is a little bit troubling when you consider that the health of our economy is linked to our natural resources here on the Gulf Coast.”