Oil Reaches Louisiana Coast As Obama Halts New Offshore Drilling

As the first slicks of oil from the well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico reached the Louisiana coastline, the Obama administration and the oil giant, BP, were scrambling to contain what could become one of the largest oil spills in U.S. history. David Axelrod, a top adviser to President Obama, announced that the administration would halt all new offshore drilling until it investigates the cause of the blowout of the Deepwater Horizon rig, from which 210,000 gallons are gushing daily into the Gulf of Mexico. Experts said the spill could eventually dwarf the spill from the Exxon Valdez tanker in Alaska in 1989 and derail an Obama administration proposal to expand offshore oil drilling as part of sweeping climate and energy legislation. Thinner portions of the spill, which now covers hundreds of square miles, began reaching fragile wetlands at the mouth of the Mississippi River early Friday, and thicker sections of the slick are expected to wash ashore over the weekend, threatening seabirds, wildlife, and the thriving Gulf shrimp, oyster, and fish industries. The deep well blowout could continue for weeks, creating massive environmental damage and a public relations disaster for the oil industry. The chairman of BP acknowledged Friday that the spill could have a major impact on the decision about whether to expand offshore oil drilling in the U.S.