SOUTHERN LOUISIANA

Between April 20 and July 15, 2010, a generally accepted estimate of nearly 5 million barrels (200 million gallons) of crude oil emerged from the wellhead drilled into the seafloor by BP from the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. Even though the flow of oil has been stopped, the impact of all the spilled oil and natural gas is still being measured. The spill has caused extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats as well as the Gulf's fishing and tourism industries.The fishing ban has been devastating to a region known for its seafood. Louisiana's 1.6 million acres of public oyster beds, and more than half of its 400,000 privately leased acres, are off limits. Hundreds of fishermen have stopped fishing and shrimping and the season, which typically run from May to July, is lost. Processors have shut down. Gulf restaurants have closed. More than 27.000 jobs are at risk.Life in the Mississippi Delta has already changed.