Deepwater spill will soon be invisible but could linger beneath the surface for decadesImages from the Gulf of Mexico suggest a once vast expanse of oil is breaking up so rapidly it may soon be invisible to satellite photography. But scientists warned today that underwater plumes of oil could linger for a year or even decades.One hundred days after the explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon, the US moved into a new phase in its response to the country's worst environmental disaster today.John Amos, president of SkyTruth, an environmental satellite organisation, said the slick was "breaking up in more isolated patches. In the next few days, if there are no new oil leaks, we expect those patches to break down so that we can't see them in satellite images."Amid the relatively good news about the slick, the justice department has stepped up its criminal investigation of BP and two other companies and is assembling a "BP squad" in New Orleans, the Washington Post reported.In Washington, House and Senate Democrats have introduced bills to toughen government oversight of offshore drilling and make oil companies more responsible for damage caused by spills.The House version of the bill could see BP shut out of future offshore drilling projects in the US, with a proposed ban on new drilling for oil companies that have had more than 10 deaths offshore. The Senate bill came as a huge disappointment to businesses and environmental organisations, which had hoped the spill would give a boost to climate change legislation. It provides only a token bow to climate change in incentives for
electric cars.In the Gulf, SkyTruth, which had warned early on that the spill was far greater than BP's estimates, said the total area covered by the oil slick was significantly reduced."It appears to be on its way out – at least the stuff we can see floating on the surface, " said Amos. "We don't see any obvious new oil coming to the surface at the site of the well and that is a good ...
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