Spill in the Gulf of Mexico reaches Florida

Tar balls that have washed up on the Florida coastline are undergoing tests to work out if they are from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil has already made landfall in three other US states and it is feared the impact of the spill will have far reaching consequences to the delicate ecosystems on land and under water.

The leak has been contained somewhat by BP over the last few days and the quantity of oil escaping has lessened. But, the amount of oil that leaked from the well is proving extremely difficult to clean up due to the huge quantity of the leak.

Spill collection vessels are continuing to use inflatable booms across the surface of the sea to collect the oil but recent aerial pictures show the enormity of the task that they are facing.

Meanwhile, US President Barak Obama has set up a commission to investigate the spill and investigate industry practices in the hope that a similar disaster can be averted in the future.

BP plan to pump large quantities of mud into the well to close it altogether, but it seems the damage is already done.