BP Blowout: Inside the Gulf Oil Disaster

Blowout is the first comprehensive account of the legal, economic, and environmental consequences of the April 2010 blowout at a BP well in the Gulf of Mexico. The accident destroyed the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and killed 11 people. The resulting offshore oil discharge–the largest ever in the United States—polluted much of the Gulf for months, wreaking havoc on its inhabitants. This is an important book for readers interested in the environment, sustainability, public policy, leadership—and the consequences of poor risk. management.

About the Author :
A graduate of Middlebury College, Cambridge University, and Duke Law School, Daniel Jacobs served as lead counsel in high-profile environmental enforcement litigation brought by the same Justice Department office that handled the landmark civil case against BP. After entering academia, Jacobs became the founding director of the first interdisciplinary graduate business program in sustainability management in the United States.

Review :
This volume by an experienced US justice department attorney is a comprehensive narrative of what happened before, during, and after the disaster. The account is detailed, including information on damage claims and the "environmental trial of the century," and Jacobs leavens the mix with personal interest stories and dramatic touches. The author contributes to the literature through FOIA requests that provide information about false claims against BP and personal interviews with several important participants in the process."- CHOICE; "More than six years after the blowout at the Deepwater Horizon, we’re still monitoring and assessing the fallout from what is the worst environmental disaster in our country’s history. Daniel Jacobs’ detailed narrative underscores the importance of getting it right—that is, the attitudes and safeguards critical to ensuring that offshore drilling is, in fact, done safely in the Gulf and elsewhere. Lest we forget."- William K. Reilly, co-chair, National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling; "If a newspaper report is the first draft of history, Daniel Jacobs’ book is an initial library edition of what happened before, during, and especially after the BP Gulf Oil Disaster. The insights contained here will accelerate understanding of the oceans, a global industry, and the technology and politics intended to allow them to function safely in the same space."- Bob Graham, co-chair, National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling