[jyl]

Exxon Valdez spilled 10MM gallons. I read est 200K gal/day spill here (though unclear, I thought initial estimates were 5K). At 200K, in another 40 days the BP spill will equal Valdez in volume. 1969 Santa Barbara spill was 3MM gallons.

I went to Alaska for the Valdez spill, flew around the tanker as it leaked, visited the salmon hatchery. That area was gorgeous and pretty pristine wilderness, not actually all that much economic activity.

The Gulf is hardly as beautiful, but lots more economic activity at risk. But perhaps there is some cleanup advantage to a spill in warm ocean waters as opposed to a cold Alaskan sound?