Sixteen years after the Deepwater Horizon spill, environmental groups are suing the Trump administration to prevent a newly approved oil drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico.

What's happening?

The Guardian reported on the groups' litigation, which could overturn BP's $5 billion Kaskida plan. 

The new project is set to kick off 250 miles from the Louisiana coast, sending drilling equipment more than a mile deep in the Gulf. From there, the drilling would reach six miles into the seabed.

BP expects output of around 80,000 barrels of oil each day from six wells after production commences in 2029. That is if environmental groups don't have their way in reversing the approval.

"The Trump administration has teed up the entire Gulf region for a Deepwater Horizon sequel with its approval of BP's extremely risky ultra-deepwater drilling project," said Brettny Hardy, senior attorney at Earthjustice, which is involved in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit accuses BP of not demonstrating the safety of the project in preventing a spill at the extreme depth of the project. 

Why is BP's Kaskida project concerning?

It isn't hard to find a real-life example of what can go wrong. BP was at the controls for the Deepwater Horizon spill, the worst one of its kind in American history.

As the Smithsonian Ocean Portal described, 11 workers died in an explosion and over 3 million barrels of oil leaked into the Gulf, wreaking havoc on seabirds, sea turtles, and other marine life. The spill killed millions of animals. 

The fallout was devastating for whale and dolphin species. Even 14 years later, a study showed that they are struggling to rebound. It also led to long-term impacts on the Louisiana coastlines.

The event impacted humans, too. Many of the thousands of cleanup workers were left with long-term health issues after being inadequately protected from chemicals.

With BP attempting another ambitious project in the region, it's no surprise that environmental groups are fearful of a devastating second act.

What's being done about the Kaskida approval?

BP, which is not a defendant in the lawsuit, insists Kaskida is safe and that in the last 16 years it has upgraded safety protocols and equipment. The government, meanwhile, defends moves in the Gulf as essential for economic and security reasons.

"The green-lighting of BP's project sets a dangerously low bar for oil and gas companies that want to drill in our public waters," Hardy said. "We'll see the Trump administration in court over its unlawful and insulting approval of Kaskida."

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