One year after the worst oil spill in history, a grim legacy remains of lasting damage, an aggrieved people, and a scarred region (NRDC.org). The BP oil explosion killed eleven employees and spilled approximately one hundred and seventy million gallons of toxic crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico (NRDC.org). The explosion was caused by a blowout preventer failure caused by a piece of drill pipe resulting in the worst oil spill tragedy in American history. The Gulf of Mexico is the focal point of economic growth in the southeastern region of America. However, the gulf suffered a terrible catastrophe that affected several thousand kilometers of coastline. The BP oil spill is undoubtedly the worst oil spill in American history due to the grotesque consequences in the region. The massive BP oil spill was caused by a variety of machinery malfunctions that led to the massive explosion. The plant's blowout preventer was the primary cause of the BP oil spill and explosion. The blowout preventer is located on the wellside of exploratory wells and is supposed to lock into place to prevent a spill in the event of a blowout (Huffintonpost.com). A Norwegian firm was hired by the government to test the blowout preventer and said the drill pipe was positioned inside the well causing it to warp and bow when the well lost control, hanging over the cutting cylinders (Huffintonpost.com). Shear rams are found in a blowout preventer that cuts, or cuts, the drill pipe and forms a seal against pressure (Huffintonpost.com). The blowout preventer malfunctioned because the piece of drill pipe prevented its blind cutting cylinders from sealing the wellbore components (Huffintonpost.com). The trapped piece of drill pipe prevented a key safety device from sealing properly... center of paper... Erican story. After the spill, the scene of the disturbed gulf hinted at the dirty haze of simple marshy land. Marine life that once swam in the vibrant, clear waters now remains invisible among the foul toxic waste. Both the government and BP were overwhelmed by the force of the devastation. However, another major calamity is the destruction of natural habitat and killing of marine aquatic life. The BP oil spill arguably illustrated the worst oil spill catastrophe in American history. Works Cited Weber, Harry. Kunzelman, Michael "BP Oil Spill Prevention System Failure Caused by Piece of Drill Pipe." Huffintonpost.com. March 23. 2011. Web 6 September. 2011“11 Facts About the BP Oil Spill.” Dosomething.com. March 4. 2011. Web 1 September. 2011 “Disaster in the Gulf”. NRDC.org. September 5th. 2011.Web 1 September. 2011