Latest news with #Gremillion
USA Today
05-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
How will Trump's tariffs affect grocery store prices? We explain.
How will Trump's tariffs affect grocery store prices? We explain. Show Caption Hide Caption How to save money on groceries Save money buying groceries with these budget-friendly tips. ProblemSolved, USA TODAY How are current tariffs – and the threat of higher tariffs – going to affect grocery prices in the U.S? It depends, those in the food industry say. The United States produces and manufactures a lot of its food domestically, but also relies a lot on imported goods. "The short answer is yes, prices are going to go up," said David Ortega, a food economist and professor at Michigan State University. "They may not skyrocket for all imported products, but they will go up. Tariffs are a tax on imports, so by definition they are inflationary." And while higher tariffs could still be coming after a 90-day-pause, the baseline 10% tariff on all goods, plus higher duties on Chinese products already in effect are a big increase in food costs for American's budgets, said Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at The Consumer Federation of America. "The 10% 'default' tariffs alone represent a truly historic federal tax increase, maybe the largest in my lifetime, with a highly regressive impact," Gremillion said. Tariffs imposed at the border The tariff only applies to the value of the product at the border, said Ortega. Then there's additional costs to the product, which are accrued domestically, like transporting the goods to the store, distribution, wholesale costs and retail markups. Those things are not subject to the tariff, said Ortega. So that doesn't mean that the price of a particular product will go up by 10% or whatever the tariff is, said Ortega. Tariffs will cause price increases and uncertainty Overall, 15% of the U.S. food supply is imported, including 32% of fresh vegetables, 55% of fresh fruit, and 94% of seafood, according to the Consumer Federation of America, citing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Some products, like coffee and bananas, are almost exclusively grown abroad. Tariffs are causing uncertainty, for families checking off their grocery lists to companies importing food, he said. "For consumers, this can mean added difficulties in managing a food budget. For food companies, this means havoc on supply chains that could lead to more food waste and more food safety risk," Gremillion said. Seafood prices could see tariff impact One category that could be especially hit is seafood, said Swanson. It remains to be seen how that will be tariffed, especially with the trade war going on with China. "A lot of seafood is caught here and then taken to China, where the labor is much more available and is a lower price to debone, to skin, to devein and then repackage, frozen and brought back to the United States," he said. The question is will that be tariffed. "Will it be tariffed going in (to China), tariffed coming out and then it will become uneconomical for everybody?" Swanson asked. Consumers have year-round demand for produce, fruits Fresh produce will also likely cost more. "Consumers will feel these price hikes at the grocery store, especially for products where we rely on imports to meet year-round consumer demand,'' Ortega told USA TODAY. Shoppers' demand for fresh fruits twelve months a year is part of the reason why the United States imports many of them, said Ortega. "We rely on international trade and imports for agricultural products in order to meet year round consumer demand for a lot of these items," Ortega said. The U.S. can't grow some of the products domestically, such as bananas, or can only produce them seasonally, said Ortega. In many cases, it's cheaper to import food than to grow it domestically, largely due to labor cost differences, he said. Similarly, though a small amount of coffee is grown in Hawaii, "we don't grow enough coffee domestically to be able to meet consumer demand," he said. "So those things that are facing 10% tariffs, you will see the price go up," Ortega said. He added that: "low-income households are affected the most, since they spend a higher portion of their disposable income on food." Prices for some food products could go up, even without tariffs Some retailers may still increase the price of a product, even if the product itself wasn't subject to a tariff, said Chris Costagli, vice president and food insights lead for NielsenIQ. Manufacturers have something called "industry price gap management," which is the comparison of the price of their product versus their competitor, said Costagli. Even if you're a completely U.S.-based food product, "if all your competitors' prices are going up because they're affected by a tariff... you may raise your price, he said. Additionally, a food product may have been made in the United States, so doesn't have a tariff levied on it, but the packaging or other ingredients to make the food may be imported, Costagli told USA TODAY. That could lead to a price hike. Consumers are confused about tariffs In a NielsenIQ study in March, 81% of consumers surveyed said they were somewhat familiar with the effect of tariffs on grocery prices and 73% believed the tariffs would impact the price of groceries. The survey was conducted when tariff discussion was only surrounding Canada and Mexico and before the reciprocal tariffs were announced, then paused and the hefty tariffs on China were implemented. But keeping track of tariffs is confusing, especially as the tariff policies have changed. Currently, there is a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada, unless they are products covered under an agreement called the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA) and a 10% baseline tariff on all imported goods from other countries. There is a 145% tariff on goods imported from China. When Trump first announced the tariffs, he said all goods, including those coming from Mexico and China and covered under the USMCA agreement, would be subject to the extra fees. But then the president backed off that decision, saying the USCMCA-covered goods would not be tariffed. Additionally, there was a 90-day pause on any reciprocal tariffs beyond the 10%. Some agricultural and food products are covered under the USMCA, but it is difficult to distinguish which products are currently coming in with or without tariffs because there's an extra cost and hassle for importers to verify themselves under the USMCA, so some may just pay the tariff, said Ortega. And many are having to wait and see what other tariffs might happen. "I think a lot of people just have no idea what is what is tariffed and what isn't tariffed," said Costagli. U.S. produces a lot of our own food, so prices could come down The United States grows and produces a lot of food products and is a huge net surplus producer, which means "we need to take that product out to the global markets. We just produce too much of it," said Michael Swanson, Chief Agricultural Economist Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute. We export about 15% of our poultry overseas and about 20% of our pork overseas, said Swanson. "If we lost some of those markets, that would have to stay in the domestic market and could actually depress prices," he said. "So we might actually see pork and poultry prices come down as the market has to sell it in America first before they can reduce the supply on an ongoing basis," he said. To save, look for substitions Consumers can try to save money by sticking to foods that are grown, produced or manufactured in the United States – and there's a lot of them, said Swanson. There will still be some things that they will have to pay more for, if there is no substitution or if they're not willing to trade for a different product, he said. For instance, champagne from the Champagne region of France or Parmesan cheese that only comes from Parma, Italy. But there are growers of parmesan cheese in Wisconsin and that product is cheaper than the Parma, Italy version. Consumers may consider other substitutions like trying bourbon from Kentucky instead of scotch from Scotland, which could increase in price due to tariffs, Swanson said. Study: Consumers worried about tariffs are pulling back on spending Some products could see price increases Here's some food products that could see price increases, due to tariffs, according to Ortega: Bananas: nearly all bananas consumed in the U.S. are imported (from countries like Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, etc). Coffee: outside of Hawaii and Puerto Rico, the U.S. does not grow much coffee. Tariffs would hit virtually the entire supply – we import coffee from Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam and other countries. Olive oil: the vast majority of olive oil consumed in the U.S. is imported, with a lot of it coming from Europe. There is some production in California, but that is relatively negligible when you look at the full supply. Tips to save on food costs Gremillion, with The Consumer Federation of America, offers these tips to save on food costs with potential tariff increases: Watch out for big price swings. With so much seafood imported, fish prices seem likely to rise, but other impacts may come as a surprise. For example, prices for chicken breasts and thighs may go up due to Chinese retaliatory tariffs on frozen chicken feet, which threaten to cut off a $1.1 billion source of revenue for U.S. poultry processors. Make a list and stick to it. Food manufacturers in the U.S. spend an estimated $50 billion in placement and promotional fees to grocery chains, all with the intention of swaying your purchasing decisions. Beware of shrinkflation. Wary of driving away customers with higher prices, many manufacturers have taken to shrinking package contents. Look at the per-unit cost. Check out frozen, dried, and canned goods. 'Healthy' foods include more than just fresh produce. Consider generic or 'store' brands. These foods, also referred to as 'private-label brands,' are often produced in the same manufacturing facilities, with the same ingredients, as more heavily marketed national brands. Sales aren't always good deals. Sometimes sales can lure you into buying an item you don't need or paying a price that is too high. Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@ or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @ on Bluesky. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here.
Los Angeles Times
21-04-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
15 years after Deepwater Horizon oil spill, lawsuits stall and restoration is incomplete
NEW ORLEANS — Fifteen years after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 people and sending 134 million gallons of crude gushing into the ocean, the effects of the nation's worst offshore spill are still being felt. Oil giant BP paid billions of dollars in damages, propelling ambitious coastal restoration projects across five states. Yet cleanup workers and local residents who suffered health effects they attribute to the spill have struggled to have their cases heard in court, and few have received significant compensation. Conservation groups say the spill catalyzed innovative restoration work across the Gulf Coast, but are alarmed at the recent halt of a flagship land-creation project in Louisiana. As the Trump administration expands offshore oil and gas drilling, they are concerned the best opportunities for rebuilding the Gulf Coast are slipping away. In the coastal community of Lafitte in southeast Louisiana, Tammy Gremillion is celebrating Easter Sunday, the anniversary of the April 20 spill, without her daughter. She remembers warning Jennifer against joining a cleanup crew tasked with containing the spill for BP. 'But I couldn't stop her — they were offering these kids lots of money,' Gremillion said. 'They didn't know the dangers. They didn't do what they should have to protect these young people.' Jennifer worked knee-deep in oil for months, returning home reeking of fumes, covered in black splotches and breaking out in rashes and suffering headaches. She also was exposed to Corexit, a chemical approved by the Environmental Protection Agency that is applied on and below the water to disperse oil, which has been linked to health problems. In 2020, Jennifer died of leukemia, a blood cancer that can be caused by exposure to oil. Gremillion, who broke down in tears as she recounted her daughter's death, is '1,000% confident' that exposure to toxins during the cleanup caused the cancer. She filed a lawsuit against BP in 2022, although the allegations have been difficult to establish in court. Gremillion's suit is one of a small number of cases still pending. An investigation by the Associated Press previously found all but a few of the roughly 4,800 lawsuits seeking compensation for health problems linked to the oil spill have been dismissed and only one has been settled. In a 2012 settlement, BP paid ill workers and coastal residents $67 million, which amounted to no more than $1,300 each for nearly 80% of those seeking compensation. Attorneys from the Downs Law Group, representing Gremillion and about 100 others in cases against BP, say the company leveraged procedural technicalities to block victims from getting their day in court. BP declined to comment on pending litigation. In court filings, the company denied allegations that oil exposure caused health problems and it attacked the credibility of medical experts brought by plaintiffs. The environmental impact was devastating, recalled PJ Hahn, who served on the front lines as a southeast Louisiana coastal management official. He watched the oil eat away at barrier islands and marsh around his community in Plaquemines Parish until 'it would just crumble like a cookie in hot coffee, just break apart.' Oyster beds suffocated, reefs were blanketed in chemicals, and the fishing industry tanked. Pelicans diving for dead fish emerged from the contaminated waters smeared in a black sheen. Tens of thousands of seabirds and sea turtles were killed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since then, 'significant progress' has been made restoring Gulf habitats and ecosystems, according to the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council, a group of state and federal agencies tasked with managing restoration funded by penalties levied against BP. The council says more than 300 restoration projects worth $5.38 billion have been approved in the Gulf of Mexico. The projects include acquiring wetlands in Mississippi to protect nesting areas for birds, rebuilding reefs along Pensacola Bay in Florida and restoring about 4 square miles of marsh in Lake Borgne near New Orleans. Though a tragedy, the spill 'galvanized a movement — one that continues to push for a healthier, more resilient coast,' said Simone Maloz, campaign director for Restore the Mississippi River Delta, a conservation coalition. The influx of billions of dollars in penalties paid by BP 'allowed us to think bigger, act faster and rely on science to guide large-scale solutions,' she added. Yet what many conservationists see as the flagship of the restoration projects funded by the Deepwater Horizon disaster payout — an approximately $3-billion effort to divert sediment from the Mississippi River to rebuild 21 square miles of land in southeast Louisiana — has stalled over concerns of its effect on the livelihoods of local communities and dolphin populations. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has said the project would 'break our culture' by harming local oyster and shrimp fisheries due to the influx of freshwater. This month, his Republican administration paused the project for 90 days, citing its high costs, and its future remains uncertain. The Trump administration is seeking to sell more offshore oil and gas leases, which the industry trade group American Petroleum Institute called 'a big step forward for American energy dominance.' BP announced an oil discovery in the Gulf last week and plans more than 40 new wells in the next three years. The company told the AP that it has improved safety standards and oversight. 'We remain keenly aware that we must always put safety first,' BP said in an emailed statement. 'We have made many changes so that such an event should never happen again.' But Joseph Gordon, climate and energy director for the nonprofit Oceana, warned that Deepwater Horizon's legacy should be 'an alarm bell' against the expansion of offshore drilling. Brook writes for the Associated Press.
NBC News
21-04-2025
- Health
- NBC News
15 years after Deepwater Horizon oil spill, lawsuits stall and restoration is incomplete
NEW ORLEANS — Fifteen years after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the Gulf Coast, killing 11 and sending 134 million gallons of crude gushing into the ocean, the effects of the nation's worst offshore oil spill are still being felt. Oil company BP paid billions of dollars in damages, propelling ambitious coastal restoration projects across five states. Yet cleanup workers and local residents who suffered health impacts they attribute to the oil spill have struggled to have their cases heard in court and few have received significant compensation. Conservation groups say the spill catalyzed innovative restoration work across the Gulf Coast, but are alarmed at the recent halt of a flagship land-creation project in Louisiana. As the Trump administration expands offshore oil and gas, they are concerned the best opportunities for rebuilding the Gulf Coast are slipping away. Tying health problems to the spill remains hard to prove in court In the coastal community of Lafitte in southeast Louisiana, Tammy Gremillion is celebrating Easter Sunday, the anniversary of the April 20 spill, without her daughter. She remembers warning Jennifer against joining a cleanup crew tasked with containing the spill for BP. 'But I couldn't stop her — they were offering these kids lots of money,' Gremillion said. 'They didn't know the dangers. They didn't do what they should have to protect these young people.' Jennifer worked knee-deep in oil for months, returning home reeking of fumes, covered in black splotches and breaking out in rashes and suffering headaches. She also was exposed to Corexit, an EPA-approved chemical applied on and below the water to disperse oil, which has been linked to health problems. In 2020, Jennifer died of leukemia, a blood cancer that can be caused by exposure to oil. Gremillion, who broke down in tears as she recounted her daughter's death, is '1,000% confident' that exposure to toxins during the cleanup caused the cancer. She filed a lawsuit against BP in 2022, although the allegations have been difficult to establish in court. Gremillion's suit is one of a small number of cases still pending. An investigation by The Associated Press previously found all but a handful of roughly 4,800 lawsuits seeking compensation for health problems linked to the oil spill have been dismissed and only one has been settled. In a 2012 settlement, BP paid ill workers and coastal residents $67 million, but this amounted to no more than $1,300 each for nearly 80% of those seeking compensation. Attorneys from the Downs Law Group, representing Gremillion and around 100 others in cases against BP, say the company leveraged procedural technicalities to block victims from getting their day in court. BP declined to comment on pending litigation. In court filings, BP denied allegations that oil exposure caused health problems and attacked the credibility of medical experts brought by plaintiffs. Controversy over coastal restoration The environmental impact was devastating, recalled PJ Hahn, who served on the frontlines as a southeast Louisiana coastal management official. He watched the oil eat away at barrier islands and marsh around his community in Plaquemines Parish until 'it would just crumble like a cookie in hot coffee, just break apart.' Oyster beds suffocated, reefs were blanketed in chemicals and the fishing industry tanked. Pelicans diving for dead fish emerged from the contaminated waters smeared in a black sheen. Tens of thousands of seabirds and sea turtles were killed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since then, 'significant progress' has been made restoring Gulf habitats and ecosystems, according to The Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council, a group of state and federal agencies tasked with managing restoration funded by penalties levied against BP. The council says more than 300 restoration projects worth $5.38 billion have been approved in the Gulf of Mexico, which President Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of America. The projects include acquiring wetlands in Mississippi to protect nesting areas for birds, rebuilding reefs along Pensacola Bay in Florida and restoring around 4 square miles (11 square kilometers) of marsh in Lake Borgne near New Orleans. While a tragedy, the spill 'galvanized a movement — one that continues to push for a healthier, more resilient coast,' said Simone Maloz, campaign director for Restore the Mississippi River Delta, a conservation coalition. The influx of billions of dollars in penalties paid by BP 'allowed us to think bigger, act faster and rely on science to guide large-scale solutions,' she added. Yet what many conservationists see as the flagship of the restoration projects funded by the Deepwater Horizon disaster payout — an approximately $3 billion effort to divert sediment from the Mississippi River to rebuild 21 square miles (54 square kilometers) of land in southeast Louisiana — has stalled over concerns of its impact on the livelihoods of local communities and dolphin populations. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has said the project would 'break our culture' by harming local oyster and shrimp fisheries due to the influx of freshwater. Earlier this month, his administration paused the project for 90 days, citing its high costs, and its future remains uncertain. More offshore drilling planned for Gulf The Trump administration is seeking to sell more offshore oil and gas leases, which the industry trade group American Petroleum Institute called 'a big step forward for American energy dominance.' BP announced an oil discovery in the Gulf last week and plans more than 40 new wells in the next three years. The company told the AP it has improved safety standards and oversight. 'We remain keenly aware that we must always put safety first,' BP said in an emailed statement. 'We have made many changes so that such an event should never happen again.' Still, Joseph Gordon, climate and energy director for the nonprofit Oceana, warned Deepwater Horizon's legacy should be 'an alarm bell' against the expansion of offshore drilling. ___
Chicago Tribune
20-04-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
15 years after Deepwater Horizon oil spill, lawsuits stall and restoration is incomplete
NEW ORLEANS — Fifteen years after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the Gulf Coast, killing 11 and sending 134 million gallons (507.2 million liters) of crude gushing into the ocean, the effects of the nation's worst offshore oil spill are still being felt. Oil company BP paid billions of dollars in damages, propelling ambitious coastal restoration projects across five states. Yet cleanup workers and local residents who suffered health impacts they attribute to the oil spill have struggled to have their cases heard in court and few have received significant compensation. Conservation groups say the spill catalyzed innovative restoration work across the Gulf Coast, but are alarmed at the recent halt of a flagship land-creation project in Louisiana. As the Trump administration expands offshore oil and gas, they are concerned the best opportunities for rebuilding the Gulf Coast are slipping away. Tying health problems to the spill remains hard to prove in court In the coastal community of Lafitte in southeast Louisiana, Tammy Gremillion is celebrating Easter Sunday, the anniversary of the April 20 spill, without her daughter. She remembers warning Jennifer against joining a cleanup crew tasked with containing the spill for BP. 'But I couldn't stop her — they were offering these kids lots of money,' Gremillion said. 'They didn't know the dangers. They didn't do what they should have to protect these young people.' Jennifer worked knee-deep in oil for months, returning home reeking of fumes, covered in black splotches and breaking out in rashes and suffering headaches. She also was exposed to Corexit, an EPA-approved chemical applied on and below the water to disperse oil, which has been linked to health problems. In 2020, Jennifer died of leukemia, a blood cancer that can be caused by exposure to oil. Gremillion, who broke down in tears as she recounted her daughter's death, is '1,000% confident' that exposure to toxins during the cleanup caused the cancer. She filed a lawsuit against BP in 2022, although the allegations have been difficult to establish in court. Gremillion's suit is one of a small number of cases still pending. An investigation by The Associated Press previously found all but a handful of roughly 4,800 lawsuits seeking compensation for health problems linked to the oil spill have been dismissed and only one has been settled. In a 2012 settlement, BP paid ill workers and coastal residents $67 million, but this amounted to no more than $1,300 each for nearly 80% of those seeking compensation. Attorneys from the Downs Law Group, representing Gremillion and around 100 others in cases against BP, say the company leveraged procedural technicalities to block victims from getting their day in court. BP declined to comment on pending litigation. In court filings, BP denied allegations that oil exposure caused health problems and attacked the credibility of medical experts brought by plaintiffs. Controversy over coastal restoration The environmental impact was devastating, recalled PJ Hahn, who served on the frontlines as a southeast Louisiana coastal management official. He watched the oil eat away at barrier islands and marsh around his community in Plaquemines Parish until 'it would just crumble like a cookie in hot coffee, just break apart.' Oyster beds suffocated, reefs were blanketed in chemicals and the fishing industry tanked. Pelicans diving for dead fish emerged from the contaminated waters smeared in a black sheen. Tens of thousands of seabirds and sea turtles were killed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since then, 'significant progress' has been made restoring Gulf habitats and ecosystems, according to The Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council, a group of state and federal agencies tasked with managing restoration funded by penalties levied against BP. The council says more than 300 restoration projects worth $5.38 billion have been approved in the Gulf of Mexico, which President Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of America. The projects include acquiring wetlands in Mississippi to protect nesting areas for birds, rebuilding reefs along Pensacola Bay in Florida and restoring around 4 square miles (11 square kilometers) of marsh in Lake Borgne near New Orleans. While a tragedy, the spill 'galvanized a movement — one that continues to push for a healthier, more resilient coast,' said Simone Maloz, campaign director for Restore the Mississippi River Delta, a conservation coalition. The influx of billions of dollars in penalties paid by BP 'allowed us to think bigger, act faster and rely on science to guide large-scale solutions,' she added. Yet what many conservationists see as the flagship of the restoration projects funded by the Deepwater Horizon disaster payout — an approximately $3 billion effort to divert sediment from the Mississippi River to rebuild 21 square miles (54 square kilometers) of land in southeast Louisiana — has stalled over concerns of its impact on the livelihoods of local communities and dolphin populations. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has said the project would 'break our culture' by harming local oyster and shrimp fisheries due to the influx of freshwater. Earlier this month, his administration paused the project for 90 days, citing its high costs, and its future remains uncertain. More offshore drilling planned for Gulf The Trump administration is seeking to sell more offshore oil and gas leases, which the industry trade group American Petroleum Institute called 'a big step forward for American energy dominance.' BP announced an oil discovery in the Gulf last week and plans more than 40 new wells in the next three years. The company told the AP it has improved safety standards and oversight. 'We remain keenly aware that we must always put safety first,' BP said in an emailed statement. 'We have made many changes so that such an event should never happen again.' Still, Joseph Gordon, climate and energy director for the nonprofit Oceana, warned Deepwater Horizon's legacy should be 'an alarm bell' against the expansion of offshore drilling. Originally Published: April 20, 2025 at 3:29 PM CDT
The Hill
20-04-2025
- Health
- The Hill
15 years after Deepwater Horizon oil spill, lawsuits stall and restoration is incomplete
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Fifteen years after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the Gulf Coast, killing 11 and sending 134 million gallons (507.2 million liters) of crude gushing into the ocean, the effects of the nation's worst offshore oil spill are still being felt. Oil company BP paid billions of dollars in damages, propelling ambitious coastal restoration projects across five states. Yet cleanup workers and local residents who suffered health impacts they attribute to the oil spill have struggled to have their cases heard in court and few have received significant compensation. Conservation groups say the spill catalyzed innovative restoration work across the Gulf Coast, but are alarmed at the recent halt of a flagship land-creation project in Louisiana. As the Trump administration expands offshore oil and gas, they are concerned the best opportunities for rebuilding the Gulf Coast are slipping away. Tying health problems to the spill remains hard to prove in court In the coastal community of Lafitte in southeast Louisiana, Tammy Gremillion is celebrating Easter Sunday, the anniversary of the April 20 spill, without her daughter. She remembers warning Jennifer against joining a cleanup crew tasked with containing the spill for BP. 'But I couldn't stop her — they were offering these kids lots of money,' Gremillion said. 'They didn't know the dangers. They didn't do what they should have to protect these young people.' Jennifer worked knee-deep in oil for months, returning home reeking of fumes, covered in black splotches and breaking out in rashes and suffering headaches. She also was exposed to Corexit, an EPA-approved chemical applied on and below the water to disperse oil, which has been linked to health problems. In 2020, Jennifer died of leukemia, a blood cancer that can be caused by exposure to oil. Gremillion, who broke down in tears as she recounted her daughter's death, is '1,000% confident' that exposure to toxins during the cleanup caused the cancer. She filed a lawsuit against BP in 2022, although the allegations have been difficult to establish in court. Gremillion's suit is one of a small number of cases still pending. An investigation by The Associated Press previously found all but a handful of roughly 4,800 lawsuits seeking compensation for health problems linked to the oil spill have been dismissed and only one has been settled. In a 2012 settlement, BP paid ill workers and coastal residents $67 million, but this amounted to no more than $1,300 each for nearly 80% of those seeking compensation. Attorneys from the Downs Law Group, representing Gremillion and around 100 others in cases against BP, say the company leveraged procedural technicalities to block victims from getting their day in court. BP declined to comment on pending litigation. In court filings, BP denied allegations that oil exposure caused health problems and attacked the credibility of medical experts brought by plaintiffs. Controversy over coastal restoration The environmental impact was devastating, recalled PJ Hahn, who served on the frontlines as a southeast Louisiana coastal management official. He watched the oil eat away at barrier islands and marsh around his community in Plaquemines Parish until 'it would just crumble like a cookie in hot coffee, just break apart.' Oyster beds suffocated, reefs were blanketed in chemicals and the fishing industry tanked. Pelicans diving for dead fish emerged from the contaminated waters smeared in a black sheen. Tens of thousands of seabirds and sea turtles were killed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since then, 'significant progress' has been made restoring Gulf habitats and ecosystems, according to The Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council, a group of state and federal agencies tasked with managing restoration funded by penalties levied against BP. The council says more than 300 restoration projects worth $5.38 billion have been approved in the Gulf of Mexico, which President Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of America. The projects include acquiring wetlands in Mississippi to protect nesting areas for birds, rebuilding reefs along Pensacola Bay in Florida and restoring around 4 square miles (11 square kilometers) of marsh in Lake Borgne near New Orleans. While a tragedy, the spill 'galvanized a movement — one that continues to push for a healthier, more resilient coast,' said Simone Maloz, campaign director for Restore the Mississippi River Delta, a conservation coalition. The influx of billions of dollars in penalties paid by BP 'allowed us to think bigger, act faster and rely on science to guide large-scale solutions,' she added. Yet what many conservationists see as the flagship of the restoration projects funded by the Deepwater Horizon disaster payout — an approximately $3 billion effort to divert sediment from the Mississippi River to rebuild 21 square miles (54 square kilometers) of land in southeast Louisiana — has stalled over concerns of its impact on the livelihoods of local communities and dolphin populations. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has said the project would 'break our culture' by harming local oyster and shrimp fisheries due to the influx of freshwater. Earlier this month, his administration paused the project for 90 days, citing its high costs, and its future remains uncertain. More offshore drilling planned for Gulf The Trump administration is seeking to sell more offshore oil and gas leases, which the industry trade group American Petroleum Institute called 'a big step forward for American energy dominance.' BP announced an oil discovery in the Gulf last week and plans more than 40 new wells in the next three years. The company told the AP it has improved safety standards and oversight. 'We remain keenly aware that we must always put safety first,' BP said in an emailed statement. 'We have made many changes so that such an event should never happen again.' Still, Joseph Gordon, climate and energy director for the nonprofit Oceana, warned Deepwater Horizon's legacy should be 'an alarm bell' against the expansion of offshore drilling. ___
