Deepwater Horizon was an offshore drilling rig owned by Transocean and operated by British Petroleum (BP). Deepwater Horizon was built in 2001 in South Korea, before being transported to the Gulf of Mexico to begin operations. The rig was capable of operating in waters 8,000 feet deep, with a maximum drilling depth of 30,000 feet. The rig was operating in the Macondo Prospect area, drilling an exploratory well. On April 20, 2010, an explosion devastated the oil rig and caused a massive oil spill. The spill was finally capped on July 15, 2010. The resulting spill contaminated 4o miles of coastal pollution, the effects of which can still be seen today. The explosion immediately killed ten workers on the rig, and an eleventh died during the fire that followed.

The author of this book made a bold claim that BP et al were reckless, however the proof offered in this book and the subsequent resolutions of legal cases regarding this incident show that that word absolutely applied to these corporate types. Both Transocean and BP were financially liable for violations of the United States Clean Water Act. The actions of those in the company in the aftermath of this event were deplorable, really. I think the author did a good job of weighing the evidence and communicating the facts to the readers. This was a really informative book.