The Crude Disaster is a reality in almost every walk of life here in south Louisiana. Marcelle Fontenot got reaction from people in the oil and gas industry. They say we should be thankful disasters like the Deepwater Horizon don't happen more often.
"It's definitely a tragedy. Thankfully this is something we very seldom see." Virgil Allen has worked offshore and in the oil and gas industry for 42 years. "There's always something you never was going to happen that happens."
He says what happened on April 20th on the Deepwater Horizon and now in its aftermath, could be a much more common occurance.
"We don't see blowouts like we used to because of much better safety equipment, sensing devices, and better training," Allen says.
According to the Materials Management Service, between 2000 and 2009, there were a total of 78 incidents where at least 2100 gallons of oil or more have been leaked. Compare that to the estimated 2.6 millon gallons that have spilled since the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
"No matter what industry you are in, stuff happens everday and it's not just oil and gas industry," says Joey Long. "It's in every industry from a police officer to construction worker. Anything can happen at anytime." Long works on the training side of the business and prepares workers for life offshore. "Somebody paid in blood in the past, paid with their life. We try and teach the right way to do things."
Both experts agree, yes, there is great danger offshore. But they also agree, the process of offshore drilling is a must. To the opponents of drilling, they say try life without it.
"You could stop drilling now and stop producing right now but we are going to go back to riding horses, alot of walking, and there will be no cell phones because there will be no plastic," Allen explains. "The products that are coming out of this industry are in every facet of life. You can't stop drilling without affecting everything else."



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