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Which Gulf Coast states had shorelines polluted by oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill?
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Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Fireboat response crews attempt to extinguish the blaze aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, April 21, 2010.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill resulted in the pollution of shorelines across four U.S. Gulf Coast states:
- Louisiana: Beaches began experiencing contamination in May 2010, followed by significant impacts to the state's marshes and estuaries.1
- Mississippi: Oil and tar balls reached the state's beaches by June 2010.1
- Alabama: Shorelines were affected by oil and tar balls by June 2010.1
- Florida: Landfall of oil and tar balls occurred on the state's beaches by June 2010.1
In total, the spill polluted an estimated 1,100 miles (1,770 km) of shoreline across these regions.1