Obama vows to pursue any means to stop oil spill into Gulf of Mexico
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U.S. President Barack Obama vowed to pursue any "responsible means" to stop oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, after energy company BP announced its latest effort to stop the spill has failed.
In a statement issued minutes after the BP announcement, Obama admitted that "Top kill" approach attempt, which was designed to stop the flow of oil and gas, has failed. "While we initially received optimistic reports about the procedure, it is now clear that it has not worked."
BP executive Doug Suttles told reporters Saturday evening that three attempts to put mud and 16 tries to stuff solid material into a breached well failed to stop the flow, and that the company would try sending a submarine robot to cap the damaged pipe.
Obama, who was briefed on the BP ongoing efforts to stop the oil spill, told his people that the new approach "is not without risk and has never been attempted before at this depth," and would take several days.
"We will continue to pursue any and all responsible means of stopping this leak until the completion of the two relief wells currently being drilled," said the president.
"We will not relent until this leak is contained, until the waters and shores are cleaned up, and until the people unjustly victimized by this manmade disaster are made whole," he added.
A BP-operated oil well, which is located at about 64 kilometers southeast of Louisiana coast, exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers and causing a massive ongoing oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico.
The oil spill, which is believed the largest offshore spill in U.S. history, has caused severe environmental degradation in surrounding waters and coastlines, and "an assault on the people of the Gulf Coast region, their livelihood."
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