Oil Sheen Spreading From Rig Explosion in Vermilion Bay

Good to see we've learned nothing from the last oil spill: A mile-long oil sheen is spreading from the oil rig that caught fire off the Louisiana coast earlier on Thursday, according to the Coast Guard. It's unclear whether the sheen is from fuel that was on the platform or from a leaking oil well undersea. The company that owns the well, Mariner Energy, says that the fire was not sparked by an explosion; the company also says that the platform's seven wells have been turned off and that there is no oil spill, despite the Coast Guard's report to the contrary. The well is in shallow water—340 feet, as opposed to the 5,000-foot deep Deepwater Horizon well. After earlier reports to the contrary, the AP says the rig was producing oil—up to 58,800 gallons per day.