Oil rig explosion

NEW ORLEANS, May 25 (UPI) -- There is a sense of desperation among officials dealing with the extent of the environmental disaster caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion.

It's been five weeks since an explosion rocked the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform in the gulf. The rig caught fire and sank, killing 11 workers and allowing oil to spew from a wellhead about a mile below the surface.

The rig was about 50 miles off the Louisiana coast but winds and currents have caused oil to foul miles of shoreline and pollute environmentally sensitive wetlands areas. Sights of oil-covered birds are becoming commonplace.

In addition, the fishing industry on which Louisiana relies has been deeply affected and could be for years to come.

"Let's make no mistake that what is at threat here is our way of life," Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Monday.

BP, the rig operator, is trying a multi-pronged attack to seal the wellhead. It expected to try to inject thick liquid into the well this week to shut off the flow, which has allowed, by the most conservative estimates, more than 7 million gallons of oil to escape into the gulf. BP also dispatched a flotilla of more than 1,000 ships to contain and disperse the oil plumes.

On Sunday, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the government may push BP aside to take over the operation but by Monday government officials were saying only the oil companies have the equipment and engineers needed to solve the issue.

BP executive Doug Suttles said: "If the government felt there were other things to do it is clearly within the power of the government to do that. Everyone is very, very frustrated."