Details of BP settlement show oil spill caused **trillions** of marine wildlife deaths. When news broke this month that oil giant BP had agreed to pay $20.8 billion in fines for its Deepwater Horizon disaster, the figure seemed huge. But when placed against the number of fish and wildlife deaths BP has conceded its spill caused, the figure fades almost to insignificance. The Oil Pollution Act requires that a Natural Resources Damage Assessment be conducted. Research teams from state and federal agencies and BP spread across the affected area to collect evidence of the effects. The two sides presented their cases to a federal judge, who approved the final counts.The assessment was released along with the settlement Oct. 5.While those staggering numbers led to $8.3 billion of the total fine, the report points out they are based on estimates, not actual body counts. The report says collecting hard evidence of fish and wildlife deaths during the spill was not possible because the area covered was so vast — 43,300 square miles — and was influenced by tides, currents and weather.
