Even as the President talks about what our next steps are in our response, obviously part of this will be highlighting the tremendous economic toll that has taken place -- as I said, even on places that didn't necessarily see a large amount of oil wash up, are still very much open for business.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

The letter was forgotten as, on Aug. 29, 1859, Drake and Uncle Billy and his sons got feverishly busy pumping oil and filling wash tubs and whiskey barrels (why we speak of "barrels" of oil today) with the black liquid.

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Thanks to the efforts of experts who defended the use of dispersants, hopes are high that no further oil will wash up on beaches or the precious marshlands off the Gulf coast.

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Fresh, green grass has begun growing again in some of the hardest-hit marshes of southern Louisiana, but oil continues to wash ashore in places.

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While some beaches contain remnants of the spill (Louisiana's Elmer Island still has tar balls), any oil that does wash ashore is quickly removed by BP crews.

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And because of the spill -- even in places where oil didn't necessarily wash ashore have, because of the environment around the spill, seen a huge contraction in their own business.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

And given some of the national oil companies' shameful record of corruption and abuse of oil revenues, sovereignty as a reason for non-disclosure does not wash either.

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