Oil spill: 100 days

The disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has hit a milestone, reaching 100 days since the oil spill, but according to a local petroleum engineering professor, the most significant thing to happen since the April 20 spill actually took place a week ago.

That was when four of the world's biggest oil companies announced the formation of a rapid-deployment response system to capture and contain any future deep-water well blowouts.

"I think that announcement has been the most important thing to come out of this so far," said Bob Chase, chairman of the Petroleum Engineering Department at Marietta College. "They're banding together to ensure we have the technology to deal with these underwater blowouts, and that's really significant. That's something that can give people their confidence back in the industry."

One of the biggest criticisms of BP following the spill has been that there seemed to be no plan or technology to handle that kind of emergency.

Gene Mackey, 61, of Marietta, said that's what disturbed him the most.

"If you're going to be in there, drilling, you have to have a plan," he said. "It never should have been leaking for as long as it was. It's hurt people and hurt animals and cost a whole lot of money."

It's important to remember that major spills are rare, said Chase, who doesn't support the recent federal moratorium on offshore drilling.

"I know we've had an accident, but we know what caused it and we've been drilling wells in shallow water for 50 years without something like this," he said. "The problem now is that we're losing drilling rigs, and if they can't be employed here in the U.S., they'll go somewhere else."

There are other countries anxious to fill the void, Chase said.

"Once they leave our waters, it will be hard to get them back," he said. "I'm very concerned for the industry and the people working for the industry down in Louisiana."