Jackson Free Press

Yesterday, government scientists announced yet again that the amount of oil gushing from the BP well in the Gulf of Mexico is at least twice as much as previously believed. The new "official" amount is now between 20,000 and 40,000 barrels per day, reports The New York Times. That means that for the past 52 days, 840,000 to 1.68 million gallons have been spewing into the sea every day.

"This is obviously a challenging scientific issue, since the leak is located a mile below the ocean," Dr. Marcia McNutt, director of the U.S. Geological Survey and chairwoman of the Flow Rate Technical Group told The New York Times.

The newest estimates do not take into account the additional oil pouring into the Gulf after BP cut the damaged riser pipe to fit a cap onto the wellhead, which may have increased the flow by as much as 20 percent. Because the U.S. will levy civil fines against BP for every barrel escaping into the water—$1,100 to $4,300 each, according to Reuters—an accurate flow count is necessary.

Also yesterday, BP announced another $75 million grant to three states to fight the effects of the oil coming onto the beaches. The funds will be split evenly between Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. The Magnolia state has already received $25 million in grants for oil contingencies and $15 million for tourism, bringing the state total to $65 million.

"This money will be used to ensure we're aggressive in attacking any part of the spill that comes our way and to provide additional protection for our most environmentally sensitive areas along our coastline," Governor Haley Barbour told WLOX. "This also prevents us from tapping into state money to fight the spill, and I appreciate BP's timely response to our request."