BP Oil Spill Breaks Record for Biggest in Gulf. CONGRATS BP!!!!!!!!!

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America's worst-ever oil spill is now the Gulf of Mexico's most devastating in history as well.

Oil gushing from the BP well following the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion April 20 that killed 11 workers has surpassed the record Ixtoc I spill in Mexican waters from 1979 to 1980, The Associated Press reports. The AP said the oil flowing into gulf waters hit 140.6 million gallons today, compared with 140 million for the Ixtoc spill.

The AP said the calculations are based on the higher end of the government's estimates of the amount of oil leaked each day, minus what BP has reported collecting with its containment systems.

Figuring out the exact volume of oil that's seeped into the gulf is crucial for environmental reasons, to know how much oil is still out there that could potentially damage fish and coastal wildlife. But it's also important because BP will likely be fined for each gallon that's spilled, an oil expert at Texas A&M University, Larry McKinney, told the AP.

Today's milestone is a grim reminder that the gusher is far from being contained despite the best efforts of BP, the Coast Guard and countless hired workers and volunteers. During his Oval Office speech on the spill June 15, President Barack Obama said, "In the coming days and weeks, these efforts should capture up to 90 percent of the oil leaking out of the well."