Media advanced falsehood that drilling is safe because no oil spilled during Hurricane Katrina

In the wake of the catastrophic oil spill currently occurring in the Gulf of Mexico after a rig exploded and sank, Media Matters reviews how media figures advanced the false talking point that oil drilling is environmentally safe because "not one drop of oil was spilled" during Hurricane Katrina. Fox's O'Reilly: "[Y]ou've got technology that will prevent pollution," "when Katrina hit, none of the oil rigs spilled in Louisiana." Fox's Huckabee: "not one drop of oil was spilled" during Hurricane Katrina, offshore drilling "extraordinarily safe." CNN's Velshi: Rigs "seal[ed]" to prevent oil from leaking during storms, which succeeded during Katrina. MSNBC's Mitchell repeatedly let guests suggest purported lack of spills indicated drilling was safe. In fact, Hurricanes Rita and Katrina spilled nearly 17,700 barrels of petroleum products