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We are learning tonight that the amount of oil that spewed into the Gulf of Mexico during the BP oil crisis was grossly underestimated. And the rapid pace at which the Federal and state government claimed the oil was being eaten up by nature, wasn’t true. As Whitney Ray tells us, it’s a sobering “I told you so” from many environmentalists who never drank the BP Kool-aid.

It was a tough summer for Marine Biologist Jack Rudloe who spoke truth to power, while the powerful ignored his cries. The state and federal government claimed 75 percent of the oil from the BP spill was gone by early August.

Rudloe insisted the claim, along with dozens more made by those in charge, was wrong.

“I don’t trust them. And I’ve always respected loved and admired the Coast Guard and felt wonderful about them, but I think this stinks,” said Rudloe.

Now a report from an independent commission confirms what Rudloe knew all along; the Feds have no real evidence to back their claim that the oil is mostly gone. Another misleading statistic highlighted by the commission has to due with the amount of oil we were told was being leaked. The feds really lowballed us.

Initially the government went along with BP’s claims that 1-thousand barrels a day were leaking into the gulf. They later raised it to 5-thousand. It was actually 60-thousand barrels, and there’s proof the feds had reason to believe they were lying. Environmentalists Eric Draper says the misleading figures may have hampered the response.

“They could have gotten out there and cleaned up more of that oil more quickly and prevented some of the damage that took place to our birds and too our economy,” said Draper.

Since BP could be fined by the barrel, there’s motive behind its misleading statistics. As for the feds, just look at what BP spent influencing them; 16 million dollars lobbying Congress, and half a million dollars in campaign contributions.

Environmentalists have been disheartened by the misleading statics. They say it’s given the public the perception that the crisis is over, but many of them believe Florida beaches could see more tar balls wash ashore, with even more damage to marine life miles off the coast.