Clarion-Ledger political columnist Sid Salter talked about the onslaught of litigation that will be coming as a result of the oil spill.

His opening salvo seemed a bit cynical and along the lines of the typical anti-trial lawyer, all lawsuits are bad train of thought that unfortunately has become prevalent in Mississippi:

The one thing that may well keep pace with the spewing oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico is the gusher of litigation that’s beginning to surround BP – British Petroleum.

Lawsuits are certainly coming (some already filed) and deservedly so. Not only should BP be held responsible for their actions, but oil companies should know that negligence has its consequences — not only to our environment but to their bottom line.

That aside, what Sid most definitely provided his readers is a sobering picture of what could lie ahead. Via The Clarion-Ledger:

The Exxon Valdez oil spill – which prior to the Deepwater Horizon accident was the largest oil spill in American history – saw litigation stretch longer than a decade. The difference is that the Deepwater Horizon spill is significantly larger and not as geographically contained as was the Exxon Valdez.

The plethora of litigation that has and will arise from the Deepwater Horizon spill will be complicated by the sheer scope of the expected environmental impact. Clearly, the flow of litigation would be multiplied exponentially by the one real nightmare scenario that could make the current ecological disaster even worse – the development of a large hurricane that plows over the oil spill and into the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Imagine a storm surge the size of the Hurricane Katrina storm surge carrying oil and dispersant pounding the already battered Mississippi or Louisiana Gulf Coast – or imagine the one perfect storm that replicated Katrina’s flooding in New Orleans.

The last thought is the most distressing. Remember Hurricane Katrina? Remember how many miles inland Gulf water was carried? Now, add oil.