The impacts of an oil spill depend on the size of the spill, the rate of the spill, the type of oil spilled, and the location of the spill. Depending on timing and location, even a relatively minor spill can cause significant harm to individual organisms and entire populations. Oil spills can cause impacts over a range of time scales, from days to years, or even decades for certain spills. On 20 April 2010, an explosion occurred at the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in 11 fatalities. The incident led to approximately 206 million gallons of oil released, before it was contained on 15 July. The 2010 Gulf oil spill generated considerable interest in oil spill governance issues. This book provides background information regarding oil spills in the U.S. coastal waters and identifies the legal authorities governing oil spill prevention, response, and clean-up.