Nightmare Scene of Oil Unfolding in Wetlands

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BP, which has claimed the environmental impact of the spill would be "very modest", agreed Wednesday to a US lawmaker's demand for a live video feed of the oil leak, which could help scientists better assess the flow's rate.

BP hopes to stop the noxious flow with a so-called "top kill" operation in about a week, in which heavy drilling fluids would be injected into the well to stem the oil flow, followed by a cement operation to seal it up permanently.

With concerns mounting over lax federal oversight of the offshore oil drilling industry, top US Senate Democrats urged President Barack Obama to order "immediate and enhanced inspections" of drilling in US waters.

"As the Gulf Coast continues to be threatened by the lasting effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster, we are deeply concerned that this accident could be repeated elsewhere," they wrote to Obama.