The British Oil Company, BP, is facing growing American criticism over the giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which is washing up on the coast of Louisiana and threatening three other states. Despite the huge clean-up operation, the American government has now urged BP to commit more resources to tackling the spill. The US Navy is now in place and two US Air Force planes have been despatched to spray the oil with special chemicals. Even with all these resources, the slick is still advancing on the coastline. The Governor of Florida has now declared the state of emergency, and four states are now threatened by the huge slick. Attempts to stop the leaks in a pipeline have so far failed. The US President, Barack Obama, said he wanted a report within 30 days on the disaster.