Among many things this Thanksgiving, I was thankful that after two and a half years some justice was delivered to those affected by the BP oil spill. BP admitted to criminal wrongdoing in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill — the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.

The fines assessed from those crimes add up to $4.5 billion. I expect the fines to continue in the coming months as BP admits to civil penalties under the Clean Water Act and Ocean Pollution Act.

Are the criminal fines and future civil fines enough?

I don’t think any sum of money can truly deliver justice for the 11 lives lost in the spill or the environmental and economic degradation experienced by Gulf residents.

After reading up on BP’s crimes and thinking back to the spill, I became especially thankful for the coastal environments, industries and communities in Maine, and all around our country, that thrive on a clean ocean and environment.

BP’s criminal acts remind me that offshore drilling is dirty, dangerous and should be banned, not expanded.

Anabel Schmelz, Lewiston