Hayward gets Dodo for drilling disaster

Former BP CEO Tony Hayward is being awarded for his contributions to the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history, but he won’t be making any acceptance speeches.

Hayward was recently named the recipient of the 2010 Rubber Dodo Award, according to a press release from the Center for Biological Diversity. The annual award is given to a person who has done the most to assist in making endangered species extinct.

Hayward spearheaded BP’s efforts to secure the right to drill in the Gulf of Mexico after he provided documents claiming a major spill was impossible. He also provided authorities with a spill-response plan that claimed to be able to prevent any environmental damage in the event of a spill. However, BP’s Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, and 185 million gallons of crude oil gushed into the gulf over a three-month period. The spill damaged marine and wetland habitats and severely affected at-risk sea turtles, brown pelicans and bluefin tuna.

Previous winners include land developer Michael Winer in 2009 and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in 2008.