It's a lot easier to contain and clean up one big slick than 1000 little slicks, plus oil contaminated marshland, cities, landscapes, estuaries. Right now the oil is mostly in open water.
Ever tried to scoop cooking oil off the surface of water once it has been shaken up and dispersed across the surface? A lot harder than one solid blob.
I'm amazed at the stupidity of the people who think a hurricane would be a good thing.
Next counterpoint to my argument: "But cooking oil is different to crude oil."
It's the same damn principle. They both are lighter than water, don't mix with water, and stick to shit and are difficult to unstick.