After only 31 years!
Nothing in the article says that it took 31 years. The beach has been clean and clear for many years already.
The event occurred 31 years ago. The recovery was complete long, long before that, so long ago nobody seems to even remember it. At least nobody in the media and none of the 0bama-sucking anticapitalist BP bashers around here (FR) who claim the gulf is dead. Dopes.