Can the oil spill contaminate the water table?

Answer 1

Yes.

Specific to the BP spill, I feel that it is a very remote possibility at this point. There was an article recently that oil was found "inland" in Florida, but to go any distance inland is very difficult as the fresh water streams and rivers all flow outwards to the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean.

I don't know of any case where an offshore oil spill (tanker accident, offshore blow-outs) contaminate groundwater. There have been some oil spills as a result of war (Iran-Iraq War, Nigerian civil war, Angola, Gulf War) where some groundwater conamination could be possible.

Groundwater contamination does occur from oil and other hazardous chemicals seeping into the ground and ultimately contaminating the aquifer. There are numerous cases of leakage from leaking storage tanks, settling pits, pipelines and water injection wells (all related to the oil industry) causing groundwater contamination. Gasoline station storage tanks leakage can cause groundwater contamination.

Of course, within the US, any activity that results in contamination of drinking water sources, will be immediately shut down. Gas stations are under strict federal regulations as to the specifications of gasoline storage tanks.