BP using dispersants disproportionately in Gulf to clean the oil spill

Reports are suggesting that despite the order from the administration to minimize the use of dispersants, Coast Guard has granted BP’s requests to use the harmful dispersant 74 times in just 54 days to clean the surface water and deep underwater at the well site.

Federal documents also reveal that Rep. Edward J. Markey of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, in his letter to retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad W. Allen, wrote that the exemptions provided to BP “are in no way a 'rare' occurrence, and have allowed surface application of the dispersant to occur virtually every day since the directive was issued."

Markey also said that people involved in the oil cleaning process are not looking serious enough to minimize the use of the highly toxic dispersant.

Since the leak in BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig begun in April, the federal government has approved the use of over 1.8 million gallons of dispersant (mainly Corexit 9500) to clean oil from the Gulf waters.

Environmentalists gearing up to sue BP for making spill more toxic
After finding out about the use of toxic dispersants by the BP in the Gulf to clean the oil spill, environmentalists are gearing up to sue the company for making the spill even more toxic than before.

On Wednesday, Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., introduced “Safe Dispersants Act” to check the use of dispersants to clean oil spill in the Gulf

"We now have compelling evidence that the dispersant has enhanced and increased the toxicity from the spill," said Dr. William Sawyer, a toxicologist and a member of team of scientists hired by law firms representing Louisiana fishermen and environmentalists.

Even independent scientists studying the impact of dispersants had called for an “immediate halt” to the use of dispersants in the gulf last week as these chemicals are dangerous not only to “marine life” but “human health” too.

Bill to check the use of dispersant before approving them
On Wednesday Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., introduced “Safe Dispersants Act” to check the use of dispersants to clean oil spill in the Gulf.

As per bill, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from now onwards will be checking dispersants’ long-term effects (if any) on both humans and marine life and will be making the contents of dispersants public before approving them for use in oil spills.

“Because these chemicals have not been fully tested, relief workers, families and wildlife up and down the coastline have been put in the middle of a dangerous science experiment. We simply must have better protections in place,” Lautenberg told the press.