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Brought to You by bp, A Green Oil Folksy Kinda Oil Company

The Bp Deepwater Horizon Oil spill continues with no end in sight. 

The NOAA branch of the government called OFFICE OF RESPONSE AND RESTORATION, EMERGENCY RESPONSE DIVISION worked on a Saturday, May 15, 2010 to issue a report called DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL: CHARATERISTICS AND CONCERNS,  http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/posted/2931/OilCharacteristics.551475.pdf

The report tells us that oil in water is hazardous to human and aquatic life and makes some suggestions on how to clean it up.  Gee thanks, our tax dollars at work as if we didn’t know it was a hazard. 

Also on May 15, 2010, The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced they have authorized BP to use dispersants underwater, at the source of the Deepwater Horizon leak.  Oil spill dispersants are chemicals that attempt to break down the oil into small drops and prevent it from reaching the surface or the U.S. shoreline.  Dispersants are generally less harmful than the highly toxic oil leaking from the source and they biodegrade in a much shorter time span.

“Based on the scientific analysis of the EPA and NOAA and review by the National Response Team, it has been determined that the use of dispersants at the subsea source is the prudent and responsible action to take along with other tactics including surface dispersant, skimming and controlled burns.” http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/551271/

Prudent and Responsible?  Calling it a novel approach,  the government is relying on BP to use chemical dispersants among other clean up efforts.  The two approved products are COREXIT EC 9500 A http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/posted/2931/Corexit_EC9500A_MSDS.539287.pdf and COREXIT 9527  C  http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/posted/2931/Corexit_EC9527A_MSDS.539295.pdf Both are manufactured by Nalco Company, Illinois. http://www.nalco.com/

WARNING!  NOT TO BE USED ON SURFACE WATER. Oh so what, the EPA  has given its approval to use them on the surface and underwater.  The ecotoxicological effects on fish, had them dead within 48 – 96 hours.  If the oil doesn’t kill the Gulf of Mexico’s fish, the chemical dispersants likely will.  If they do live, who wants to eat them?   Dr. Jane Lubchenco the  Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, NOAA, says she’ll eat them, saying, “Yes, and I would enjoy it.”

 It is unknown if dispersed oil has toxic implications to the human population because bioaccumulation through the food chain has not been evaluated.  http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/dispersants.html#q3

Did BP ask, or did the EPA order the use of dispersals?  On May 10 the EPA asked BP to implement a Dispersed Plume Characterization Plan for Subsurface Dispersant Application.  http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/dispersants/subsurface-dispersant-directive-final.pdf  This plan relies soley on BP to do the testing and then sending the results to the EPA.   How much could it cost for the Coast Guard to do some some of it’s own testing to keep BP honest?  What happens if BP doesn’t execute the plan at all? 

Officials monitoring the subsea results reported that the first two tests were inconclusive. Logistical problems in obtaining samples down to 5,000 feet prevented proper sampling. A third test is underway, with some samples already in the labs at Louisiana State University reports Global Research. http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=19151

Imagine that.  The results are inconclusive.  I conclude, a dead fish can’t swim upstream.

“The Official Site of The Deepwater Horizon Unified Command”, http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/site/2931/  is Headquarters for information. 

http://twitter.com/Oil_Spill_2010