The Environmental Protection Agency has revealed the results of its first tests into the dispersant chemicals being used in the Gulf of Mexico. The results, predictably but also frustratingly, are along the ‘more research needed’ lines.
After BP started pouring dispersant chemicals into the Gulf to break up oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon accident site, the EPA told the company to cut its usage by 70% and find something less toxic than the Corexit brand it was (and still is) using. BP said it couldn’t, so the agency started its own tests.
“What today’s data are showing is that, in the tests we performed, all of the dispersants are roughly equal in toxicity, and generally less toxic than oil,” said Paul Anastas, EPA’s Assistant Administrator.
“I know many of you are interested to hear if this testing means EPA will order BP to switch dispersants. We are not making any such recommendation at this time. We have additional testing to do.”
The EPA looked at impact of eight dispersants on small fish and mysid shrimp, as well as whether the chemicals could act as endocrine disrupters. None of the eight showed “significant” endocrine disrupting activity and all of them had roughly the same impact on animals.
“Overall, the dispersants were classified as being slightly toxic to practically nontoxic to both test species, with the exception that Dispersit SPC1000 would be considered moderately toxic to Menidia,” says the report. “Corexit 9500A, the dispersant currently applied offshore at the surface and underwater, falls into the slightly toxic category for mysids and the practically non toxic category for Menidia.”
Now the EPA moves on to testing the dispersants in combination with actual crude oil.
In other news, it’s more bad news for BP…
“Congress on Wednesday took major steps to rein in Big Oil’s offshore drilling practices, as one Senate panel voted to lift all caps on liability in oil spills and another moved to deny offshore leases to companies with poor track records.”
“Odds are, BP’s embattled chief executive Tony Hayward will be out of a job before the end of the year, an Irish bookmaker says. The Paddy Power betting agency on Thursday quotes odds of 8-11 that Hayward won’t last the year running the oil company, and even odds that he survives.”
Image: US Air Force aircraft dispersant spraying on 5 May / US Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.