Oil Spill in the Gulf

Locals Fear Dangerous Air Pollution Coming from BP Oil-Spill Burn Off

BP Gulf Oil Spill Health Hazards

July 11, 2010

HealthCMI - Workers helping to clean up the oil spill are at high risk due to direct exposure from chemicals and toxic vapors near areas where the oil plumes are surfacing. Chemical dispersants used by BP in the cleaning process pose health risks as do vapors such as benzene, one of the volatile hydrocarbons in oil. One concern is that BP is using Corexit 9500 as a chemical dispersant. It is toxic at 2.61 PPM (parts per million) and can go through a phase transition from liquid to gas and return to earth as toxic rain. It is estimated the BP has released over 1,000,000 gallons of dispersant.

Crude Oil Exposure

Blanca Laffron, a genetic toxicologist and her colleagues from the University of Coruña in Spain, notes that studies show that exposure to crude oil from coated birds and from cleaning rocks and beaches for under five days causes temporary DNA aberrations. However, workers exposed for several months contract permanent chromosomal DNA damage. Continuing education and research into long-term exposure will inform doctors and nursing professionals as to proper medical protocols for future healthcare.

Government Warning

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued continuing educational warnings on air quality, food, water, and chemical dispersants. CDC warns that upon smelling gas or visibly spotting smoke from nearby fires one should “stay indoors, set your air conditioner to reuse indoor air, and avoid continuing physical activities that put extra demands on your lungs and heart.” CDC warns to avoid swimming, boating, and fishing near affected areas and to avoid contact with the oil spill dispersants which are used to break the oil slick into small droplets.

Dispersant Controversy

The EPA and the US Coast Guard have authorized BP for continuing use of dispersants at the underwater location of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The EPA notes that smaller droplets formed by dispersants will biodegrade faster than untreated crude oil. The EPA has also released a directive for BP to “significantly scale back the overall use of dispersants” and to “analyze potential alternative dispersants for toxicity” to “determine whether a less toxic, more alternative dispersant existed in the quantities necessary to address this crisis.” EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson wrote to BP that she and Admiral Landry of the Coast Guard maintain that “...your response to the directive was insufficient. We believe the response lacked sufficient analysis and focused more on defending your initial decisions than on analyzing possible better options.” EPA is asking BP for continuing education and research into dispersant alternatives and BP maintains that Corexit 9500 is the best option.

BP Making More & More Workers Sick

July 10, 2010

Allvoices - There is a web site called "BPmakesmesick.com." This site is set up to demand President Obama to order BP to let the cleanup workers wear respirators. There are 44,827 people who have signed the petition--make that 44,828 because I just signed it as well. This is something that I've been reporting on for quite some time. About 15 percent of cleanup workers have gotten sick from exposure to the toxic chemicals. Again, I ask President Obama to speak up for these workers and order BP to allow its cleanup workers to wear respirators.

This weekend BP is removing the containment cap off the leaking well. Until the new cap is installed, the oil flow leaking into the Gulf will be stronger than ever. It will stay like that for up to four days as BP attempts to install the new cap. If the new cap is successful it will greatly reduce the oil leak. At least that is what BP hopes will happen. NONE of their caps have been successful, so there is every reason to doubt that this one will work.

BP's use of the oil dispersants has not been a benefit to anyone except BP. It makes containment and cleanup harder to do because rather than have all the oil together, it is being broken up into smaller patches of oil. BP is doing this to make the oil leak not look as bad as it really is. It is also killing more sea life and making cleanup workers even sicker.

The United States Government ordered BP to stop using dispersants in early June. BP did not listen to our government, and at this point is doing what it damn well pleases.

The largest oil skimmer in the world--"The Whale"--may be of no use in the Gulf. Why? Because "The Whale" is made to pick up large concentrations of thick oil. As I just got done telling you, BP is breaking up these thick concentrations of oil. Had BP listened to our government and the EPA, a lot more oil could have been captured and this ship would really help clean the Gulf waters. Now the big question is whether this ship will be of any help because of BP's actions.

That's not all folks. BP is now getting tougher on paying claims. BP is asking for a lot more documents to make filing of a claim much harder and the payment of the claim much longer of a wait.

For some reason, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen is sounding more and more like he works for BP, making happy-talk kind of statements. Yes, the new containment cap MIGHT either stop the leak or greatly reduce it. IF it WORKS. in the meantime, the oil flow for four days will be stronger than ever, and if the new cap fails, then what? Admiral Allen doesn't want to talk about such things.

It is a very reasonable fear that the new cap won't work because every containment cap that BP has installed has failed.

Here is some more good news courtesy of BP. People are starting to avoid seafood. A lot of seafood is from other places than the Gulf, but people are reducing their intake of seafood because of fears of tainted seafood.

Toxicologists Say Corexit Invades Cells and Allows Oil to Penetrate Cells and Organ Systems

July 10, 2010

Washington’s Blog - As I have previously noted, Corexit is toxic, is less effective than other dispersants, and is actually worsening the damage caused by the oil spill.

Now, two toxicologists are saying that Corexit is much more harmful to human health and marine life than we’ve been told.

Specifically Gulf toxicologist Dr. Susan Shaw – Founder and Director of the Marine Environmental Research Institute – dove into the oil spill to examine the chemicals present.

Dr. Shaw told CNN:

If I can tell you what happens — because I was in the oil — to people…

Shrimpers throwing their nets into water… [then] water from the nets splashed on his skin. …

[He experienced a] headache that lasted 3 weeks… heart palpitations… muscle spasms… bleeding from the rectum…

And that’s what that Corexit does, it ruptures red blood cells, causes internal bleeding, and liver and kidney damage. …

This stuff is so toxic combined… not the oil or dispersants alone. …

Very, very toxic and goes right through skin.

***

The reason this is so toxic is because of these solvents [from dispersant] that penetrate the skin of anything that’s going through the dispersed oil takes the oil into the cells — takes the oil into the organs… and this stuff is toxic to every organ system in the body. …

Similarly, marine biologist and toxicologist Dr. Chris Pincetich – who has an extensive background in testing the affects of chemicals on fish – says that Corexit disrupts cell membranes.

He also explains that EPA toxicity testing for Corexit is woefully inadequate, since EPA testing for mortality usually only requires a 96-hour time frame. His doctoral research found that fish that were alive at 96 hours after exposure to pesticide were dead at two weeks, so the chemicals were considered non-lethal for the purposes of the test.

Drs. Shaw and Pincetich are wildlife conservationists. But even industry scientists working for Exxon and the manufacturer of Corexit itself admit that the stuff is toxic.

The Collapse Is Upon Us

July 10, 2010

captain obvious - The economic sabotage isn't fast enough for these wreckers. They have moved into environmental sabotage, which will turn into deeper economic sabotage, especially for the use of the bio-weapon COREXIT. It is easily five times more toxic than the oil, and it is banned in a dozen countries. It bonds with the oil to sink it into the water where it cannot be recovered and kills marine life. And when a hurricane blows through it will be carried up into the clouds to rain down, killing plants (better than Monsanto's RoundUp), contaminating soil and freshwater supply, and killing food crops too.

[The Obama Administration] has refused a dozen countries help to clean up this Gulf Gusher, as BP dumps over a million gallons of this bio-weapon that will probably threaten life in as many as 17 southern states. No fish, no grains, no vegetables — watch what happens to the price of food in this economy that has been flushed down the toilet. They are not going to openly declare war, but they sure have been committed to warfare against the people of this country for decades! ... slowly at first, but now like a runaway freight train, especially within the last 10 years.

More Bad News for BP as Arsenic Levels Rise Around Gulf of Mexico; 33 Percent of Gulf's Federal Waters Closed to Fishing

July 6, 2010

AFP - Beleaguered energy giant BP was hit with further bad news this morning as it emerged dangerous arsenic levels have been found in seawater around the Gulf of Mexico.

British scientists warned that the oil spill is increasing the level of arsenic in the ocean, and could further add to the devastating impact on the already sensitive environment.

BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig has been spilling between 3,681,500 litres and 911,454,000 liters of oil into the sea per day since it exploded on April 22.

The spill is already being labeled as America's worst environmental disaster and has turned into a economic and PR nightmare for the British company.

Seventy-five days into the spill, the oil has fouled some 715km of shoreline in four southeastern US states, killed wildlife and put a massive dent in the region's multi-billion-dollar fishing industry.

The clean-up operation, which has already cost, $US3.12 billion ($3.7 billion), is expected to rise even further after efforts were hampered by technical setbacks to cap the leak and adverse weather conditions.

In a further blow, an operation to permanently cap the ruptured well on the seafloor far below the surface cannot begin until engineers finish drilling relief wells, in mid-August at the earliest.

Imperial College London researchers warned the effect on the environment could worsen unless clean up efforts were hastened.

Researchers published a study which found oil stops the ocean’s natural filtering process of arsenic. They said the arsenic then gets “magnified” up the food chain, as fish eat small amounts of the deadly poison and may eventually impact humans, researchers said.

Professor Mark Sephton said arsenic, which is found in seawater, was normally filtered out of the ocean when it combined with sediment on the sea floor.

“But oil spills stop the normal process because the oil combines with sediment and it leads to an accumulation of arsenic in the water over time," he said.

"Arsenic only needs to be a 10th of a part per billion to cause problems.”

“Our study is a timely reminder that oil spills could create a toxic ticking time bomb, which could threaten the fabric of the marine ecosystem in the future.”

Prof Sephton called for a comprehensive mapping of arsenic levels around the world which would allow authorities to consider banning oil drilling in areas with dangerous levels of arsenic. The findings were published this month in the journal Water Research.

The warnings come after Hurricane Alex sparked a five-day shutdown, raising new questions over how BP would pay for the mounting costs.

Meanwhile, cleanup workers arrived back on Grand Isle, Louisiana, by the hundreds, spilling off school buses that shuttled them in from around the state with one worker claiming it's the most oil he had seen so far.

However, while skimming operations resumed in Louisiana, rough seas kept vessels tied up in harbour in three other southeastern US states and no controlled burns were being carried out.

Skimming was suspended last week as Tropical Storm Alex, which later became the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2010 season, entered the Gulf.

BP is now pinning its hopes on the giant Taiwanese supertanker A Whale exponentially boosting the amount of oil and water mix being scooped up from the surface of the gulf. The tanker should be able to vacuum up 78.75m litres of oily water a day, separate it and spit the seawater back out. Tests on the 275-metre tanker-turned-skimmer were expected to be completed by Monday before officials decide whether to deploy it.

It also emerged last night that BP is now turning to rival oil groups and sovereign wealth funds to fend off a possible hostile takeover bid.

The National, an Emirati newspaper based in Abu Dhabi, reported that sovereign wealth funds in the oil-rich Middle East have proposed making a strategic investment in BP, which has pledged to place $US20 billion ($A23.74 billion) in an escrow account to pay for the cleanup in the Gulf.

The firms were also allegedly mulling buying key assets from BP and financially backing any capital the oil company might plan to raise after the British energy giant lost over half of its stock market value and saw its shares plunge in the wake of the disaster.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meanwhile expanded the area closed to fishing in the Gulf beyond the current northwestern boundary off Louisiana, bringing to the closure to 210,258 square kilometres or 33.5 per cent of the Gulf's federal waters.

Gulf Coast now a BP police state as law enforcement conspires with BP to intimidate journalists
What Mainstream Media is Not Telling You About the Gulf Oil Cleanup