The Gulf Coast, Corexit and BPs Clean Up
Plane spaying Corexit 9500
Intel Hub
by Terra Mealey
On April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico, the Deep Water Horizion experienced an explosion causing the well to continuously leak oil into the Gulf of Mexico for approximately 86 days or more. This created one of the largest oil spills in history. Instead of taking charge and being the voice and control of the clean up, the government granted BP the privilege of having total control over the way the spill was cleaned up. The government did form a task force utilizing the Coast Guard which in turn put the infamous Admiral Thad Allen in charge.The government allowed BP to do what ever it thought was the cheapest to clean up the Gulf. The most stunningly obvious fact about this situation is that neither the EPA or BP did what was the best for the environment, people, or wildlife in and around the Gulf region.
One of the most toxic decisions made by BP and Admiral Allen was to the decision to use the dispersants Corexit 9527 and Corexit 9500. The total amount sprayed on and used in the Gulf of Mexico amounted to over 2 million gallons. The different chemicals that make up Corexit 9527 and Corexit 9500 are known to be toxic. The EPA listed12 other types of dispersants as being more effective and far more safe on the environment than Corexit but, of course, they weren’t used. One of the reasons that BP chose to use Corexit over the others is due to its close ties with the manufacturer of Corexit, Nalco Energy Services. According to Brendan Gilfillan, a spokesman for the EPA,
“The use of dispersant is always a difficult decision with environmental trade-offs that must be taken seriously into consideration”.
Yet the EPA was not involved in the day to day decisions about the use of Corexit until late June. On May 24, 2010 it was reported that 700,000 gallons of Corexit had been used and BP was then given a federal directive to restrict its use of the dispersant. Even though BP was told to scale back on its aerial spraying of a known neurotoxin, they applied for 74 exemptions in 48 days after the May 24 date and were granted the right to continue spraying the Gulf every time. Admiral Allen and various government agencies, most notably the EPA, have continued to deny that an excessive amount of dispersant was even sprayed. Apparently the fact that a congressional sub committee has openly declared that BP used an excessive amount of Corexit means nothing to these corporate thugs. The oil is toxic at 11ppm ,Corexit 9500 is toxic at 2.16ppm which would indicate that he Corexit made the oil 4 times more toxic!
The long term spraying of this dispersant over the gulf has left us all wondering how much damage the dispersant will actually cause. There are multiple side effects from living in this toxic environment. The People of the gulf have complained of many side effects since the aerial chemical rape of the gulf begun. Side effects ranging from cold and flu like symptoms, a cough, headache, sore throats, to burning of the eyes and nose including lung irritation. They have also complained of a skin rash, leading to lessons and ulcers which are even being found in the mouth. Some Gulf residents have had complaints of nausea leading to vomiting, dizziness, and even mental confusion. Perhaps as startling of all, complaints of rectal bleeding have become eerily common.
Corexit is a dispersant that breaks down the lipid membranes of cells. This can effect major organs of the body such as our liver, kidneys and heart. Just days after the assault began, Gina Solomon NRDEs senior scientist, outlined the health risks that the gulf coast residents may face. Residents who suffered from respiratory problems, the pregnant and elderly were encouraged to stay indoors. With the large amount of dispersant used in the gulf we could see women having menstrual problems,not to mention many different kinds of birth defects. We may see more people experiencing anemia, depressed immune systems, kidney and liver cancer and rare forms of leukemia. Of course BP denies any toxicity to the environment,and has claimed that no one is sick. Even with the tremendous amount of documented facts that have been put forward, the government remains completely silent on the issue. No matter how many lies are put forward,the fact remains that many families are suffering and do not have the means to get treatment or to leave the area.
BP is basing its toxicity reports on the facts regarding the Exxon Valdez spill. The tests that took place to see the effects on our sea creatures consisted of animals being exposed for 24 to 96 hours, at cooler temps, and smaller dosages than used in the gulf. The test that were done from the Exxon spill showed low toxicity at smaller exposure rates and cooler temperatures. Alaska, where the Exxon spill took place has a far cooler climate and water temperature than the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulfs water temperatures are normally 80 and above. Can any of us possibly say that the Gulf area was not over exposed to chemical dispersants? Just as our bodies become toxic so do the sea life and wildlife that is caught in its way. We have seen reports of large sea mammals coming close to beaching themselves, and sharks showing up near the shoreline.
There have been reports of crabs scrambling to leave the water and even worms coming out of the dirt to die in the sun. Yet our government and the EPA continue to encourage us to eat the Gulf seafood without any tests taken on the to gauge the seafood’s toxicity. They are also encouraging the population to go swimming even though both the government and Bp have stated that they do not know for sure what effects will take place from the use of Corexit. Doesn’t common sense tell one to stay away from seafood and the water? It seems only money was the key factor in the clean up by our government and BP.
There were alternative solutions to this oil spill that were much safer. We could have choosen non toxic dispersants, or better yet natural oil eating bacteria, which would enable huge skimmer ships to skim the oil off the top of the water. We could have saved our wet lands, marshes, and estuaries. We could have saved the sea life, wildlife and most important, decreased risk to human suffering. These alternatives would have protected the fish and not poisoned them. Dispersants only combine with the oil causing it to sink to the bottom of the ocean floor, leaving it available for fish to ingest. Was the clean up a real clean up or just the quickest, and cheapest way for BP to get on with its corporate life regardless of the toxic mess it has left in the Gulf coast?
Sources
1. www.globalresearch.ca by Deborah Dupre
2. www.epa.gov
3. www.thenytimes.com
4. www.protecttheocean.com
5. www. youtube/susan shaw
6. Acute Aquatic toxicity of 3 corexit products an overview by A. George-Ares and J.R. Clark
from the Exxon Biomedical Sciences Inc.
7. www.wikipedia
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While Bush was in office Dick Cheney saw that the legislation enacted by Nixon, the clean air and clean water bill and all the legislation tied to it where completely revoked. This enabled the oil and gas industry to drill for gas using a mish mash of toxic chemicals. Cheney is or was CEO of Haliburtan. Haliburtan was used in Deep Water drilling as well. BP manufactures Corexit so this was a no brainer. Cheney and his co-horts are starting to make Hilter look like a nursery school teacher. They are sociopathic in their quest for power and the almighty dollar. The Obama Administration turned a blind eye to the use or Corexit are just as complicent in the rape of the Gulf.