Gulf oil spill: BP ordered to dramatically scale back use of dispersants

Angry with BP's inability to find a less toxic dispersant against the gulf oil spill, the federal government will  order BP to dramatically scale back its use of surface dispersants, chastising the company for an "insufficient" response to the issue.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson and Coast Guard Adm. Mary Landry used frank language to describe a Sunday night meeting with BP officials. Jackson called BP’s response to the agency’s order to find a substitute dispersant “insufficient.”

“We are not satisfied that BP has done extensive analysis of other dispersant options," Jackson said. "They were more interested in defending their original decisions than studying other options.” Jackson said that the Coast Guard, not BP, will make the ultimate decision about the daily amount and manner of dispersant use and that the product could be scaled back by 50% to 75%. 

Subsea injections, which had never been administered at 5,000 feet, had been effective and would continue, Jackson said. But the surface applications of dispersant, in particular, would be lessened even as skimming and controlled burns continue.

Further, Jackson chided BP’s lack of transparency and suggested that the federal government no longer trusted the oil company’s testing data, which has so far shown that the dispersant, Corexit, is effective and not a risk to aquatic life.

“Rather than take their word for it at this point, I’d rather have my own scientists do their own analysis,” Jackson said, adding that a federal lab in Florida will begin testing dispersant effectiveness and toxicity.

Further adding to BP’s woes, Jackson said now that oil had reached land, the company is liable for environmental fines and penalties.

Meanwhile, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the energy and environment subcommittee in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who first raised these concerns last week, released the following statement:

Just like many aspects of their spill response, BP gets an ‘F’ on its analysis of dispersants, and EPA has rightly told it to redo its assignment and this time, show all its work.

Despite the assertions made by BP that dispersants can be safely used, we know almost nothing about the potential harm from the long-term use of any of these chemicals on the marine environment in the Gulf of Mexico, and even less about their potential to enter the food chain and ultimately harm humans.

--Julie Cart, reporting from Los Angeles

--Richard Simon, reporting from Washington

 

Comments

[KY]

Everybody's a freakin' expert - too bad none of you are on BP's payroll. You're all so sure that you (and only you) know what's happening. You're all quick to blame the President, the Coast Guard, BP. You think you know EXACTLY how to stop the bleeding. Why, oh why aren't you all millionaires?

Did it ever occur to any of you that perhaps, just perhaps, there's more to this thing than any of us here, reading the LA Times and commenting in the dark may realize? Geezus, can we all stop pointing fingers and condemning people for what amounts to a mile-deep catastophic incident that may or may not have been an accident (all kinds of theories are floating around out there, from a North Korean torpedo attack, to deliberate GOP sabotage). Finger pointing is a dangerous, yet pointless pastime conducted by armchair conspiracy theorists, malcontents, talk show hosts, and endangered incumbants that could result in harebrained ideas about terrorism against branches of the government, idiotic revolutions, self-agrandizing power plays, and devastating black lists. Let's all calm down and be patient. It's really not as easy as you think it is. Ask a real engineer - they'll tell you.

[mygreenpla]

Today it was reported that many workers are getting sick from BP's dispersant called Corexit. This among other problems reported by the EPA, etc. Why aren't they trying some of the environmentally friendly solutions such as offered by Eagle Environmental solutions: http://www.eagleecosolutions.com/ which uses a unique collooid approach?

[raziel]

Here is the solution to the oil leak in the Gulf.

Paul Neal "Red" Adair (June 18, 1915 – August 7, 2004) was a renowned American oil well firefighter. He became world notable as an innovator in the highly specialized and extremely hazardous profession of extinguishing and capping blazing, erupting oil well blowouts, both land-based and offshore.
His top employees (Brian Krause, Raymond Henry, Rich Hatteberg) left in 1994 and formed their own company, International Well Control (IWC). In 1997, IWC purchased the remnants of Boots and Coots and the company is now Boots & Coots/IWC. This company is located on the Gulf and has the expertise to solve the oil leakage in the Gulf. WHY? are they not involved? Why? have they not been contacted by BP or the Federal Government?
Clearly they have the expertise with a proven track record.
In the name of man's in-humanity to man and his eco- environment, PLEASE!!! , Somebody reach out, before it's really too late.

[Richard Charles Antolinez]

Why they have allowed this mess to continue is the only question, all that needed to be done is to replace the hose on the well head. Within days they had a new oil platform overhead this doesn't require any special tools since attaching the hose and removal is standard procedure.

Folks it is all about funding the government with petro dollars that come back in the form of US bonds puchased when we buy overseas oil, stop domestic production and increase foriegn US bond purchases!

It has been embarassing having the agents of the federal reserve buying our own bonds at the auctions, 40% of US spending is borrowed money. Right now the fed is got bond traders at every auction buying for them.

I guess it will leak until we stop all domestic production, and just think then BP can sell us oil for $150 a barrel, meanwhile they only have to pay 72 million dollars since it is capped. Don't listen to the lies congress can't pass expo facto laws reversing this cap , it is in the US Constitution.

[Richardrichard charles]

Why they have allowed this mess to continue is the only question, all that needed to be done is to replace the hose on the well head. Within days they had a new oil platform overhead this doesn't require any special tools since attaching the hose and removal is standard procedure.

Folks it is all about funding the government with petro dollars that come back in the form of US bonds puchased when we buy overseas oil, stop domestic production and increase foriegn US bond purchases!

It has been embarassing having the agents of the federal reserve buying our own bonds at the auctions, 40% of US spending is borrowed money. Right now the fed is got bond traders at every auction buying for them.

I guess it will leak until we stop all domestic production, and just think then BP can sell us oil for $150 a barrel, meanwhile they only have to pay 72 million dollars since it is capped. Don't listen to the lies congress can't pass expo facto laws reversing this cap , it is in the US Constitution.

[John Thorp]

Oh come let's get real! The EPA is not concerned about the"damage" caused by the dispersants that BP is using. What they fear the most is that the dispersants will kill any chance to provide their Political Masters with photographs of death and destruction that the Political Masters need . How can the Administration be seen as "keeping their foot on the throat of BP" if EPA allows BP to break up the oil? With the election coming in November, the demonization of "Big Oil" and the "Drill Baby Drill" movement is much more important that protecting the environment. To defeat such evil, the Political Masters need dead wildlife and oily beaches.

If the EPA was really concerned about the oil, they would have worked with the states to get permission from the Army Corps of Engineers to build temporary barrier island to protect the real island. Instead of action, the EPA provides blah blah blah so they can give the Political Masters the illusion of "keeping their foot on the throat of the evil Big Oil. After the election , if their Masters win, then EPA might actually do something about plugging the well.
First things first.

[TIm]

Hows that "Drill baby Drill thingy working for you?" Palin and friends

[tarwater]

How about a big fat criminal inquiry by the federal Department of Justice?

[paul revere]

security chief politano chases her tail blaming BP.
but does nothing to clean-up the mess and the same with
obama all they do is hold press conferences
they do nothing to clean-it up can you imagine if george
bush did nothing

[Bill Carson]

BP has already told the federal government they will not stop using toxic dispersant ! BP and the company that supply the dispersant are almost one in the same aka they have a business relationship!

At the hearings last week Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson told the commision she only dealt with oil when it comes on land !

Coast Guard Adm. Mary Landry was the spokesperson for the Coast Guard that told us there was NO leak after the platform fell in ! By the way Mary was in charge of the Bouchard B-120 oil spill in Buzzards Bay in 2003 . The estimates for that spill ended up seven times higher than were first reported -

Rep. Edward J. Markey only cares that Cape Wind got their permit from Mineral Management Services in the middle of this whole thing. Where was he in regulating the deep water drilling ? They are making the same mistake with Cape Wind !
On April 28.2010 Ken Salazar announced his decision at a joint Massachusetts State House news conference with Gov. Deval Patrick voting to go forward with the Nantucket, Massachusetts wind turbine project. The same day of this decision more than 5000 barrels of oil had poured into the Gulf of Mexico. (one barrel equals 42 gallons ) . We have to ask who was in charge of MMS while Ken was in Boston ?

Do we trust our government ?

[Richard Spano]

BP has only one intrest, and that is saving their oil well. The E.P.A. is draging their feet and time is running out The focus should be stopping the flow of oil, Not saving the well, for this will only happen again in the future, and I use that word loosly. I propose we mobilize every cargo ship we have, load them with boulders heavy enough to be placed on this well, once the flow has been slowed, we cover it with finer boulders,and repeat this process untill the oil is just seeping out, then we cover the intire mountain with plastic, then we cover the plastic with sand and fine gravel.make several layers of plastic. and never do this again.

[Jethorp]

Oh come on. The only reason that the EPA ordered the cut back on the dispersants is so that they can get better photos to beat BP over the head with. The EPA could care less about cleaning up the oil, they are more interested in showing how they are"keeping their foot to the throat of BP". The demonization of the oil industry and the "Drill Baby Drill" movement is their top priority.

If Washington was serious about saving the Gulf coast, they would have approved the state's request to build temporary barrier islands.

[mary taft]

What is a government for? Are we in the wild west? Is that where we're going? This is criminal neglect, plain and simple. A few people in jail and lots of missing assets will get their attention. WHERE IS OBAMA!

[Ed Shields]

I have an IDEA ! How to capture the oil coming from the sea bottom on the Gulf of Mexico. Basic concept is to make a net-bubble above the earth oil leak.
Make a large tent type bubble, half circle shape, weighted down on the outside of the half circle. Have some air within this bubble to keep the shape of a bubble.
Place this half shaped bubble over the oil leak, this will capture the oil unit it becomes full. But before the bubble fills up tube/pipes are place up inside the bubble to remove the captured oil. This process could continue even with a surface platform next to the bubble tent.
SAVE OUR PLANET
SAVE OUR SEA
SAVE LIFE