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Thursday, 20 May 2010 00:00 |
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Data
from testing done by BP and released to the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) of BP's use of subsurface dispersant on oil spilling from
its well 5,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico showed
areas of significant toxicity within the water column.
Photo taken by a fishernan of a fish kill in Bay Eloi on May 18, 2010 thought to be caused by BP's oil spill  | Water
samples were taken at various locations and depths around the site of
the leaking well as subsurface dispersants were being applied. Those
samples underwent various tests including a toxicity bioassay which
involves exposing rotifers, microscopic aquatic animals, to the sampled
water and counting the number that are killed.
Thick
oil pools in the waters along Louisiana's coast and floats into the
marsh. Governor Bobby Jindal toured oil impacted marshlands by boat on
May 19, 2010, in Pass a Loutre Wildlife Management Area.  |
The
BP data showed that at location "B20" 25% of the rotifers were killed
by the water sample that was taken at 500 feet below the surface of the
Gulf. It is unknown if the toxicity found is from the dispersant, the
oil or the combination of the two. However, there was obviously
something at that level that caused the death of 25% of the organisms.
Also
at location "B20" the sample taken at 1300 feet listed the percentage
of rotifer survival as "80 (93.8)." If 80% is the valid number then
this indicates the presence of something at that level that caused the
death of 20% of the organisms.
The EPA made this testing data
available on its website today May 20, 2010 within hours of receiving
it from BP. Today the EPA also released a directive requiring BP to use
a less toxic dispersant.
The directive requires BP to identify a
less toxic alternative - to be used both on the surface and under the
water at the source of the oil leak - within 24 hours and to begin
using the less toxic dispersant within 72 hours of submitting the
alternative.
If BP is unable to identify available alternative
dispersant products, BP must provide the Coast Guard and EPA with a
detailed description of the alternative dispersants investigated, and
the reason they believe those products did not meet the required
standards.
To date approximately 655,000 gallons of total dispersant have been
deployed-600,000 on the surface and 55,000 subsea.
We
applaud the EPA for releasing this data to the public and for requiring
the use of less toxic dispersants. However, we continue to be concerned
about the control that BP has over the the response to this disaster.
We also have concerns about the availability of raw sample data.
"It
should have been the EPA deciding if, what kind and how dispersants
would be used in the first place and they certainly should be able to
tell BP which dispersant to use now," said Paul Orr, Lower Mississippi
Riverkeeper.
We ask that the raw data from all testing of the
air, water, sediments and animal tissues be made publicly available in
a timely manner.
Orr went on to say, "It is vital that the data
from all the sampling be made available so that a robust examination
and discussion of that data can take place in order to make the best
decisions for the protection of the environment and human health."
 Visit SaveOurGulf.org
to get more information about the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster from
Waterkeeper organizations across the Gulf Coast and donate to Save Our
Gulf!
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