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Despite Rule, BP Used Dispersant, Panel Finds

nytimes.com -- The Coast Guard approved dozens of requests by BP to spread hundreds of thousands of gallons of surface oil dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s directive on May 26 that they should be used only rarely, according to documents and correspondence analyzed by a Congressional subcommittee.

..dispersants contributed to “a toxic stew of chemicals, oil and gas..
..more than 74 exemption requests in 48 days ..In some cases, BP asked for permission after it had already applied the chemicals..

..conflicting numbers.. June 16, BP told the Coast Guard ..it had used a maximum of 3,365 gallons of dispersant in a single day. But in e-mails to members of Congress .. the company said it had used 14,305 gallons of dispersant on June 12 and 36,000 gallons on

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Submitted Aug 01, 2010 By: teafortwo

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honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:15,285 Points:1,145,225 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Aug 4, 2010 5:33:46 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse the rationale of BP for using nearly 1.75 million gallons of dispersant was that it would not cause the beach coatings and mass animal deaths that were seen in the wake of the Exxon Valdez. However, from the inside BP's point of view it was simply to more or less get the oil out of sight, so it would be out of ppl's minds.
honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:15,285 Points:1,145,225 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Aug 4, 2010 5:32:04 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse CruisinLinda: yup, you got it. The Big Pretender only cares to pay the lowest amount of fines they can get away with.
CruisinLinda Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:7,947 Points:1,621,420 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 9:20:14 PM Ignore CruisinLinda Report Abuse More BP dissembling of the facts as to how much Corexit it used and evading the EPA order to go easy on the detergent. Their corporate culture is corrupt indeed.
Night Owl Champion Author Toronto Posts:5,285 Points:1,336,650 Joined:Jul 2004	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 8:55:31 PM Ignore Night Owl Report Abuse BP only cares about hiding the oil spill. They even had to apologize because they hired people to Photoshop out oil from photos of the Gulf.
Martinman Champion Author Mississippi Posts:11,812 Points:1,661,445 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 8:25:38 PM Ignore Martinman Report Abuse minime - no, the EPA said stop, use a different dispersant. British Petroleum stalled and simply repeated their assertion that Corexit was the best disperant for this leak (despite considerable information to the contrary). They were directed by the EPA to cut dispersant use by 75%. So, they ran to dad (the U.S. Coast Guard) and asked the "other parent" can I please, please, please...? You either need to read the article, or stop double-fisting the coolaid and trying to read through the bottom of those coolaid glasses. [Edited by: Martinman at 8/1/2010 9:27:09 PM EST]
Martinman Champion Author Mississippi Posts:11,812 Points:1,661,445 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 8:22:37 PM Ignore Martinman Report Abuse Old news... [yawn] This was posted several weeks ago.
mmene Champion Author Houston Posts:4,347 Points:938,970 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 6:18:01 PM Ignore mmene Report Abuse MikLamb - no, BP did not break another rule. They followed Coast Guard directives. Try actually reading the article.
copperhead8 Champion Author Boston Posts:14,864 Points:2,358,250 Joined:Dec 2004	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 4:12:33 PM Ignore copperhead8 Report Abuse traindude said it very succintly.
teafortwo Champion Author Washington Posts:15,388 Points:926,140 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 3:31:24 PM Ignore teafortwo Report Abuse It comforts me to hear how many of you trust that these huge multi-billion dollar corporations would never do anything that might harm US and our children. Why ever would they do such a thing? In the name of PROFIT? Unthinkable. Impossible. Why, that would have to be a huge conspiracy to suppress and distort scientific research. ALL just in the name of BIG GREED PROFIT? How could that possibly happen? Oh, a .... anybody got a light? [Edited by: teafortwo at 8/1/2010 4:35:31 PM EST]
357revo Champion Author Pittsburgh Posts:15,121 Points:1,924,215 Joined:Sep 2006	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 3:23:26 PM Ignore 357revo Report Abuse How about these 'enviro-activists' shift their attention back to how the foods we eat are poisoned by the toxic pesticides and herbicides needed to grow them free of bugs and weeds? It's the same story all over again. 'TOXIC' applied to ANY concentration of ANY chemical applied in ANY human endeavor, when it can be measured in the air, water, or earth. Water is TOXIC if you ingest too much of it. Oxygen is TOXIC at excessive concentrations, AND a fire hazard, to boot. Common table salt is TOXIC. And now the Natural Resources Defense Council is calling for analysis of sea water, to measure the concentrations of 'heavy metals' in the waves lapping the shores of Gulf states. Never mind that trace amounts of hundreds of chemicals are naturally occurring in seawater. If you don't believe that, go down to your local pet store and read the description of what is in "Instant Ocean Sea Salt". That's the dry chemical mix that major aquariums world-wide use to simulate ocean water and keep their salt-water creatures comfy. There's even gold in seawater. But just like the concentrations of oil in the sheen visible in satellite views of the Gulf, the concentration of gold in sea water is not anywhere near high enough to justify trying to capture it. However, some chemicals are recoverable. Commercial enterprises do recover sodium chloride and other salts from seawater by evaporation. You can buy "Sea salt" in handy shakers at your local supermarket, complete with those trace concentrations of other chemicals and heavy metals. Enhances the flavor of lots of foods, too. Just don't let the NRDC analyze it though, or they'll convince some boneheads in Congress or the EPA to outlaw it as a threat to human health.
gs7101 Champion Author San Antonio Posts:3,218 Points:246,030 Joined:Jun 2009	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 3:20:10 PM Ignore gs7101 Report Abuse I don't know who to believe; if true, the Coast Guard didn't do their job by granting all those exemptions.
traindude Champion Author Virginia Beach Posts:5,615 Points:1,246,100 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 3:18:28 PM Ignore traindude Report Abuse is that really any worse than the 100s of thousands of gallons of oil in the water. aren't we bitchin at both ends of the stick here? complain about the problem, and the efforts to clean it up
wildredbill Champion Author Wisconsin Posts:3,551 Points:515,495 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 3:05:27 PM Ignore wildredbill Report Abuse Sure, dump tens of thousands of gallons of dispersants and then ask for permission to do it. (:-(
MikLamb Champion Author Texas Posts:5,658 Points:1,715,045 Joined:Jun 2006	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 3:00:16 PM Ignore MikLamb Report Abuse Wow. BP broke another rule. Amazing.
250FORD Champion Author Minnesota Posts:8,265 Points:1,303,335 Joined:Feb 2007	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:54:50 PM Ignore 250FORD Report Abuse They have dne what they wanted all along.
MDTDriver Champion Author California Posts:7,460 Points:1,695,785 Joined:Jul 2006	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:53:08 PM Ignore MDTDriver Report Abuse And where it the truth, does anyon know?
ILANGE9 Champion Author Illinois Posts:5,205 Points:1,134,675 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:52:51 PM Ignore ILANGE9 Report Abuse Everyone is a liar anymore.
Bud122CA Champion Author California Posts:5,233 Points:1,149,860 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:50:15 PM Ignore Bud122CA Report Abuse Another case of who is lying or how often.
bozo Champion Author Boston Posts:3,421 Points:1,840,395 Joined:Feb 2003	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:45:15 PM Ignore bozo Report Abuse bon appetit.
yukonjack Champion Author Georgia Posts:5,123 Points:1,467,375 Joined:Oct 2004	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:42:32 PM Ignore yukonjack Report Abuse OK. The coast guard doesn't listen to the EPA. BP asks the CG for permission to spread dispersants and gets it. How does this make BP at fault? Seems like the CG ought to have to explain why they approved these requests. And anyway, the stuff was spread. If it helped control the spread, then what's the problem. They make these dispersants for a reason... and they were used for that reason.
BKool Champion Author Michigan Posts:4,536 Points:1,755,350 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:42:17 PM Ignore BKool Report Abuse Nothing coming from the ny times can be taken at face value, unreliable in too many cases and that explains their dwindling readership.
connbrown Champion Author Corpus Christi Posts:1,517 Points:361,175 Joined:Apr 2009	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:41:28 PM Ignore connbrown Report Abuse thats right uglytom.
uglytom Champion Author Florida Posts:5,688 Points:1,190,910 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:36:39 PM Ignore uglytom Report Abuse They did things that were wrong! If they hadn't there would have been no oil spill.
MG_Sputnik Champion Author Philadelphia Posts:5,164 Points:1,504,605 Joined:Apr 2006	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:36:10 PM Ignore MG_Sputnik Report Abuse Right. We're supposed to believe that BP has always been on the up and up?
KO292 Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:7,823 Points:1,708,980 Joined:Apr 2007	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:35:47 PM Ignore KO292 Report Abuse what else is new
Chummy37 Champion Author Calgary Posts:1,566 Points:783,620 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:34:45 PM Ignore Chummy37 Report Abuse Strange... BP doing something covert.
04tang Champion Author Ohio Posts:2,244 Points:494,475 Joined:Jul 2006	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:25:19 PM Ignore 04tang Report Abuse Did BP do anything right down there?
ByGuy Champion Author Dallas Posts:5,669 Points:1,272,330 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:23:47 PM Ignore ByGuy Report Abuse Right on texasvet!!
texasvet Champion Author Texas Posts:2,322 Points:262,225 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:19:57 PM Ignore texasvet Report Abuse Either the Coast Guard is in charge, or it isn't. If they approved the dispersant usage, then you can't blame BP. BobbyVA - they've been checking the Gulf seafood constantly and have found no sign of contamination. But let your imagination be your guide.
SBlouch Champion Author San Antonio Posts:6,902 Points:1,473,805 Joined:Apr 2007	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:16:44 PM Ignore SBlouch Report Abuse From what I hear BP did use more dispersant, but they did so with the approval of the Coast Guard as they did nothing to stop its use.
BobbyVA Champion Author Virginia Beach Posts:3,441 Points:749,990 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:12:59 PM Ignore BobbyVA Report Abuse If scientists are counting on the Gulf to supply food to the world they better recompute. Corn and beans tasting like oil isn't my idea of saving the world, how can they sell this stuff.
Wizrd03 Champion Author Illinois Posts:5,791 Points:1,169,110 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:12:31 PM Ignore Wizrd03 Report Abuse They're damned if they do & dmned if they don't
teafortwo Champion Author Washington Posts:15,388 Points:926,140 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:06:45 PM Ignore teafortwo Report Abuse FROM RELATED ARTICLES: Scientists Say Gulf Spill Altering Food Web Scientists are reporting early signs that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is altering the marine food web by killing or tainting some creatures and spurring the growth of others more suited to a fouled environment. Near the spill site, researchers have documented a massive die-off of pyrosomes — cucumber-shaped, gelatinous organisms fed on by endangered sea turtles. Along the coast, droplets of oil are being found inside the shells of young crabs that are a mainstay in the diet of fish, turtles and shorebirds. And at the base of the food web, tiny organisms that consume oil and gas are proliferating. If such impacts continue, the scientists warn of a grim reshuffling of sealife that could over time cascade through the ecosystem and imperil the region's multibillion-dollar fishing industry. Gulf oil spill released toxic, tough-to-track chemicals Out of sight, out of mind? With surface oil slicks fading from view in the Gulf of Mexico, courtesy of the capped Macondo well, we'd be out of our minds to think that the oil still isn't there, warn forensic toxicologists. "We're finding less and less oil as we move forward," disaster response chief Thad Allen said last week, noting skimmer boats having trouble finding slicks. The retired Coast Guard admiral also pointed out that some 40% of the leaked oil, more than 90 million gallons of crude by U.S. Geologic Survey scientist estimates, is missing. "There's the issue of whether or not we may find oil under the water," Allen added. Under the water is where the oil is, say environmental chemists such as Jeffrey Short of the conservation group, Oceana, and not just in deep sea clouds of oil reported by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists. "Oil tends to congeal and where you saw a broad slick, you now have a lot of droplets and tarballs," he says. Whether floating as tarballs, buried under Mississippi River mud or carried off in currents to the Atlantic, much of the spilled oil remains in the water, Short says. "A chemical spill in the ocean is what this (Gulf of Mexico) leak is, really," says chemist Kim Anderson of Oregon State University in Corvallis. "The crude oil contains diesel, it contains gasoline, it contains kerosene, it contains methane and it contains chemicals that are unfortunately, carcinogenic. Literally there are hundreds of chemicals in crude oil."
paulydel Champion Author Delaware Posts:6,799 Points:688,620 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:04:52 PM Ignore paulydel Report Abuse I hope that the effects of the dispersant aren't long lasting.
kbierley Champion Author Dayton Posts:9,934 Points:1,271,545 Joined:Nov 2003	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:03:14 PM Ignore kbierley Report Abuse Great!
Hugo40 Champion Author Kentucky Posts:5,295 Points:1,154,700 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:02:13 PM Ignore Hugo40 Report Abuse Do you want to wait on the government to ok everything or do you try to use every method you can get your hands on to stop this spill from spreading?
balljars Champion Author Michigan Posts:6,155 Points:1,221,150 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:01:05 PM Ignore balljars Report Abuse They did the best that they could to contain this oil spill.
skynet Champion Author California Posts:2,841 Points:669,060 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:00:55 PM Ignore skynet Report Abuse Corporate coverup, nothing new.
fcdriver Champion Author Tennessee Posts:5,218 Points:1,069,800 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:59:19 PM Ignore fcdriver Report Abuse unless they were being watched every second of every day anything is possible
teafortwo Champion Author Washington Posts:15,388 Points:926,140 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:52:55 PM Ignore teafortwo Report Abuse It is very simple. BP was ordered to cut back on the use of dispersants. Instead, they cut back on how much they REPORTED and ADMITTED using. All while they were dumping ALL they could get their hands on BECAUSE the dispersants HIDE and DISGUISE how much oil was released from the damaged well. The amount of oil released is part of what they will eventually be fined for. AND, to avoid public outcry, they wanted to disguise the amount of oil from the people. The dispersants, although terribly toxic, break the oil up into smaller particles not recognised by the human eye AND the dispersants are not seen at all. SO, BP dumped millions of gallons of poison into the gulf in a CYA attempt to disguise the size of the gushing leak and to help reduce the fine and the public backlash. Now, the conflicting reports are coming out and BP is again trying to justify their actions. My instinct tells me we still do not know the whole story of just how much additional poison they pumped into the Gulf Waters. Prime fishing waters. A major source of FOOD now filled with millions of gallons of concentrated poisons.
LanguageMan1 Champion Author Tampa Posts:9,155 Points:1,200,185 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:51:17 PM Ignore LanguageMan1 Report Abuse Yeah, we know quite too well what they do! I'm very, VERY disappointed in BP, probably won't use them again, just like Exxon/Mobil, though I'm starting to think better of Exxon/Mobil.
wildredbill Champion Author Wisconsin Posts:3,551 Points:515,495 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:44:57 PM Ignore wildredbill Report Abuse These dispersants are much MORE toxic than oil. Too much is NOT KNOWN about the combination of the two to have ANY SAFE LEVEL.
Grismer Champion Author Kitchener-Waterloo Posts:6,278 Points:1,275,445 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:42:38 PM Ignore Grismer Report Abuse Did the use of dispersants do more harm than help? Was the deployment simply a matter of out of sight, out of mind? Such questions remain to be fully answered.
goldilox88 Champion Author Montreal Posts:4,059 Points:1,000,000 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:40:03 PM Ignore goldilox88 Report Abuse Blame game.
zee10 Veteran Author California Posts:362 Points:47,200 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:35:48 PM Ignore zee10 Report Abuse Clean it up with more chemicals, real good :(
BWD Champion Author Charleston Posts:3,116 Points:1,760,940 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:33:53 PM Ignore BWD Report Abuse Two nuts loose behind the wheel...Coast Guard and BP.
eddmac Champion Author Washington Posts:5,526 Points:1,234,975 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:33:36 PM Ignore eddmac Report Abuse typical media terrorism, play both side of the issue and rake in the profits from selling it
papou Champion Author Tampa Posts:8,502 Points:1,449,990 Joined:Jul 2005	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:31:30 PM Ignore papou Report Abuse Looks like the shot a Bird to the regulators !
skeeterbait Sophomore Author Knoxville Posts:166 Points:205,495 Joined:May 2009	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:27:59 PM Ignore skeeterbait Report Abuse It just proves that the two cant be on the same page. Both have different agendas. Instead of working toward the same goal both want to go their own way.
kfinto All-Star Author Texas Posts:614 Points:1,544,300 Joined:Apr 2005	Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:27:45 PM Ignore kfinto Report Abuse Maybe I should be upset but I'm not. I like the fact that BP is basically telling the government to go F... off. Can't wait until the people of the U.S. do the same to the Federal Government. Shall we start with the I.R.S.?