As Gulf Spill Drags on, Chemical Use Remains a Big Question

[n2doc]

By Matthew Wheeland
Published May 27, 2010
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British Petroleum officials say that its latest attempt to stop the flood of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico is working, amid new questions about the safety of the chemicals used to break up the oil already in the environment.


With the "top kill" attempt well underway, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen seconded BP's take, saying that the gushing oil from the well has at least temporarily stopped, although some pressure from the well remains.

The top kill method, which relies on pumping thousands of gallons of heavy mud into the well shaft in order to stanch the flow of oil, was widely seen as a last-ditch effort to contain what is now officially the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

While hopes run high for stopping the flow of any additional oil into the Gulf, significant challenges remain for cleaning up the 17 million to 39 million gallons that have already polluted the ocean and the coasts of Louisiana, Alabama and Florida to date.

BP has relied on massive quantities of two types of an oil dispersant called Corexit to break up the oil into what it calls more easily broken-down portions. The chemicals, Corexit 9527A and Corexit 9500, are known to be hazardous to aquatic life and to humans.


Read more: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/05/27/gulf-spill-drags-chemical-use-remains-big-question

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Would there be any motive for intentional poisoning of the Gulf?

Maybe Big Oil figuring if they kill off everything in the water, they can drill with no fears of
pesky environmentalists breathing down their necks???