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

[IScreamSundays]

Source: LA Times

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.

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Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/05/gulf-oil-spill--1.html

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Why isn't it being told to scale back 100% on the TOXIC dispersants????????????

[Kalun D]

2. WHY??

""subsea injections, which had never been administered at 5,000 feet, had been effective and would continue,""

Why in the he*l would you do that? Why not let it come to the surface where you can skim it?

Once you disperse it it's not recoverable.

[tomm2thumbs]

3. wink wink, nod nod

just turn that little valve over there down a notch for the camera, and then when we aren't looking, go ahead and turn it back up - no one will have to know

'know what I mean, Verne?

[Ruby the Liberal]

4. Bullshit

They DID identify a 'safer' chemical. Not only did they identify it, but they put in a Purchase Order for a mountain of it, and it is sitting, yet undelivered at the Houston company that makes it. The owner is ticked (and rightfully so).

More here with video interview: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=4393501#4393602

That said, I would prefer that they actually go to the expense of getting the oil OUT of the sea rather than just trying to disguise it, but to each his own on this cleanup.

[Earth_First]

5. The SAME surface dispersant that has been BANNED in the UK?

I say scale it back by 100% and actually clean the mess up!

[The Wielding Truth]

6. Why can't they just make it illegal to use this toxic agent?

[Iowa]

7. What a massive clusterfuck.