EPA girds for a fight with BP over dispersants in Gulf oil spill

[Jefferson23]

BP has not met the EPA's mandate that it switch to a new dispersant, saying there aren't any other viable options for the Gulf oil spill. But the EPA says it's 'not satisfied,' and the manufacturer of a different dispersant insists it can meet BP's needs.

By Mark Guarino, Staff writer / May 25, 2010

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching an investigation into BP's assertion that there aren't any chemical dispersants better or less toxic than the product it has been using to combat the Gulf oil spill during the past month.


The Obama administration's frustration with BP over the dispersant issue has been mounting since this weekend. By Sunday, it had become clear that BP would not heed an EPA directive to find an alternative to Corexit, the dispersant that the EPA rates as less effective and more toxic than as many as 12 other products.

BP has said no such alternatives exist, either because companies cannot produce the volume BP needs on such short notice or because companies don't disclose the chemicals in their products – casting their potential environmental benefits into doubt.

Early Tuesday, the White House's energy adviser backed up that assertion about dispersants' availability. "There are not as many being manufactured as people thought in the quantities" needed, said Carol Browner, in a round of television appearances on morning news shows. "We need to determine whether or not those alternatives are available, and the EPA is doing that, but in the meantime, EPA has directed BP to use less of the dispersants and they're required to follow that."


remainder in full: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0525/EPA-girds-for-a-fight-with-BP-over-dispersants-in-Gulf-oil-spill

[nRkiSt]

1. Go Get 'Em EPA!!

Pertect our enviroment yessirree!!

[charlesg]

2. Such good corporate behavior in a disaster

Corporate greed knows no limits.