Monday
Jun072010
Environmental Expert Warns Of Health Threats In Gulf Region
By Miles Wolf Tamboli - Talk Radio News
A House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee held a field hearing Monday on the "Local Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill" in Chalmette, Louisiana. During the hearing, environmental experts offered up to date information on how the spill will affect human health in the region.
The use of dispersants and the fumes created by burning oil off the surface of the water have created "crude oil aerosols," which "have resulted in health impacts including headaches, nausea, respiratory impacts, irritation to eyes, nose, throat and lungs and asthma attacks," according to Wilma Subra, a leading environmental scientist and president of the Subra Company.
"BP ... failed to provide adequate protective gear to the fishermen [and] workers exposed to the crude oil and the workers experienced health impacts," Subra said. "The workers were afraid to speak up due to the potential to lose their jobs. Those fishermen who attempted to wear respirators while working were threatened to be fired by BP."
In addition to the health effects, Subra said that attempts to mitigate the massive oil spill have also negatively impacted the local ecology.
"The actions have had detrimental impacts to the water column, sediment, biota and wetland areas by dispersing the crude oil into the water column, sediments and wetland areas," Subra explained. "The dispersing of the crude oil also has resulted in a much larger area of impact in the Gulf of Mexico than has been covered by the surface crude oil spill."
A House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee held a field hearing Monday on the "Local Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill" in Chalmette, Louisiana. During the hearing, environmental experts offered up to date information on how the spill will affect human health in the region.
The use of dispersants and the fumes created by burning oil off the surface of the water have created "crude oil aerosols," which "have resulted in health impacts including headaches, nausea, respiratory impacts, irritation to eyes, nose, throat and lungs and asthma attacks," according to Wilma Subra, a leading environmental scientist and president of the Subra Company.
"BP ... failed to provide adequate protective gear to the fishermen [and] workers exposed to the crude oil and the workers experienced health impacts," Subra said. "The workers were afraid to speak up due to the potential to lose their jobs. Those fishermen who attempted to wear respirators while working were threatened to be fired by BP."
In addition to the health effects, Subra said that attempts to mitigate the massive oil spill have also negatively impacted the local ecology.
"The actions have had detrimental impacts to the water column, sediment, biota and wetland areas by dispersing the crude oil into the water column, sediments and wetland areas," Subra explained. "The dispersing of the crude oil also has resulted in a much larger area of impact in the Gulf of Mexico than has been covered by the surface crude oil spill."
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BP, Louisiana, Miles Wolf Tamboli, deepwater horizon, fish, health, pelicans, shrimp in Frontpage 3, News/Commentary
BP, Louisiana, Miles Wolf Tamboli, deepwater horizon, fish, health, pelicans, shrimp in Frontpage 3, News/Commentary
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