NOAA Opens Another 4,000 Square Miles In Gulf

by Miles Wolf Tamboli - the Talk Radio News Service

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reopened over 4,000 square miles of Gulf waters in western Louisiana to recreational and commercial fishing, Friday, according to a press release issued by the Deepwater Horizon Response Joint Command.

No oil has been reported in the area since July 18, excluding a light sheen on July 29, and trajectory models show that no contamination is expected to enter the area.

The NOAA sampled fish and shrimp in the region from July 26 to July 29 and have declared all samples, “well below the levels of concern.” The NOAA will continue to monitor the area for oil, and will conduct fish sampling to and testing to assure that the seafood is safe.

“We have confidence that seafood harvested from this area is free from harmful oil residues and can be enjoyed by consumers around the nation,” said Margaret Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

Over 48,000 square miles of the Gulf remain closed as the administration works to determine the ecological and health effects of the BP-Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the highly criticized heavy use of chemical dispersants following the spill. 

EPA Says Dispersants Less Toxic Than Oil

by Miles Wolf Tamboli - Talk Radio News Service

The Environmental Protection Agency finished its second round of toxicity testing on eight chemical dispersants and released their findings in a conference call Monday. The second round of tests on the dispersants used to combat the BP-Deepwater Horizon oil spill focused on testing the chemicals for their toxicity as compared to or combined with Sweet Louisiana Crude Oil.

Dr. Paul Anastas, the EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Research and Development, told reporters that the findings show similar toxicity levels for oil-dispersant mixtures and oil alone, and that all dispersants tested less toxic than oil-dispersant mixtures. Anastas reiterated that the crude is, “enemy number one.”

The EPA supported the administration’s efforts to curtail the use of dispersants since the EPA’s May 26th directive to BP to cut down chemical application by 75%, and stated in a press release Monday; “Dispersants prevent some oil from impacting sensitive areas along the gulf coast. EPA’s position has been that BP should use as little dispersant as necessary.”

The first round of dispersant toxicity testing set out to determine the toxicity of eight chemical dispersants and their differences. The first report released in June that, “none of the eight dispersants tested, including the product in use in the Gulf, displayed biologically significant endocrine disrupting activity.” 

Although the EPA administrator assured that the testing was thorough and appropriate, some critics have brought up questions over the EPA’s sole use of juvenile fish and shrimp, which may leave room for confounding variables like reproductive issues. Some also questioned Anastas over the fact that the tests were done at “standard” temperatures and conditions, and not conditions that would mimic the recent use of the dispersants in underwater applications and extreme temperatures and pressures.