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SW: create secton on US govt coverup
'''Oil dispersants''' are chemicals designed to break up oil. They have been released into the ocean in large quantities following major oil spills, including the 1989 [[Exxon-Valdez ]] spill in Alaska, the 1978 [[Amoco-Cadiz ]] spill off the coast of Normandy, and the 2010 [[Deepwater Horizon ]] spill in the Gulf of Mexico. However, dispersants are ineffective in cleaning up the spilled oil, only serving to effectively hide it from public view and TV cameras by dispersing it throughout the water column. Chemicals used as oil dispersants are frequently toxic and releasing them into the ocean adds to the toxic effect of the oil on the ocean ecosystem and makes the oil harder to clean up. According to Terry Hazen, a microbial ecologist in Berkeley Lab's Earth Sciences Division, "the concentration of detergents and other chemicals used to clean up sites contaminated by oil spills can cause environmental nightmares of their own."<ref>http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504142110.htm "Caution Required for Gulf Oil Spill Clean-Up, Bioremediation Expert Says"], ''Science Daily'', May 4, 2010.</ref>
== Disperants in the 1978 Amoco Cadiz Spill==
== Dispersants in the 1989 Exxon Valdez Spill ==
In 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spilled 11 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound in Alaska, impacting 1300 miles of coastline. Dispersants, rich in phosphorous and nitrogen compounds, and fertilizers were released as part of the clean-up effort. The treated areas were "dramatically cleaner" after the first year, but following the second year, scientists observed no improvements and have "grim" hopes for the long-term prospects of the treated area.<ref>http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504142110.htm "Caution Required for Gulf Oil Spill Clean-Up, Bioremediation Expert Says"], ''Science Daily'', May 4, 2010.</ref> Microbial ecologist Terry Hazan believes that the nutrients added to the environment, which was naturally low in nutrients, sped up the degradation of oil but also "upset the ecological balance of the system." He predicts, "the severe environmental damage resulting from the spill is expected to persist for decades to come."<ref>http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504142110.htm "Caution Required for Gulf Oil Spill Clean-Up, Bioremediation Expert Says"], ''Science Daily'', May 4, 2010.</ref>
== Dispersants in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Spill ==
In 2010, a blowout at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico caused a massive oil spill that gushed from April until August. BP, the company responsible for the spill, emptied millions of gallons of the dispersant [[Corexit 9500]] into the Gulf.
== U.S. Government Cover-Up of Toxicity of Dispersants ==
The EPA defended BP's release of dispersants in the Deepwater Horizon spill, insisting that the mixture of oil and dispersants are no more toxic to two marine species tested than oil alone. Also, they maintain that Corexit is "generally no more or less toxic" than other available dispersants.<ref>Ben Gemen, [http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/113121-house-dem-questions-epa-dispersant-defense "House Dem questions EPA dispersant defense"], ''The Hill'', August 6, 2010.</ref> In a letter to the EPA, Rep. Jerrold Nadler challenged their statements, asking about a Swedish study, that used EPA's data but found that "a mixture of oil and dispersant give rise to a more toxic effect on aquatic organisms than oil and dispersants do alone."<ref>Ben Gemen, [http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/113121-house-dem-questions-epa-dispersant-defense "House Dem questions EPA dispersant defense"], ''The Hill'', August 6, 2010.</ref>
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