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SW: →U.S. Government Cover-Up of Toxicity of Dispersants: add info from the aug 4 hearing
== U.S. Government Cover-Up of Toxicity of Dispersants ==
White House energy adviser [[Carol Browner]] famously compared oil dispersants to using dish soap to clean oily pans in the sink.<ref>Kate Shepherd and David Corn, [http://motherjones.com/environment/2010/06/epa-bp-toxic-oil-dispersant "Hey EPA: How Are Those Dispersant Tests Going?"], ''Mother Jones'', June 23, 2010, Accessed August 7, 2010.</ref> 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> For more information, see the article [[U.S. Government Cover-Up of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill]].
In the August 4, 2010 Senate hearing on the dispersants, EPA representative [[Paul Anastas]] testified, admitting that the longterm effects of dispersants on aquatic life are unknown, but claiming that the EPA is not observing the dispersants in their monitoring and suggesting that the dispersants have perhaps broken down in the environment. He spoke of the EPA's tests of toxicity on two species. He said that the eight dispersants tested were non-toxic to mildly toxic, whereas the oil alone was moderately toxic. Together, he said, the oil and dispersants were no more toxic than the oil alone to the two species. He also maintained that the dispersants were successful in keeping the oil off of the shoreline and therefore any environmental impacts of their use were offset by the benefits of keeping oil from the Gulf coast.
In the same hearing, David Westerholm, Director of [[NOAA]]'s Office of Response and Restoration, testified. He called dispersants an "effective tool" but also noted "trade-offs." He noted some gaps in scientific knowledge on the environmental effects of the dispersants. According to him, no seafood tested has been found with unsafe levels of [[PAHs]] as a result of the spill or dispersants.
==Articles and resources==
