BP Oil Spill, BP Oil Spill Cleanup Workers BLOG POST
Risks Associated With Oil Disbursement Chemicals
Oil disbursement chemicals are designed to do just that ― disperse oil. Oil companies are fined by the federal government on the basis of the quantity of oil they have spilled, so you can imagine how anxious BP Oil was to disburse the 210 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 Macondo Blowout.
So anxious that it acquired 1.84 million gallons of oil dispersants — roughly one-third of the world’s supply.
When the solution is worse than the problem itself
A 2012 study conducted by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes (UAA), Mexico found that the use of Corexit made the Gulf of Mexico 52 times more toxic than the oil itself.
Studies show that by breaking down crude oil, Corexit makes oil more “bioavailable” and therefore more easily absorbed by marine plants and animals. Gulf Coast shrimp are being found with no eyes, crabs with no eyes or claws. Furthermore, testing done on local seafood have revealed hydrocarbon levels 3,000 times higher than what is safe for human consumption — studies show that plankton that were not killed had absorbed these hydrocarbons before they were consumed by other sea creatures. There has also been a massive decrease in the population of microscopic organisms that form the base of the food chain.
As for Corexit’s effect on humans, the federal government has classified Corexit 9527 as “low risk,” and Corexit 9500 as “moderate risk,” but this assumes that the products are being used properly, that is, with protective clothing and equipment — clothing and equipment withheld from the cleanup workers.
The Corexit 9527 product safety sheet warns that direct, excessive and repeated exposure ― such as that experienced by the cleanup workers ― is known to cause liver, kidney and red blood cell damage. The main ingredient in Corexit 9527, 2-butoxyethanol, was identified as one of the causes of kidney, lung, liver, blood and nervous system disorders in the 1989 Exxon Valdez cleanup workers.
The average life span of the Exxon Valdez cleanup workers is 50.
Obtaining justice for victims of the BP Oil Spill
During its 18 months in operation, the BP Gulf Coast Claims Fund denied all health claims it received. The Garretson Resolution Group has since been appointed by the Court to administer health claims and we are confident that victims of the BP Oil Spill will now obtain the medical compensation they need and deserve. The lawyers at the Downs Law Group are available to provide additional information about the medical settlement with BP Oil.
