U.S. fears BP cleanup workers imperiled

[imurhuckleberry]

Source: Seattle Times

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators complained in an internal memo about "significant deficiencies" in BP's handling of the safety of oil-spill workers and asked the Coast Guard to help pressure the company to address a litany of concerns.

The memo, written by a Labor Department official last week, reveals the Obama administration's growing concerns about potential health and safety problems posed by the oil spill.

BP said it has deployed about 22,000 workers to combat the spill.

David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health who wrote the memo, raised the concerns Tuesday, the day before seven oil-spill workers on boats off the coast of Louisiana were hospitalized after experiencing nausea, dizziness and headaches.

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011988142_oilhealth30.html

[gateley]

1. Typo. Should be "BP said it has deployed about 22 workers to combat the spill." nt

[HughMoran]

2. After 21,978 died from poisons they sprayed in the water

Wouldn't it be ironic if the dispersant was more toxic to humans than wildlife? It seems that might be the case :(

[gateley]

4. That's what a lot of people are claiming. I heard a radio host from Alaska

and she said when people walked on the beach (after spraying) they found that their rubber boots were melting! It can't be good for ANY living being!

[Catherina]

6. It's not but tell Congress that. Nalco (Corexit) has been busy lobbying them

Nalco’s Chief Lobbies Congress on Gulf Oil Dispersant (Update1)
May 27, 2010, 5:11 PM EDT

By Jim Snyder

May 27 (Bloomberg) -- Nalco Holding Co.’s chief met with members of Congress yesterday to convince them that its chemical dispersant should continue to be used on BP Plc’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as the U.S. weighs restrictions.

J. Erik Fyrwald, chief executive officer of the Naperville, Illinois-based company, sought to reassure lawmakers that the chemical, Corexit, is “safe and effective” after the Environmental Protection Agency demanded that BP curb its use to break up the spill, company spokesman Charlie Pajor said.

...

Nalco was already becoming more active in Washington when the Gulf spill occurred. It recently opened an office and hired Ramola Musante, a former EPA official, as its lobbyist.

...

Nalco doesn’t make public the chemical composition of the dispersant, which acts like a detergent on oil so that it breaks up more quickly.

Corexit is “a simple blend of six well-established, safe ingredients that biodegrade, do not bioaccumulate and are commonly found in popular household products,” the company said today in a statement.



http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-27/nalco-s-chief-lobbies-congress-on-gulf-oil-dispersant-update1-.html

There are much better, safer alternatives but Corexit is "a chemical that the oil industry makes to sell to itself, basically" (Richard Charter, senior policy advisor for Defenders of Wildlife).

Corexit

...

HUMAN HEALTH HAZARDS - CHRONIC :
Contains ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (butoxyethanol). Prolonged and/or repeated exposure through inhalation
or extensive skin contact with EGBE may result in damage to the blood and kidneys.

...

WARNING
Eye and skin irritant. Repeated or excessive exposure to butoxyethanol may cause injury to red blood cells
(hemolysis), kidney or the liver. Harmful by inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed.
Do not get in eyes, on skin, on clothing. Do not take internally. Use with adequate ventilation. Wear suitable
protective clothing. Keep container tightly closed. Flush affected area with water. Keep away from heat. Keep
away from sources of ignition - No smoking.

...

ENVIRONMENTAL PRECAUTIONS :
Do not contaminate surface water.

...

OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE LIMITS :
Exposure guidelines have not been established for this product.

http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/posted/2931/Corexit_EC9527A_MSDS.539295.pdf

The SDS for 9500 is here: http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/posted/2931/Corexit_EC9500A_MSDS.539287.pdf It clearly states

11. TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
No toxicity studies have been conducted on this product.

for Corexit 9527, the toxicology info states

HUMAN HAZARD CHARACTERIZATION :
Based on our hazard characterization, the potential human hazard is: High

The entire safety data sheet is worth a read.

[PSPS]

3. "asked the Coast Guard to help pressure the company"

Federal regulators complained in an internal memo about "significant deficiencies" in BP's handling of the safety of oil-spill workers and asked the Coast Guard to help pressure the company to address a litany of concerns.

This doesn't even rise to the low level of a "strongly worded letter." You know we're finished when "Federal regulators" have to "ask the Coast Guard" to "help pressure" a company engaged in criminal acts.

[radhika]

5. Simper, Whimper, Whine and Plead!

Humiliating! Count the levels of functional impotency in this signature event!

[Catherina]

7. It would be comical if it weren't so tragic. That's frankly unbelievable!

"asked the Coast Guard to help pressure the company"

It would be comical if it weren't so tragic.

[Karenina]

8. FEARS??? Indeed. The application of this dispersant is ASSAULT.

[felinetta]

9. asked the Coast Guard to help pressure the company to address a litany of concerns. WTF?

And sorry, who didn't know these workers would get sick?? Why
don't they use Suttles and 
Hayward as canaries where the clean-up is taking place?

[FarCenter]

10. Plus, where are they dumping the cleaned up oil and all the booms, clothing, and other material?

Plus the damage done by the dispersant!

Leave the oil alone and let nature take care of it.