The BP drilling disaster made it tragically clear that federal rules overseeing the use of chemical dispersants are deeply flawed. In the wake of the disaster, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promised reforms. Yet it’s been almost four years, and our coastal communities are still at risk. Tell EPA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to act now to reform dispersant rules to protect the health of our communities and environment.1.84 million gallons of Corexit were sprayed into the Gulf of Mexico during the BP disaster, despite responders having no knowledge of the its long-term impacts or effectiveness underwater. Sadly, those impacts are still reverberating through the Gulf of Mexico’s ecosystems and communities today. EPA and OMB need to stop stalling.We cannot continue to allow oil companies to use these dangerous chemicals as a first response to oil spills without ensuring that they won’t do long-term harm to the people and wildlife of the Gulf. Please take action to tell EPA and OMB to hurry up and publish revisions to their dispersant regulations before the next major disaster.Cyn Sarthou is GRN’s Executive Director.
