"Group Threatens Suit Over Oil Spill Dispersants in Alaska"

"A national environmental group is threatening to sue over the federal government's oil spill emergency response plan for Alaska, saying regulators violated the law by not studying whether using chemicals to disperse oil spills would harm the state's endangered and threatened marine species.

We highlighted chemical dispersants because that has emerged as a (pollution) concern, but it's one concern among many with the response plan' in Alaska,' said Rebecca Noblin, the center's Alaska director.

Dispersants are a collection of chemicals used to dilute and disperse oil spills, with the goal of keeping oil slicks from hitting sensitive coastlines. Dispersants were used during the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill and remain highly controversial in Alaska. Many groups in Alaska, including the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council, oppose the use of dispersants, claiming they aren't effective in the state's cold waters and might cause more harm to fish and wildlife."

Elizabeth Bluemink reports for the Anchorage Daily News November 10, 2010.