Watchdog Reports Health Problems From Dispersant Use During BP Spill

"WASHINGTON -- Cleanup workers, doctors, divers and Gulf Coast residents interviewed by a Washington watchdog group have reported health problems from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, including blood in the urine, heart palpitations, kidney and liver damage, migraines, memory loss and reduced IQ."



"The Government Accountability Project, which did the interviews and released the results to coincide with Saturday's third anniversary of the BP oil spill disaster, attributes the health problems to widespread use of the dispersant Corexit. It was used to break up millions of barrels of oil spilled from the Macondo well accident.

An advocacy group for whistleblowers inside and outside government, the Government Accountability Project said that official statements from representatives of BP and the federal government about the potential dangers of chemical dispersants were false and misleading."

Bruce Alpert reports for the New Orleans Times-Picayune April 20, 2013.

SEE ALSO:

"Why Is the Toxic Dispersant Used After BP's Gulf Disaster Still the Cleanup Agent of Choice in the US?" (Mother Jones)

"Corexit: Deadly Dispersant in Oil Spill Cleanup" (Government Accountability Project)

Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, 04/22/2013