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Nalco Oil Dispersant Information

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Inaccuracy vs

Fact About COREXIT Products

Inaccuracy vs Fact About COREXIT Products

/*(NEW) INACCURACY: Tests on Gulf workers show significant exposure to

2-butoxyethanol.*/

FACT: OSHA conducted testing for exposure to 2-butoxyethanol on relief

workers in the Gulf of Mexico. According to Greenwire.com "OSHA's

analysis of raw BP testing data concluded that among the 20 percent of

sampled workers exposed to 2-butoxyethanol, 'the highest level measured

was 0.8 ppm, and 90% of those were 0.2 ppm or less,' according to a

statement from the agency. 'Every measurement was well below the NIOSH

recommended limit of 5.0 ppm.'" The full Greenwire story can be read

here.

2-butoxyethanol is a componenet of COREXIT 9527, which was used

sparingly in the early days of the Gulf oil spill. COREXIT 9500, which

does not contain 2-butoxyethanol, has been exclusively used for the

majority of the remediation effort.

/*INACCURACY: The chemical formula of COREXIT has not been disclosed.*/

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FACT: Nalco has provided the Federal Government with all information

relating to the chemicals and compounds in our product and is willing to

provide this data to any state government that wants the information to

analyze the effects of dispersants and protects the confidentiality of

the proprietary information. We have complied with every request for

information and assistance we have received from the Federal Government

that is needed to protect human health and the environment and will

continue to do so as we help mitigate the damaging consequences of the

oil spilling into the Gulf. The ingredients to COREXIT products are

available here .

/*INACCURACY: COREXIT is banned in the United Kingdom.*/

FACT: Corexit is approved in over 30 countries and we are unaware of a

single country that has banned Corexit. The UK does not allow the use

of Corexit for rocky shoreline application because it results in snails

and other crustaceans not sticking to rocks. Corexit was not designed

for rocky coast application and is only applied in the United States at

least 3 miles off shore. However, Corexit 9500 did pass the UK test for

off-shore use (what it was designed for) and existing stock use is

allowed for that intended application with notification to appropriate

authorities.

/*INACCURACY: The EPAs May 20 dispersant directive ordered BP to stop

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using COREXIT.*/

FACT: The EPAs dispersant directive

gave BP

24 hours to identify a less toxic and equally effective alternative if

one existed, but as EPA Administrator Jackson said in a May 24 press

conference

, there

was no order they had to switch. The directive indicated that If BP was

unable to identify a less toxic and equally effective dispersant from

the EPAs approved list within 24 hours, BP would provide an explanation

to the EPA as to why the current dispersant (COREXIT) was the least

toxic and most effective option available. BPs response to the EPAs

directive is available here

.

In addition, during a press call hosted by Paul Anastas, assistant

administrator for the Office of Research and Development at EPA, on June

30 regarding the EPA's first round of independent dispersant testing,

Anastas further clarified EPAs directive, stating, let me be clear

about what we expected of BP. We expected them to, one, seek out the

least toxic dispersant and to always be asking that question and always

looking to identify that. And two, minimize the use of dispersant

wherever possible to effectively deal with this crisis. And one of the

things and I'll refer back to my statement that we've seen that after

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the Administrator made that communication to BP, we have seen the use of

dispersants decrease by almost 70 percent from its peak usage.

He went on to say, I think the important thing to clarify is what the

administrator directed BP to do is to look at other dispersants in order

to always ask the question about, "Are we using the safest, most

effective dispersant that we can?" Its important that BP do that. Its

important that we always bring to bear the most effective and safe

dispersants for human health and the environment. And I think that

that's the request that the Administrator made and that's what we will

continue to insist upon. The full transcript of the June 30 press call

can be found here

.

/*INACCURACY: COREXIT dispersant is the primary hazard to marine life in

the Gulf.*/

FACT: The EPA has indicated that COREXIT has been safe and effective in

mitigating the impact of the oil on the environment. According to the

EPA , toxicity data

does not indicate any significant effects on aquatic life. Moreover,

decreased size of the oil droplets is a good indication that, so far,

the dispersant is effective. EPA Administrator Jackson also said that

COREXIT has been effective in speeding biodegradation, and USCG Rear

Admiral Landry indicated that COREXIT has prevented much more highly

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toxic oil from reaching US shorelines. (source: May 24 EPA Press

Conference on Dispersant Use in the Gulf of Mexico

).

According to Luann White, Director, Tulane Center for Applied

Environmental Public Health Its not the dispersants that cause the

ecological effects its the oil thats toxic. None of these

dispersants is so innately toxic -- once you use them out in the Gulf,

theyre not going to cause toxic effects in and of themselves. Tulane

University, June 2, 2010 .

/*INACCURACY: COREXIT dispersant is highly toxic.*/

FACT: All of the ingredients contained in Nalcos dispersants are safe

and found in common household products, such as food, hand and body

lotion, packaging, cosmetics, and household cleaners. Corexit is

approved for use by the EPA because it falls well within the agencys

range of allowable toxicity levels. Corexit products biodegrade rapidly,

do not bioaccumulate, are not human carcinogens, do not degrade into

endocrine disruptors, and are not reproductive toxins. Common household

soaps are more toxic to marine life than Corexit.

In fact, Paul Anastas, the EPAs assistant administrator for research

and development, told reporters Wednesday (June 30) that the Corexit

9500 being used by oil company BP is among the least toxic to small

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fish of the eight products tested (Dispersants appear to break up in

Gulf, EPA says, CNN Wire Staff, June 30, 2010).

/*INACCURACY: COREXIT dispersant is hazardous to human health when used

as directed.*/

FACT: All of the ingredients contained in Nalcos dispersants are found

in common household products, such as food, packaging, cosmetics, and

household cleaners. Individually and collectively the ingredients are

safe when used as directed. A May 13 Centers for Disease Control Oil

Spill Dispersant Information for Health Professionals

document notes that, Because of the strict guidelines that must be

followed to utilize dispersants it is unlikely that the general public

will be exposed to straight product. The report further states that

ingredients are not considered to cause chemical sensitization; the

dispersants contain proven, biodegradable and low toxicity surfactants.

/*INACCURACY: COREXIT dispersant will evaporate into clouds and come

back down in the rain*/

FACT: COREXIT dispersants are made to disperse oil into the water column

and not to evaporate. They biodegrade into the water and are not

released back into the atmosphere. In fact, Admiral Thad Allen noted at

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a June 11 press conference that the primary surface use of Corexit is to

protect worker safety.

http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doctype/2931/54095/.

/*INACCURACY: COREXIT dispersants will drift to populated areas when

sprayed from airplanes.*/

FACT: COREXIT is meant to be used at sea away from the shoreline and

has been used in more than 30 countries, including Sweden, France,

Australia, Norway and Canada. Aerial spraying of dispersant is not to

take place within 2 miles of a boat or 3 miles of a shoreline. With

30-mile per hour winds, the maximum expected drift for the dispersant is

2,000 feet. Spraying of dispersant from boats should only be done with

personal protective equipment. Again, the Centers for Disease Control

says it is highly unlikely that the general public will be exposed to

Corexit dispersants. Mists of the dispersant will not stray far from the

boat given the proximity of the spray to the surface of the water.

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