Envirodefensefund's Channel. Gulf Oil Spill Is Public Health Risk, Environmental Scientists Warn | CommonDreams.org. Prolonged exposure to crude oil and chemical dispersants is a public health danger, environmental scientists warned today as BP spent a third day trying to initiate a "top kill" operation to cap the ruptured well on the sea bed. The oil firm moved to a second stage of the procedure by injecting material such as golf balls, shredded tyres and rope into the well. But John Pack, a spokesman for BP, said it would not be clear until Sunday if it would work. "We have never said there is a deadline or a schedule," he said. "We need to take this pretty slowly, but everything is going according to plan. " A BP clean-up crew clears oil from a beach at Port Fourchon, Louisiana on May 25. Prolonged exposure to crude oil and chemical dispersants is a public health danger, environmental scientists warned.
(AFP/Getty Images/File/John Moore) BP's beleaguered chief executive, Tony Hayward, today drastically scaled upwards his assessment of the spill in the Gulf of Mexico. BP Oil Spill Confirmed as Worst in US History; Environmental Groups Challenge Continued Oil Operations in Gulf Excluded from New Moratorium. This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. JUAN GONZALEZ: President Obama is heading to Louisiana today on his second trip to the region since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20th. On Thursday, President Obama held an hour-long news conference defending his administration’s handling of the disaster. In what was his first news conference in ten months, President Obama outlined some of his administration’s plans to prevent another oil rig disaster.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: First, we will suspend the planned exploration of two locations off the coast of Alaska. Second, we will cancel the pending lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico and the proposed lease sale off the coast of Virginia. JUAN GONZALEZ: Many environmental and watchdog groups are saying the administration’s moratorium doesn’t go far enough. Meanwhile, the group Food & Water Watch is leading an effort to shut down the Atlantis, another BP oil rig in the Gulf. Wenonah Hauter, let’s begin with you. What Does the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Mean for Human Health? - Health Blog. By Katherine Hobson The ecological implications of the Gulf Coast oil spill may take years to tease out — in fact, it may not ever be possible to fully gauge the extent of the damage, the WSJ reports.
The impact on human health is also a question mark, the Washington Post writes. Initial concerns are focusing on cleanup workers, some of whom were hospitalized this week after reporting nausea, dizziness and headaches. Exposure to the oil, the chemicals being used to disperse it or the combination of the two might produce acute symptoms including the ones the workers reported. However, so might working in hot and humid conditions for hours at a time, the WP notes. Workers aren’t wearing respirators and hazmat suits because most aren’t being exposed to high levels of fumes, and the weather conditions would make that getup itself potentially hazardous. “These studies show that workers and local residents can suffer from health effects after oil spills.
Photo: Associated Press. Interview: Naomi Klein on Oil Leak | CommonDreams.org. The Gulf of Oil from Space in 35 Days. BP Oil Spill Confirmed as Worst in U.S. History; Environmental Groups Challenge Continued Oil Operations in Gulf Excluded from New Moratorium | CommonDreams.org. Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com - Cuba faces possible oil threat. Oil reaches Louisiana shores. Will the BP Oil Spill Be the Spark? | CCAN Blog. Science of the Oil Spill: Our Reporting Team Tackles Five Key Issues.
US oil spill explained. The Age of Oil is Over. Junk Shot BP Oil Spill /Blowout Live Webcam May 28 8am ET. Cuba Could Be Impacted by Gulf Oil Spill | 1planet1ocean. Sim_drifters_100k_density.gif 600×450 pixels. Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: 35 Days From Space [720p] Animals in the news. Kevin Costner Helps To Fight Spill.