Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.
[Note added 6/22: I have corrected one of the figures below, which was based on a misunderstanding of the EPA/Coast Guard Directive. Please see this correction for the updated information and a statement from EPA.]
As of yesterday, BP’s use of dispersants to address the ongoing Deepwater Horizon spill has topped 1.4 million gallons.
On May 26, 2010, EPA and the Coast Guard issued a Directive to BP calling for significant reductions in BP’s use of dispersants. That directive set out three requirements:
- Eliminate surface application of dispersant except in rare cases where exemptions are requested in writing and granted by the Coast Guard’s Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC).
- Limit subsurface application of dispersant to a maximum of 15,000 gallons per day.
- Overall goal of reducing dispersant use by 75%.
Has BP complied? The short answer is not even close. The details follow. Read More