FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday released results from the first round of the agency’s testing of eight oil dispersants. EPA officials had on May 22 ordered British Petroleum to analyze potential alternatives to Corexit 9500, the product the company uses to disperse oil in the Gulf of Mexico. The product is banned in Great Britain because officials there consider it much too toxic.

BP reported to EPA that they were unable to find a suitable alternative that was less toxic while at the same time equally effective. The federal agency accepted BP’s findings, but decided to conduct their own scientific research into the dispersants approved and listed on the National Contingency Plan Product Schedule (NCP-PS).

According to the EPA, none of the dispersants tested, including Corexit 9500, “displayed biologically significant endocrine disrupting activity.”

The agency claims that although the dispersant products alone have roughly the same impact on aquatic life, JD-2000 and Corexit 9500 were generally less toxic to small fish and JD-2000 and SAF-RON GOLD were least toxic to mysid shrimp. Additional testing is needed, officials noted.

“EPA is performing independent tests to determine the potential impacts of various dispersants. We will continue to conduct additional research before providing a final recommendation,” EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson stated in a press release. ”We want to ensure that every tool is available to mitigate the impact of the BP spill and protect our fragile wetlands. But we continue to direct BP to use dispersants responsibly and in as limited an amount as possible.”

Mobile Baykeeper Executive Director Casi Callaway said Thursday she is “disappointed” with the EPA’s methods. She pointed out, “They did the minimal testing of a limited substance. They didn’t do the test of oil and dispersants mixed with water, and they only tested shrimp and small fish. They didn’t do any field testing. They only tested in a lab.”

Callaway said dispersants should not be used in the first place because oil is suspended in the water column, which not only endangers marine creatures, but also makes defense systems such as floating booms ineffective. The products do seem to bolster BP’s public image, however, according to Callaway.

“The purpose is to hide it. They think if (the oil) is out of sight, people will forget about it and the problem will go away,” she said. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) is somewhat complicit by making its testing data difficult to obtain, she added.

For the full story, pick up a copy of the July 3 Fairhope Courier.