While our Congressman Jeff Miller is fighting EPA to allow BP to spray more dispersants on the BP oil spill. other Congressmen are worried about the damage to the Gulf’s ecosystem. The LA Times reports “Rep. John Hall (D-N.Y.) used his time in the House Transportation and Infrastructure hearing Wednesday to grill the head of BP America, Lamar McKay, over the company’s choice of an oil dispersant that is rated as more toxic and less effective than several others.” Read more.
Here is one exchange:
Hall: Mr. McKay, I was curious about the choice of dispersant, Corexit 9500,which is being manufactured by a company called Nalco Holding Co. in which a former 11-year board member of BP sits on the Nalco board. Do you know approximately how much money BP has paid so far to Nalco for this dispersant?
McKay: I’m sorry, I don’t.
Hall: Could you get the — communicate that information, please.
McKay: We can get that.
Hall: Why do you think Corexit would have been chosen over, as Mr. Nadler [Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)] said, a less toxic and more effective product like Dispersit, for instance, which you would think would be a better choice, and did BP talk to — did your company talk to the manufacturers of the other dispersants to find out if they were available?
McKay: I’ve not been personally involved in the choices around the dispersants and what’s happened in terms of talking to companies and understanding the availability, the effectiveness or the choices they have made. We can get you some information on that. I’ve just not been involved in that.
