Gulf Oil Spill: Federal Estimates Again Eclipsed By Reality

Concerns are mounting over the chemical dispersants BP's using to fight the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico now that over 1 million gallons of the chemical have been pumped in Gulf waters.



Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said Monday that officials are now worried about the toxicity of the chemicals — Corexit 9500 and Corexit EC9527A — and will begin cutting back on their use.



"I believe they're worthwhile. But I think there's enough concern as we approach the million-gallon mark ...regarding the unknown implications of that amount of dispersants," Allen said.



According to the Environmental Protection Agency about 1.08 million gallons of dispersant have been deployed in the Gulf, with 779,000 gallons used on the surface and 303,000 gallons used under the water.



Jerald Ault, a professor at the University of Miami, said Corexit could have "significant" effects on the food chain and on environmental and human heath.



"It's uncharted waters and the magnitudes are so large," Ault said of the potential consequences and of the reports that dolphins and other animals are dying from the chemicals. "Eventually the correlation starts to say, (the animals) weren't dying before and they are dying now. Geez, I wonder what the correlation is."



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