A Federally-funded scientific panel has found dispersants environmentally helpful in minimizing the amount of oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill reaching national shorelines.
“We are pleased that the scientific review meeting convened at the request of NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) by the Coastal Response Research Center recognized the role of dispersants in mitigating the environmental disaster occurring in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Dr. Mani Ramesh, Chief Technology Officer of Nalco (NYSE: NLC). “Oil is the issue here and we are glad that the valuable role of dispersants in battling this environmental catastrophe is being recognized by this important committee.”
In its report, the panel said: “It is the consensus of this group that up to this point, use of the dispersants and the effects of dispersing oil into the water column has generally been less environmentally harmful than allowing the oil to migrate on the surface into sensitive wetlands and near shore coastal habitats.”
The committee also said that the dispersants have been effective in minimizing the effects of the gulf spill and should continue to be used. "The use of chemical dispersants is needed to augment other response options because of a combination of factors for the [Deepwater Horizon] incident (i.e., continuous, large volume release)."
The panel, which included scientists from NOAA, the Environmental Protection Agency, Environment Canada, the United States Coast Guard and several universities,
reported that using the chemical dispersants “enhances the natural dispersion process (e.g., the smaller droplet size enhances potential biodegradation). Dispersing the oil also reduces the amount of waste generated from mechanical containment and recovery, as well as shoreline cleanup."
Another advantage of using dispersants, the panel said is that it “reduces the threat distance, protects shorelines, likely increases the biodegradation rate of the oil, inhibits formation of emulsions, reduces waste management, and potentially reduces buildup of VOCs [volatile organic compounds] in the air."
United States