Fires burn around the site of the BP Deepwater Horizon rig, scene of the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times / June 17, 2010)
Environmentalists won a big victory for marine animals this week, with a court ruling that requires the government to determine whether dispersants used to to break up oil spills are harmful to endangered species before the chemicals are used in federal waters off California.
The settlement in District Court in San Francisco requires the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard to analyze the impacts of dispersant products, which are used to diffuse oil spills into small droplets. The small oil droplets are then consumed by marine microorganisms and the spill is more quickly diluted..............
FULL ARTICLE HERE: Oil dispersants must be checked before use in waters, ruling says - latimes.com
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