WASHINGTON - October 5 - Food & Water Watch, a consumer advocacy organization, along with "John Doe," a former employee at British Petroleum (BP) and a whistleblower, will be available to speak to the media by telephone on Thursday, October 8 at 11 a.m. EST about the environmental and health-related risks associated with the BP Atlantis oil and gas production platform in the Gulf of Mexico.  Dave Perry, the whistleblower's attorney; Mike Sawyer, a process safety engineer; Dr. Riki Ott, a marine toxicologist and author of Not One Drop: Betrayal and Courage in the Wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill; and Ronnie Anderson, a shrimper from Houma, La., will also participate on the call.  

BP Atlantis is the largest moored floating dual oil and gas production facility in the world. According to recent allegations from the whistleblower, BP violated federal laws by failing to submit the proper final drawings and designs for BP Atlantis. The lack of final, engineer-approved documentation may mean that the platform has serious design problems and could increase the risk of catastrophic operator errors-which, in turn, could harm platform workers, the marine environment, and local fishing communities. The platform is located more than 150 miles off the coast of New Orleans, La., in "Hurricane Alley."  Food & Water Watch is calling on Rep. Nick J. Rahall, II (D-W.Va.), chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, to hold oversight hearings to investigate BP and the Minerals Management Service's lapses during the Bush Administration.

Event: Media Conference Call regarding the environmental and health-related risks of the BP Atlantis oil and gas production platform in the Gulf of Mexico.

Date: Thursday, October 8, 2009

Time: 11 a.m. EST

Call In Details: Access Number: (202) 683-2494, Bridge Number: 5117, Participant Code: 1726#

Participants: Wenonah Hauter, executive director, Food & Water Watch; "John Doe," former employee at BP and a whistleblower; Dave Perry, the whistleblower's attorney; Mike Sawyer, a process safety engineer; Dr. Riki Ott, a marine toxicologist and author of Not One Drop: Betrayal and Courage in the Wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill; and Ronnie Anderson, a shrimper from Houma, La.