SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A close-up of a tar ball found on the beach in Dauphin Island, Alabama (May 13, 2010). Credit: NOAA.
Report: BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Cause of Nearly All Tar Balls on Alabama Coast
Study underscores ongoing effects of 2010 oil catastrophe
Sep 21, 2012
Nearly all the tar balls filling the beaches of Alabama in the wake of Hurricane Isaac are from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster that started in 2010 and continues to spread its black legacy to the communities and ecosystems, a report released Thursday from Auburn University shows.
The report states: "as TS Lee and Hurricane Isaac have revealed, mobilization and re-deposition of oil onto the beaches continues to be a lasting consequence of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe."
The research team collected roughly 25 pounds of tar balls and tar mat fragment samples post-Hurricane Isaac from seven locations along the state's coast.
By analyzing the chemical fingerprints of samples of tar balls in 2010 soon after the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster (June 2010), after Tropical Storm Lee (September 2011) and Hurricane Isaac (September 2012), the team found nearly identical make-ups, implicating the BP disaster as the effects of the oil disaster continue to unfold, years later.
Beyond the ugly site of tar balls filling Alabama beaches, the report warns of ecological concerns, saying that they "contain a number of hazardous PAH [polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons] compounds" at roughly the same concentrations as those from three years ago, and "in fact, some of the PAHs appear to be concentrating within tar mat." The report states that the "ecological implications of this fact remain uncertain."
The report's authors write that "without detailed chemical analysis it is safe to conclude that the fragile, sticky tar balls and oil fragments currently found along Alabama's shoreline are all Deepwater Horizon-related tar balls and oil fragments. In our opinion, local communities should not be burdened with proving the chemical origin of these tar balls and oil fragments; rather it should be the responsibility of BP to prove an alternative origin for these tar balls if they consider that a possibility."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Nearly all the tar balls filling the beaches of Alabama in the wake of Hurricane Isaac are from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster that started in 2010 and continues to spread its black legacy to the communities and ecosystems, a report released Thursday from Auburn University shows.
The report states: "as TS Lee and Hurricane Isaac have revealed, mobilization and re-deposition of oil onto the beaches continues to be a lasting consequence of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe."
The research team collected roughly 25 pounds of tar balls and tar mat fragment samples post-Hurricane Isaac from seven locations along the state's coast.
By analyzing the chemical fingerprints of samples of tar balls in 2010 soon after the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster (June 2010), after Tropical Storm Lee (September 2011) and Hurricane Isaac (September 2012), the team found nearly identical make-ups, implicating the BP disaster as the effects of the oil disaster continue to unfold, years later.
Beyond the ugly site of tar balls filling Alabama beaches, the report warns of ecological concerns, saying that they "contain a number of hazardous PAH [polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons] compounds" at roughly the same concentrations as those from three years ago, and "in fact, some of the PAHs appear to be concentrating within tar mat." The report states that the "ecological implications of this fact remain uncertain."
The report's authors write that "without detailed chemical analysis it is safe to conclude that the fragile, sticky tar balls and oil fragments currently found along Alabama's shoreline are all Deepwater Horizon-related tar balls and oil fragments. In our opinion, local communities should not be burdened with proving the chemical origin of these tar balls and oil fragments; rather it should be the responsibility of BP to prove an alternative origin for these tar balls if they consider that a possibility."
Nearly all the tar balls filling the beaches of Alabama in the wake of Hurricane Isaac are from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster that started in 2010 and continues to spread its black legacy to the communities and ecosystems, a report released Thursday from Auburn University shows.
The report states: "as TS Lee and Hurricane Isaac have revealed, mobilization and re-deposition of oil onto the beaches continues to be a lasting consequence of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe."
The research team collected roughly 25 pounds of tar balls and tar mat fragment samples post-Hurricane Isaac from seven locations along the state's coast.
By analyzing the chemical fingerprints of samples of tar balls in 2010 soon after the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster (June 2010), after Tropical Storm Lee (September 2011) and Hurricane Isaac (September 2012), the team found nearly identical make-ups, implicating the BP disaster as the effects of the oil disaster continue to unfold, years later.
Beyond the ugly site of tar balls filling Alabama beaches, the report warns of ecological concerns, saying that they "contain a number of hazardous PAH [polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons] compounds" at roughly the same concentrations as those from three years ago, and "in fact, some of the PAHs appear to be concentrating within tar mat." The report states that the "ecological implications of this fact remain uncertain."
The report's authors write that "without detailed chemical analysis it is safe to conclude that the fragile, sticky tar balls and oil fragments currently found along Alabama's shoreline are all Deepwater Horizon-related tar balls and oil fragments. In our opinion, local communities should not be burdened with proving the chemical origin of these tar balls and oil fragments; rather it should be the responsibility of BP to prove an alternative origin for these tar balls if they consider that a possibility."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.