BP, Nalco Sued Over Dispersant Used in Gulf Spill

[eowyn_of_rohan]

BP Plc and a Nalco Holding Co. unit, the maker of a chemical dispersant used to deal with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, were sued by Louisiana residents claiming the product is four times more toxic than the oil itself....

The plaintiffs claim BP used the dispersant to save money “and lessen the public reaction to the oil spill” by forcing it to the bottom of the Gulf.

The lawsuit, filed today in federal court in New Orleans, is a proposed class action that would include all workers and Gulf Coast residents claiming harm from the chemical. The plaintiffs are seeking at least $5 million in actual damages and unspecified punitive damages.

“The dispersant has been sprayed over the Gulf of Mexico and has caused a toxic chemical to be a permanent part of the sea bed and food chain in the bio structure,” according to the complaint. The chemical causes “an even more dangerous condition to exist in the Gulf of Mexico than if the oil was allowed to float to the shoreline,” the residents said in the complaint.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-18/bp-nalco-sued-over-dispersant-used-in-gulf-spill-correct-.html

[Juneboarder]

1. This is just the beginning... nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. I can't believe we allowed them to use the stuff. :^(

[indepat]

5. Who in government had not approved other, less toxic dispersants and for what reason had that

approval not been given? What will be the magnitude of harm/damage caused by its widespread use. :shrug:

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. My best guess is this is a legacy of the ** years. Perhaps one of the many things that got

overlooked when the gov't changed hands?? :(

[gristy]

3. Good. That stuff is the absolute worst. I sure hope this suit ends up in court.

I look forward to hearing what BP says about its toxicity and why it was used in the first place, and what the plaintiffs present in response.

[blindpig]

4. Good, k&r

Expropriate without compensation.

[chill_wind]

6. Center for Biological Diversity

Going after the EPA

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2010/dispersants-06-02-2010.html

also suing BP under the Clean Water Act

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2010/bp-clean-water-act-06-03-2010.html



Other various class actions against BP:

Most of the at least 232 cases filed in state and federal courts so far against London-based BP are proposed class actions representing potentially thousands of commercial fishermen, shrimpers, seafood processors, property owners and tourism- related businesses harmed by the spill, the largest in U.S. history.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-18/bp-s-20-billion-fund-may-not-stop-spill-lawsuits-judge-says.html

[amborin]

11. +10000 maybe , finally, this will stop?

[femrap]

8. Let's get

Nalco to set aside funds as well.

[inna]

9. $5 million is an absolutely ridiculous amount and doesn't even begin

to cover the magnitude of the problem.

hey, 5 billion would still not be enough.

:grr: :mad:

[eowyn_of_rohan]

10. No kidding

That shocked me, too