Ban Discontinued Dispersants and Update Oil Spill Response Plans
Did you know the chemicals used to clean up oil spills can be just as harmful as the oil spills themselves? Take action today to ban the use of discontinued dispersants!
The Current Threat | Stockpiles of discontinued chemical dispersants that have known health risks are still approved for use during oil spills in Washington waters. These discontinued dispersants pose serious risks to marine ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. Without urgent updates to response plans, these harmful chemical agents could be used near vulnerable communities and critical habitats in the Salish Sea.
What’s at Stake? | Dispersants don’t remove oil. Instead, they break it into smaller droplets. This increases exposure risks for marine life and shoreline communities and oil spill responders can face long-term health consequences. Modernizing oil spill response plans is essential to ban these toxic chemicals, prioritize human safety, and establish citizen oversight for transparency and accountability.
The Opportunity | Now is the time to advocate for removing discontinued dispersants from response plans and establishing citizen advisory councils to oversee spill response preparedness.
Learn More
- Dr. Riki Ott’s Presentation: Watch Oil Spill Response: An Opportunity for Change
- Policy Map: See where and how alarmingly close dispersants can be used near the San Juan Islands and regional coastlines.
- Oil-Dispersant Risks: Read Oil-Dispersant Mixtures – Can They Harm ME?
- More information on the need to update oil spill response plans
Send emails to state and federal decision makers asking them to ban the use of discontinued dispersants and update oil spill response plans with measures to protect human health and provide for citizen advisory councils.
