The Environmental Protection Agency and Coast Guard are holding pro- chemical dispersant meetings this week to promote how ‘safe’ these toxic chemicals are for our oceans, whales, marine life, and people. This is an outrage to Alaskan residents, fisherman and Tribal governments. Earth’s Waters are YOUR Waters! Make this outrage go viral! Forward this Web link Information to all your contacts! protectmarinelifenow.org/alaska-alliance/important-briefing-on-alaska-federal-agency-push-for-chemical-dispersant-pre-authorization-november-2013 EPA/Coast Guard Planned Meetings re Chemical Dispersant Use Being ‘Safe’, Outrages Alaskan Residents and Tribal Governments Alaska Change Oil Spill Response Alliance condemns planned federal agency-sponsored community meetings being held this week as a deceptive attempt to gain public support for ‘poisoning Alaskan waters’ and a move to erode the power of the Clean Water Act. ANCHORAGE, AK, Nov. 12, 2013 -- The Alaska Regional Response Team (ARRT), a federal inter-agency body tasked with formulating response plans to oil-and-hazardous substance discharges in Alaska, are holding public meetings in five hub-Alaskan regions this week to present its revised oil spill response plans. The first meeting, scheduled tomorrow in King Salmon, Ala., will present information on plans that give pre-authorization for the spraying and injection of the same controversial chemical dispersants used on the 1989 Exxon Valdez and 2010 Gulf of Mexico British Petroleum (BP) Oil Spills to be used in Alaskan waters. The Alaska Inter-Tribal Council and the Change Oil Spill Response Global Alliance-Alaska Delegation, say Tribal Nations, fisherman and concerned citizens vehemently oppose the plan because it erodes the regulatory power of the Clean Water Act. In a widely distributed Public Notification to Tribal Governments and Alaskan citizens, they explain that US policies, and laws mandating government to government consultation with Tribal Nations on such plans are being undermined and short-circuited by the ARRT. The ARRT’s ‘questionable Tribal Consultation process’, planned to begin on Nov 13, “is a misuse of public funds to force through approval of the Coast Guard’s dispersant-use-plans, setting a dangerous precedent for inappropriate government-to government-consultation with Federally Recognized Tribes,” said Walter Parker, Arctic expert with 40 years experience in oil-and gas-oversight. “Chemical Dispersant use in oil spill response should be retired globally as obsolete and is especially inappropriate for Alaska, since they are ineffective in frigid waters.” The Public Notification educational materials distributed to more than 250 potentially impacted Tribal-and Fishing-communities, illustrate that human rights violations are taking place through the ARRT’s inept Tribal engagement processes. According to the documents, the pre-authorization plans would allow for the use of chemical dispersants over the objections of Tribal authorities and environmental groups in the event of an oil spill. I. See following documents for details: · Briefing to Tribal Governments and Coastal Residents-Urgent Action Required · Tribal Exclusion Fact Sheet · An Open Letter to Oil Spill Response Professionals · Sample Tribal Resolution to Ban Chemical Dispersants · A Case Against Chemical Dispersants II. See AART website for meeting call-in information and other details: alaskarrt.org/Documents.aspx?f=12371 PLEASE CALL IN TO, OR ATTEND THESE GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED MEETINGS AND HELP TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS AND THE PUBLIC GET ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: Any proposal for the use of chemical dispersants requires that the following questions be addressed by the inter-agency ARRT presenting their dispersant plans for discussion: a. Of greatest importance in oil spill response is rapid reduction of oil toxicity and its impact on ecosystems and threat to human health. Dispersants do not remove oil or reduce toxicity of the oil but increase it, how does the revised plan address this? b. Based on 2012 DOI testing and other science we have reviewed, dispersants are not effective in frigid waters below a certain temperature. How does your plan overcome that? c. How will dispersants applied by aerial and/or other application methods not impact marine life, coastal and up-river communities? d. Since dispersants do not remove oil and its most toxic compounds, but instead sink and disperse them into the water column increasing absorption capacity and ingestion by marine life, how is this addressed in the plan? e. How will chemical dispersants not impact customary, traditional-and modern-life ways of hunting, fishing and gathering ability to navigate and access clean water? f. What non-toxic alternatives can be used to replace chemical dispersants invented by and/or owned by the major oil companies? (LAEO’s research has found technology that does indeed exist to truly detoxify and swiftly clean up an oil spill, and that technology is being successfully used in many parts of the world today.) g. How does the use of chemical dispersants comply with the Clean Water Act? (see: protectmarinelifenow.org/revitalization) See media contact below for information on getting in touch with Center for Water Advocacy, AI-TC and Alaska Delegation Spokesperson, or Lawrence Anthony Earth Organization VP of Special Project Operations. Press Release Available Online at: protectmarinelifenow.org/important-briefing-on-alaska-federal-agency-push-for-chemical-dispersant-pre-authorization-november-2013
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 16:12:23 +0000