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EPA Seeks Input on Improving Oil Spill Preparedness, Response
- Updated: February 20, 2015
by John Michaelson/TNS
Improving preparation and response to oil spills, such as the deadly Deepwater Horizon spill, is what the EPA says is behind its effort to update some federal regulations. This photo of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is from June 2010. Photo: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Flickr.
AUSTIN, Texas – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking input from Texas and residents around the Gulf Coast on a plan it says will improve the nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to oil spills.
In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 people and caused massive environmental damage also prompted the government to rethink its response rules and procedures for oil spills.
Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, says the agency wants public comment on its proposal for policy changes.
“During that spill, we realized the existing rules with respect to how we fight oil spills was outdated,” says Stanislaus. “For example, it didn’t include the best science. How do we evaluate the toxicity? How do we look at short- and long-term impacts?”
Stanislaus says the updated rules, which includes details on the amount and toxicity of oil dispersants used, will create a better contingency plan for future oil spills.
“This is to ensure the tools are available immediately,” he says. “But when those tools are applied, making sure they are the most effective, and least impactful to the environment.”
The EPA is accepting public comment on the proposed rule changes through April 22.
Meanwhile, the third phase of the trial against BP for the spill ended last week, with a decision on how much the oil giant will be fined expected to arrive from a federal judge later this year.
