(OTTAWA) July 21, 2016 – The Green Party of Canada is calling on Environment Canada and Cabinet to reverse a decision that allows off-shore drilling companies to spray a toxic chemical after an oil spill.
"I am deeply disappointed that our current government is continuing the trend of making decisions based on industry recommendations rather than the evidence-based decision making process we so dearly need,” said Dr. Lynne Quarmby, Green Party Science Critic, and Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University.
Last month, Environment Canada quietly released regulations that included a list of approved “treating agents” for oil spills. Corexit EC 9500A, which actually sinks oil, was on that list.
"We know from the disastrous cleanup attempts during BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010 that solubilizing oil with Corexit allows the toxins in oil to permeate into bodies of humans and marine animals,” Dr. Quarmby said. “In one controlled study, toxicity to planktonic organisms was more than 50 times higher when Corexit was added. As we saw in the BP Gulf spill, Corexit causes oil to sink – out of sight, out of mind seems to be the environmentally disastrous plan.”
Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada, added: “Corexit is a highly controversial chemical that doesn’t actually disperse ocean oil spills so much as it makes oil sink to the ocean floor, where it is consumed by ocean life,” Ms. May said.
“Environment Canada concluded there would be no expected important environmental effects, either positive or negative, by using this toxic chemical, despite growing scientific evidence that Corexit intensifies the toxicity of oil. This government promised to do better by relying on science and evidence-based decision making. This decision falls short and must be reversed," Ms. May said.
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For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Dan Palmer
Press Secretary | Attaché de presse
dan.palmer@greenparty.ca
m: (613) 614-4916