By: Wilma Subra & Marylee Orr Louisiana Environmental Action Network Paul Orr Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper Washington, DC November 2, 2011

 Wilma Subra  The following personal financial relationships with commercial interests relevant to this presentation existed during the past 12 months.  “No relationships to disclose”

 Deepwater Horizon exploded and burned on April 20, 2010 ◦ 11 workers were killed ◦ The Deepwater Horizon rig sank to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico on Earth Day, April 22, 2010 ◦ Crude Oil flowed into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days from the well head 5,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico

 172 million gallons of crude oil were released into the environment  1.84 million gallons of Corexit 9500 and 9527 were applied to the BP crude oil  For every 93 gallons of crude oil released into the environment by the BP spill, one gallon of dispersant was applied.  In addition to the very large BP crude oil spill, a very large dispersant release occurred in the Gulf of Mexico.

 BP Crude oil mixed with dispersants hit the wetlands of coastal Louisiana 9 days after the Deepwater Horizon exploded  BP Crude oil migrated into the wetlands, marshes, estuaries and beaches of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the panhandle of Florida  BP Crude oil continues to be present and wash shore along the wetlands, marshes, estuaries and beaches of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the panhandle of Florida  BP Crude oil continues to be present in the subsurface waters of the Gulf of Mexico

 with crude oil and dispersants  with dispersed crude oil  crude oil dispersed as an aerosol in the air  crude oil contaminated media and materials  crude oil contaminated beaches, marshes, wetlands, and terrestrial and aquatic organisms  crude oil located in the subsurface waters and bottom areas of the Gulf of Mexico and estuary systems  washing of contaminated worker clothing

 chemicals in the air from the crude and dispersants  chemicals dispersed into the air from contaminated beaches, marshes, and wetlands  crude oil and dispersant aerosols  products of incomplete combustion from ◦ burning of the crude oil and natural gas near the well head ◦ burning of the crude oil and dispersants on the surface of the Gulf ◦ burning of the crude oil contaminated marshes along the coastal areas

 of crude oil and/or dispersants  of dispersed crude oil and dispersants  of contaminated aquatic and terrestrial organisms and vegetation  eating and drinking in the presence of crude  contaminated media

 All Pathways of Exposure continue to be completed pathways of exposure except those ◦ due to burning of the crude oil, dispersant and natural gas in the offshore areas near the wellhead ◦ dispersed crude oil and dispersants due to the crude oil slick

 Coastal Community members from New Iberia, Louisiana eastward across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the panhandle of Florida exposed to the aerosol of crude oil and dispersants which blew on shore when the crude oil slick was in the Gulf of Mexico.  BP and BP contracted cleanup workers including a large population of the commercial fisher community  Offshore workers exposed to the BP crude oil, dispersants, and air emissions from the burning of the crude and natural gas

 Community members along the coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico coming in contact with the crude oil and dispersants  Tourist visiting the coastal areas along the northern Gulf of Mexico  Recreational hunters and fishermen  Commercial fishermen harvesting seafood  Divers coming in contact with the crude oil slick and crude oil plumes in the water columns of the Gulf of Mexico

 Soil/Sediment  Vegetation  Seafood ◦ Shrimp ◦ Crabs ◦ Snails ◦ Oysters ◦ Mussels ◦ Finfish  Human Blood

 Soil/Sediment/Vegetation/Seafood  Oil Range Organic Petroleum Hydrocarbons  Alkylated Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons  Dispersants  Heavy Metals  Human Blood  Volatile Organic Chemicals

 Wetlands and Ecosystem Soil/Sediment  Soil/Sediment from Atchafalaya Bay eastward to the Louisiana/Mississippi state line contained: ◦ 6 to 89 individual Alkylated Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) which corresponded to the fingerprint of the BP Louisiana Sweet Crude

 Oil Range Organic Petroleum Hydrocarbons (ORO) up to 11,600 mg/kg (1/16%)  Sixty percent of the soil/sediment samples had up to 18 PAHs in excess of the Marine Sediment Screening Levels  All of the areas sampled had soil/sediments contaminated with Alkylated PAHs and Oil Range Organic Petroleum Hydrocarbons

 Blue Crab ◦ Oil Range Organics 2,230 to 3,583 mg/kg ◦ Up to 4 Alkylated PAHs, Fluoranthene, Naphthalene, Phenanthrene and Pyrene in concentrations from 84.6 to 162 ug/kg  Shrimp ◦ Oil Range Organics 8,356 mg/kg ◦ 5 Alkylated PAHs, Anthracene, Fluoranthene, Naphthalene, Phenanthrene and Pyrene up to 69.4 ug/kg

 Oyster ◦ Oil Range Organics 8,815 to 12,500 mg/kg ◦ Up the 4 Alkylated PAHs, Fluoranthene, Naphthalene, Phenanthrene, and Pyrene in concentrations of 1.4 to 63 ug/kg  Mussel ◦ Oil Range Organics 6,900 mg/kg ◦ Alkylated PAHs Anthracene, 2-Methylnaphthalene, Naphthalene, and Phenanthrene at a total concentration of 386 ug/kg

 LEAN LMRK E-Alerts  Immediately issues when data and information became available  Distributed to more than 3,000 ◦ Grass Roots Environmental Organizations ◦ National and International Environmental Org. ◦ Governmental Agencies ◦ Businesses ◦ Media  Organizations receiving the E-Alerts distribute to their constituents and other organizations

 Testing Results Returning With High Levels Report by: Wilma Subra Results of sampling performed by the Lower Mississippi River Keeper in the Lower Atchafalaya Bay area on August 2, 2010  The shore of the Gulf of Mexico east of Oyster Bayou, where the Atchafalaya Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico, contained visible oil on the vegetation along the shore line. Soil in this location contained Carbon Disulfide, 378 mg/kg Hydrocarbons and six Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) (0.222 mg/kg). The oiled vegetation contained 2.3% Hydrocarbons and 31 PAHs (0.554 mg/kg) that corresponded strongly to the PAHs in the Deepwater Horizon Crude Oil spill. Samples of Blue Crab and Fiddler Crab contained 2,230 mg/kg hydrocarbons. Oysters sampled from a reef on Oyster Bayou in Atchafalaya Bay contained 8,815 mg/kg Hydrocarbons.

 At the mouth of Pass-a-Loutre, in the reed vegetation along the shore of an island, a sediment sample was collected. The sediment contained 71 mg/kg Hydrocarbons and 14 PAHs ( mg/kg). The PAHs in the sample weakly support that the contaminants in the sediment are associated with the crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon. A muscle sample collected at this location contained 6,900 mg/kg Hydrocarbons and seven PAHs (0.386 mg/kg).  A sample of oysters was collected from oysters growing on an abandoned crab trap between Pass-a-Loutre and Redfish Bay. The oysters contained 12,500 mg/kg (1.25%) Hydrocarbons and two PAHs (0.063 mg/kg).  Along a beach area near Redfish Bay, samples were collected from a stained area along a sandy beach area and from a vegetated area behind the beach. The beach area had clean-up waste materials and supplies left behind by cleanup crews. A small water body adjacent to the beach had a boom in the water and a small boat used to place the poles that secured the boom was stained with oil. The beach area contained a number of tar balls.

 Workshops in the areas where samples were collected  Workshops throughout the entire northern Gulf Coast to provide desperately needed information  Workshops at state, regional and national meetings  Developed fact sheets on health impacts associated with the BP crude and dispersants used  Issued video programs  Worked with print, audio, and video media to distribute information to the public

 Educated communities about the status of the seafood in their areas  Provided risk reduction measures communities could utilize  Alerted agencies as to locations where contamination had been verified  Worked with agencies to perform additional testing of contaminated areas  Informed local, state and federal environmental and human health agencies and policy makers

 Headaches  Difficulty Breathing  Nausea  Respiratory Impacts  Vomiting  Asthma Attacks  Diarrhea  Chemical Pneumonia  Dizziness  Chest Pains  Confusion  Skin Irritation, Damage  Loss of Balance  Eye, Nose, Throat, Lung Irritation  Damage to Liver, Lungs, Kidneys  Damage to Respiratory System  Decreased Lung Function  Central Nervous System Effects  Depression  Neurological/Nervous System Damage  Blood Disorders  Damage to Red Blood Cells  Blood Cancer – Leukemia, Aplastic Anemia  Immune System Damage and Suppression  Cardiovascular System Stress and Damage  Increased Severity of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Dis.  Gastrointestinal Disturbance  Endocrine Disruption  Hormone Level Disruption  Genetic Damage, Mutations and Birth Defects  Reproductive and Developmental Damage Infertility

 Chemicals Detected in Excess of NHANES 95 th Percentile ◦ Benzene 36 times ◦ Ethylbenzene 10.7 times ◦ m,p-Xylene 5.7 times

 Results provided to individual tested  Evaluation of results provided to individual tested  Data summaries by occupation and exposure routes provided in reports  Results of health surveys provided in reports and presentations  Retesting results after medical treatment provided to individual tested

 Individuals consist of: ◦ current cleanup workers ◦ former cleanup worker ◦ Fishermen ◦ Divers ◦ coastal residents  Most Prevalent Health Symptoms Recorded by a Physician ◦ Psychological damage/memory loss ◦ GI Problems ◦ Chest Pains ◦ Cough

 Eye, Nose and Throat Irritation  Blurred Vision and Loss of Vision  Ear Infections  Sore Throat  Severe Coughing for many months  Croup like Cough  Hoarseness  Difficulty Breathing  Shortness of Breathe  Respiratory Distress  Pneumonia  Lung Irritation  Asthma Attacks  Decreased Lung Function  Chest Pains and Tightness  Pulmonary Edema  Bleeding from Nose, Eyes and Ears  Internal Bleeding  Blood in Urine  Rectal Bleeding  Blood in Stool  Diarrhea  Nausea  Vomiting  Dizziness  Weakness  Loss of Balance  Headaches  Kidney Pain

 Lower Back Pain  Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease  Abdominal Pain  Gastrointestinal Disturbance  Joint and Muscle Pain  Weakness and Fatigue  Seizures  Loss of Weight  Skin Irritation  Burning and Lesions  Nerves on Edge  Mental Confusion  Confusion  Psychological damage  Short Term and Long Term Memory Loss  Damage to Liver and Kidneys  Immune System Damage and Suppression  Central Nervous System Impacts  Cardiovascular System Stress  Neurological/Nervous System Damage  Blood Disorders  Damage to Red Blood Cells  Aplastic Anemia  Leukemia  Chest Pain  Heart Palpitations  Hypertension  Endocrine Disruption  Hormone Level Disruption  Miscarriages  Metal taste in mouth  Depression

 Educated coastal communities, cleanup workers, health care and other governmental agencies with information on the health impacts experienced along the northern Gulf of Mexico  Correlated the experienced health impacts with those known to be associated with BP crude and dispersants  Identified the desperate need for health care and educated health care agencies concerning the large number of individuals needing health care  Identified pathways of exposure and mechanisms to reduce exposure