P.M. BRIEFING : Panel Rejects Exxon Oil Cleanser
Scientists have concluded that a kerosene-based chemical Exxon Corp. concocted to remove oil from Alaskan beaches doesn’t work.
A review committee determined that Corexit 9580MS generally is harmless to marine life but is of little value in lifting oil from rocky shorelines.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday that the substance will not be approved for use on crude oil spilled when the Exxon Valdez ran onto a reef in Prince William Sound on March 24.
The review committee, made up of representatives from state and federal agencies involved in the cleanup, has looked at hundreds of chemicals and cleanup techniques but so far hasn’t found anything better than the high-pressure washing that is becoming less effective as the oil weathers and hardens.
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