Now Register online to get free weekly news and analysis on oil and hazardous substance spills issues. The lesson with oil spills is that once an oil spill occurs, any decision that officials make, whether it is to apply dispersants, to mount a full-force mechanical containment and recovery effort, or to do nothing and allow nature to take its course, will have both positive and negative consequences.
Nothing can undo the fact that the oil has spilled.
But wise decisionmaking can reduce the consequences to a great extent. Dispersants offer a very attractive alternative for oil spill response. Used properly, they can significantly reduce the impacts of an oil spill at significantly reduced financial costs and labor commitments. As with all response methodologies, including natural recovery, there are also costs and impacts to consider. Dispersants do present possible toxicity problems and may not be the most effective methodology in all circumstances.