Venice, LA – A marine toxicologist who was a veteran of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and Louisiana fishermen have called for President Barack Obama to order BP PLC to quit using a chemical dispersant in the Gulf of Mexico.
Riki Ott, whose livelihood in the fishing industry was ended by the Valdez spill, said Monday that Venice-area residents are exhibiting symptoms of exposure to the oil and the dispersant, including headaches, nose bleeds, sinus problems and rashes.
Ott says similar symptoms hit Alaska residents after the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)