by Jbs050410 a3 — May 5, 2010—As part of the ongoing federal response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a Web site on April 30 to inform the public about the spill’s impact on the environment and the health of nearby residents.
The site will contain data from EPA’s ongoing air monitoring, information about the agency’s activities in the region, frequently asked questions, fact sheets about potential health impacts of the spill, and links to more information on the spill and the government’s response. Information on the broader response from the U.S. Coast Guard and other responding agencies is available on the Deepwater Horizon Response Web site.
EPA has established air monitoring stations along Plaquemines Parish on the Louisiana coast to determine how oil set on fire in the gulf and oil that is reaching land are impacting air quality. EPA is monitoring levels of a number of chemicals potentially emitted by oil, including volatile organic compounds such as xylene, benzene and toluene.
EPA has also deployed two Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzers—mobile laboratories that collect and analyze air quality samples in real time—to monitor air quality in the region. In addition, EPA is assessing the coastal waters affected by the spreading oil. EPA deployed its twin-engine aircraft ASPECT to assist in the collection of air-sampling data and photograph the spill and surrounding area.
