The Need to Address Human Health Impacts, Especially Among Response

The Need to Address Human Health Impacts, Especially Among Response

¶Workers and in Affected Communities As described in Chapter 6, the National Contingency Plan overlooks the need to respond to widespread concerns about human health impacts. For smaller oil spills, the response effort is generally carried out by trained oil spill response technicians, but given the scale of the response to the Deepwater Horizon spill and the need to enlist thousands of previously untrained individuals to clean the waters and coastline, many response workers were not screened for pre-existing conditions. This lack of basic medical information, which could have been collected if a short medical questionnaire had been distributed, limits the ability to draw accurate conclusions regarding long-term physical health impacts. Additionally, residents of coastal communities may believe that they suffered adverse health consequences resulting from both chemical exposure from the spill itself and the mental stress occasioned by the spill's assault on their livelihoods.

¶
• "Enhancement" is a term coined during settlement negotiations after the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. It requires the responsible party to fund restoration beyond that needed merely to return injured resources to baseline conditions. Rather, any funding should be sufficient to ensure that restoration leaves the affected system better off than before a spill.

Adequate funding and resources were not in place to deal with claims of physical and mental illness among Gulf coast residents resulting from, or exacerbated by, the spill, response actions, and the resulting impacts. Whether allegations that the spill created health problems for responders and Gulf Coast residents are warranted does not change the perception among some that government has not been responsive to health concerns.

The National Contingency Plan contains no specific guidance for responding to public health impacts of an oil spill or hazardous substances release. By contrast, the National Response Framework—which provides the structure for a national response to terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other kinds of emergencies—incorporates a protocol for responding to public health exigencies.

Recommendation E3: EPA should develop distinct plans and procedures to address human health impacts during a Spill of National Significance.

EPA should amend the National Contingency Plan to add distinct procedures to address human health impacts during a Spill of National Significance. Spills of this magnitude necessarily require a significant clean-up effort, potentially exposing workers to toxic compounds in oil and dispersants. Additionally, residents of coastal communities may suffer adverse health consequences due to both chemical exposure from the spill itself, and the mental stress occasioned by the assault on their livelihoods or way of life. With respect to worker health and safety, existing authorities25 should be strengthened to ensure consistent application of medical screening and surveillance procedures for both formal response contractors and ad hoc citizen responders. Regarding public health, a medical services protocol similar to the Public Health and Medical Services Annex of the National Response Framework should be incorporated to ensure emergency medical care, timely dissemination of public health information,26 and medical monitoring and surveillance.27

Furthermore, a public health protocol requiring the collection of adequate baseline data and long-term monitoring would allow researchers to assess the human dimensions of oil spills with greater accuracy. Without sound data on the causal or correlative relationships between chemical (i.e., oil and dispersants) exposure and human health, a number of response methods may be used inappropriately—including the provision of appropriate protective gear for cleanup workers.28