MSNBC's Keith Obermann reports that environmental scientists testified to Congress that the use of oil dispersants does nothing except reduce the oil's visibility thereby hiding evidence of the magnitude of the leak's ongoing damage. Further, the dispersant, Corexit, is extremely toxic to life. Nevertheless, BP has dumped hundreds of thousands of gallons into the Gulf even though the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) told it not to do so.

The result? So far 20 percent of offshore clean-up workers and 15 percent of near-shore clean-up works were tested and found to have levels of 2-Butoxyethanol (used in Corexit) that were measured at 10 parts per million - twice the limit specified by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Meanwhile, British Petroleum is not allowing clean-up workers to use biohazard suits and resperators - even though one way to get 2-Butoxyethanol toxicity is to simply breath the air in the vicinity of the chemical.

Wikipedia reports that "Moderate respiratory exposure to 2-butoxyethanol often results in irritation of mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and throat. Heavy exposure via respiratory, dermal or oral routes can lead to hypotension, metabolic acidosis, hemolysis, pulmonary edema and coma."