My endless source of information on BP’s Chernobyl, Hugh Kaufman (senior policy analyst with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response), e-mailed me today. He is the best watchdog I’ve ever known, always catching what others overlook, and always outspoken enough to challenge the biggest of big guys and report the facts.

I am more than happy to be one of his outlets. Here’s today’s outrage, starting with a press release sent by Hugh, by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee, in part:

Markey Analysis Shows Coast Guard Allowed BP, Spill Response Officials to Excessively Use Dispersants

Rep. Edward J. Markey [...]  today released a letter sent to National Incident Commander Thad Allen and documents revealing that the U.S. Coast Guard, tasked with limiting BP’s use of toxic dispersants during the Gulf oil spill disaster, repeatedly allowed the oil company to use excessive amounts of the chemical on the surface of the ocean.

These exemptions were granted on a daily basis despite a prior federal directive that the company cease that tactic to combat the spill except in “rare” circumstances. [...]

In many cases, these applications appeared to be rubber stamped by the Coast Guard, including pre-approvals for weeks’ worth of unlimited use, as well as retroactive approvals for surface applications of dispersants for which BP failed to obtain prior permission. These actions by the Coast Guard appear to have largely undercut a directive it co-signed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that said that dispersant chemicals be used on the ocean’s surface only in “rare cases,” and only with advance approval. [...]

“BP carpet bombed the ocean with these chemicals, and the Coast Guard allowed them to do it,” said Rep. Markey. Rep. Markey has authored numerous oversight letters to EPA, the Coast Guard and the FDA related to dispersant use, and has additionally introduced H.R. 5608, legislation that would require more extensive testing of these chemicals before they are used. “After we discovered how toxic these chemicals really are, they had no business being spread across the Gulf in this manner.”  [...]

The analysis also found that the amounts of surface dispersants used that were reported by BP to Congress and the amounts reported to have been used that were contained in BP’s requests for approval by the Coast Guard also vary widely, bringing into question whether BP was being truthful about the total amount used, and whether the Coast Guard was conducting rigorous monitoring and oversight over the company’s use of the chemical. [...]

“Either BP was lying to Congress or to the Coast Guard about how much dispersants they were shooting onto the ocean,” said Rep. Markey. “These huge discrepancies also raise the question of whether the Coast Guard made sufficient efforts to verify the information BP provided in support of its requests, and whether it exercised appropriate oversight surrounding the use of these toxic chemicals.” *

*His June 24th  letter to the Coast Guard.

Chairman Markey’s July 30th  letter to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard’s July 15th  letter to Markey.

Documents related to the analysis(chronologically) here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Here is Hugh on Countdown speaking truth to power:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Now here is CNN’s Anderson Cooper asking whether the oil disaster was overblown by the President, public officials, scientists, even himself. Those on BP’s payroll “make a number of valid points”, he says.

You just keep on believing that, Anderson:

Hugh Kaufman, via e-mail:

So Anderson Cooper uses Rush Limbaugh’s expert LSU Professor to sing the praises of dispersants (LSU is on the BP payroll, being paid millions of dollars.).

And they put that BS video on top of the page with this morning’s story about Congressman Markey’s Sub-Committee documenting the Coast Guard as a BP sock-puppet for overuse of toxic dispersants.

Shame on LSU, shame on Rush Limbaugh, shame on CNN, shame on Anderson Cooper!

The librul media strikes again.

All my Hugh Kaufman related posts here.