Does Anybody Know Whether Drinking Water In The Gulf Region Will Be Compromised By.......

[global1]

this oil gusher?

[Ruby the Liberal]

1. I would be worried about the Corexit floating around.

Much of Florida depends on desalination plants. Not sure about the other Gulf states.

[Speck Tater]

2. Only if you drink salt water from the gulf. nt

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Wait, isn't salt water known to be highly toxic to terrestrial organisms?

Damn you, Monsanto!

[TransitJohn]

4. There are no desalination plants providing municipal drinking water down there

so no, I wouldn't be worried. You know that municipal drinking water comes from fresh waters, either surface or subsurface, right?

[librechik]

5. I heard the pollutants evaporate and get into the rainwater--which eventually gets into us

but that is something down the road to worry about. Hasn't happened yet (in this event)

[jdlh8894]

6. Acid Rain? Again?

Twice in my lifetime. I give up! eom

[gleaner]

7. I would be worried about the solvents and other

chemicals that are being used by BP to "disperse" the spill. No one knows what they are using, only that there have been toxic effects on the people who are handling the chemicals. I don't think they have magical properties or anything, but if they should somehow contaminate the water table which feeds the local communities there could be a problem.

There is a city here near L.A., Burbank, which used to get its water from wells which were fed by the water table in the surrounding area. A defense contractor who moved offshore in the late 80s or early 90s managed to contaminate the water table with some of the chemicals that they used in manufacture, clean up and secret toxic dumping. Burbank had to stop using the well water and contract with the city of L.A. for water which was not contaminated.

There are so many unknowns connected with this oil spill that I don't think we can refer back to anything for comparison. I have never heard of anything like it and I'm 62 years old. I have no idea how they are going to stop it much less reverse any of the damage. I don't think it can be done.