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Despite its diatribe against what it calls the “private, foreign International Monetary/Banking Cartel” that includes the U.S. Federal Reserve, the website Republican Broadcasting Network claims there are alternative dispersants shown to be far less toxic and in some cases twice as effective as Nalco’s Corexit.

Even our own EPA data ranks Corexit as being 20 times more toxic, and far less effective in handling southern Louisiana crude than some other dispersants. Historically, workers who have cleaned up after the use of Corexit have suffered with health problems, including blood in their urine.

Carys Mitchelmore, a professor at the University of Maryland’s Environmental Science asked, “Why wouldn’t you go for the lesser toxic formulation?” The website identifies by name much smaller alternative dispersants handled by cleanup crews.

“It’s a chemical [Corexit] that the oil industry makes to sell to itself, basically,” said Richard Charter, a senior policy advisor for Defenders of Wildlife.

It did refer to a non-toxic material called “Oil Sponge,” it said was rated the “best performing” absorbent by the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers. It said Oil Sponge is built using a microbial and nutrient package, capable of transforming oil hydrocarbons into a safe bi-product of carbon dioxide and water.

The website also charges BP and the Obama administration for not using a paper towel developed by Mycelx of Georgia after the March 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska that soaks up 50 times its weight in oil.