Fertilizer the answer to speeding up BP cleanup?

Louisville, Ky.-A University of Louisville biologist who helped clean up the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska in 1989 has developed a fertilizer he believes will speed up the biological breakdown of oil and hasten the healing process from the BP disaster. “There are already naturally-occurring bacteria in the environment that break down oil, but this method speeds things up,” Ron Atlas explained. “It can get oil in two to five years rather than 10.” Atlas didn’t respond to questions about his formulation, but said in a university release that it combines slow-release pellets and a liquid to promote the growth of oil-eating bacteria. The pellets can be scattered along coastal areas much as a home gardener would sprinkle fertilizer on a lawn, while the liquid can be sprayed along the shoreline. Atlas said he is in contact with a consultant that BP has hired to manage the cleanup. He added that BP’s use of a chemical to disperse the oil is highly controversial. “Dispersants work, but they are also toxic,” he said. “We just don’t know enough yet about how they affect life along the coastal areas,” adding that it may be years before scientists fully understand the long-term effects of the spill on the area’s fish and wildlife.