Deirdre McDonnell of the Center for Biodiversity, which filed a lawsuit with the Surfers Foundation and the Pacific Environment Group, pointed out that “we should not use degreasing agents to cause secondary harm to wildlife and humans after the oil spill.”

“At the time of the BP oil spill, no one knew the long-term effects of chemical degreasers. We are still understanding what kind of damage those degreasers caused to fish and corals. After the oil spill, Humans can avoid going to the sea, but marine organisms have no choice. They are forced to forage, breathe and swim among the chemicals we put in the water (whether it’s leaked oil or degreasing agents).”

According to the settlement agreement signed by the conservation group and the government in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Marine Patrol must issue a request for the National Oceanic Fisheries Administration and the Fish and Wildlife Administration to discuss jointly before January 31, 2014. Discuss the impact of degreasers on endangered species.

According to the US “Endangered Species Act”, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Marine Patrol Team must ask the Marine Fisheries Department and the Fish and Wildlife Department to provide professional advice when conducting any activities that will affect endangered wildlife.

Degreaser is a chemical substance used to turn spilled oil into smaller particles. In theory, oil stains treated with degreasing agents can be easily digested by microorganisms, or diluted at a faster rate.

However, the plaintiffs organization stated that the degreasing agent and the spreading pollution also allow toxins to circulate in the marine food chain. In addition, in another report, it was found that the oil decomposed by COREXIT9527 degreaser would cause more serious damage to the insulation in seabird feathers than untreated oil, making the birds more likely to die due to heat loss.

The California Degreasing Agent Program does not guarantee that the chemical degreasing agents it uses will not cause harm to wildlife.