BP, Nalco sued over oil cleanup chemicals

BP Plc has been sued for the first time over alleged environmental and health problems caused by chemicals used in the Gulf of Mexico cleanup, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

BP, based in London, sprayed 1.8 million gallons of Corexit dispersant into the sea to break up the oil from the spill, the newspaper reported Aug. 8. Two Gulf Coast residents, Glynis Wright and Janille Turner, have filed a class action in Alabama, alleging that the chemical is "four times more toxic than sweet crude oil," the newspaper said.

The suit is also against Naperville-based Nalco Holding Co., Corexit's manufacturer, the Telegraph said.

Robert Wine, a BP spokesman, declined to comment on the lawsuit when reached by e-mail. He said the type of dispersants used and the method employed were approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.