6 years after BP oil spill, tar balls continue to wash onto AL beaches

Thursday, May 12th 2016, 10:50 am EDTMonday, May 16th 2016, 5:58 am EDT

By Sally Pitts, Anchor / Reporter

(Source: WSFA 12 News)

GULF SHORES, AL (WSFA) - The BP oil spill was the worst oil spill in U.S. History. Eleven people died as the Deepwater Horizon Rig Exploded April 20, 2010. More than 200 million gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico and six years later, its effects can still be spotted along the Gulf Coast.   

On a recent trip to Alabama's Gulf Coast, Anchor Sally Pitts found dozens of tarballs. More than a pound of tar balls were picked up along a small stretch of beach at Ft. Morgan.
Here's a look at just some of what she found on the beach.
Dr. Clement has studied the BP Oil Spill since it began in 2010. Dr. Clement says,  "It is a long term problem and we have to have to watch this problem for a long time." 
Sally along with Auburn University Professor Prabhakar Clement collected the tar balls for testing. The tests confirmed the tar balls we collected are from BP Oil. What's more concerning, he says is that the chemicals aren't breaking down.
"The chemicals in the tar balls are definitely carcinogenic. That means they are cancer forming." Dr. Clement said. "Unfortunately, some of these PHs are not changing; they are almost constant. That has a long term effect for marine life, water quality and everything," 
Scientist have also confirmed there is a link between baby dolphin deaths and the BP Oil Spill. More than a thousand dolphins have washed up on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico since 2010.
 Dr. Moby Solangi with the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies says," There are chronic effects that are resulting in some of the animal deaths both in dolphins and turtles. Some of these chronic effects could reduce the immunity of these animals and they succumb to some of the diseases."
BP declined to comment about our findings. The company reached a 20 billion dollar settlement with five Gulf States  including Alabama. Nearly 300 million dollars will be spent to restore Alabama's Coastal environment.
While Dr. Clement says you shouldn't be afraid to swim in the Gulf of Mexico, it's not immediately harmful. He does say however, Alabama can't afford to ignore the continuing impact of the BP Oil Spill.
"It's slowly poisoning the environment and the long term consequences aren't completely clear," Clement said.
If you spot a tar ball on one of Alabama's beaches, report it to the National Response Center, that's what we did.