BP Funds Research into Health Effects of Oil Disaster

Oil giant BP said it is providing $10 million to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support a study of potential public health issues relating to the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster and other spill-related health research.

The $10 million grant is part of BP’s Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GRI), a 10-year, $500 million program to better understand and mitigate the environmental and potential health effects of the Gulf spill.

The BP said the funding will allow NIH to build on efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Unified Command and is intended to support the immediate needs of researchers, including Gulf Coast academic institutions and local and state agencies, in understanding potential acute and long-term health impacts of exposures to oil, dispersed oil and dispersants.

Decisions regarding the distribution of the $10 million will be made by NIH with input from Gulf state academic institutions and state and local officials to ensure effective coordination with work currently being conducted, according to BP.