http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-914364.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – A marine toxicologist whose specialty is oil pollution warned Thursday that the Gulf oil disaster will have devastating consequences for Floridians' health as well as for their environment. Margie Menzel reports.
Dr. Riki Ott is a resident of Alaska - the part affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. She's since written two books on the subject, and is now touring the five Gulf states most affected by the Deepwater Horizon spill, urging people and local governments to respond. On Thursday she met with four Leon County Commissioners, saying there will be graver consequences to the disaster than most people have yet grasped.
"What I will say in 21 years difference between the two spills is that the federal government is a lot more passive and the industry is a lot more aggressive," Ott told commissioners.
Ott's trip to Florida includes the capital area and the Gulf coast, ending in Pensacola. Thursday night, she'll give a talk at Florida State University from 7-9 p.m. in HCB 101, next to the Student Union.