Oklahomans Concerned about BP Oil Cleanup

Adrianna Iwasinski, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahomans are voicing their concerns with what they can do to help the BP oil spill cleanup process.

An environmental expert and oil spill researcher spoke about how they can help with the BP oil spill cleanup, during a news briefing at OU Health Sciences Center this morning.

They hope to qualify for new grants recently announced by the federal government.

They shared their information as well as solutions during the briefing.

"This is a huge disaster," said Jay Hanas, PhD. Principal Investigator for OU Medicine. "There's no telling how long it will last."

The Lonsdale family of Yukon has a son who's helping with cleanup efforts in the gulf.

Tyler Lonsdale is a 23-year-old Oklahoma State University student who is doing a paid internship with one of the many companies working on containing and cleaning the BP oil spill. He is on a 30 day stint at sea.

Though his parents are proud of the work he's doing, they are praying for his well being and safe return.

"I am very concerned," said Dondra Lonsdale. "I just want him to come home.

Tyler works 12-hour shifts, seven days a week as a safety officer, which is ironic since now there are concerns about his safety, particularly his health.

"More long term than short term because they don't know what gases they're breathing. How it will affect them, and its new territory so everyone is learning from this," said Max Lonsdale, Tyler's dad. "They shouldn't be touching it they shouldn't be breathing it."

Hanas is studying the toxic affects this major spill could have on workers.

"In the rodents, we examined organs and saw two types of damage. We saw something called apoptosis, which is a Greek work for cell death, actual cells dying in the tissues, and we also saw signs of inflammation," Hanas said.

However, researchers found that the damage from exposure was temporary and reversible over time.