SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Local residents still uneasy about the long- and short-term impacts posed by the oil spill that has wreaked havoc on Baldwin County communities for four months should get some of their questions answered tonight.

Tonight’s seventh and final installment of the University of South Alabama Baldwin County campus’ “Oil Disaster and Information Forums” will examine the impact of chemical dispersants used by officials to contain the spill on the surrounding habitats.

“What’s in the Water?: Oil Spill and Dispersants’ Impact on the Water,” will feature experts George Crozier, director of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and Robert Shipp, chair of USA’s marine sciences department.

The free forum begins at 6 p.m. in the USABC Performance Center, located at the corner of Summit Street and Saint James Avenue in Fairhope. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Carlton Ingalls has believed little of what he’s been told by officials since the April 20 explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig launched the largest environmental disaster in the nation’s history.

“BP has been guarding the bottom line from day one, and let’s face it, the U.S. government doesn’t exactly have a stellar track record when it comes to keeping the American people in the loop when bad things happen,” Ingalls said. “A formal apology 30 years from now for starting a cancer epidemic from the use of dispersants will be too little too late.”

Although Ingalls wears his disdain for “official” stances on the potential public health risks the incident poses, the retired engineer who moved to Daphne six years ago believes local experts such as Crozier and Shipp have nothing to lose by being honest with the public.

“They’re not in anybody’s pocket. The research—at least the way I understand it—is independent and intended to tell us what we can expect five, 10, 20 years down the road,” Ingalls said.

Indeed, Crozier said he and Shipp will discuss where the oil goes when acted upon by dispersants and what that means for the surrounding habitats.

“I think the dispersant use at depth has created a profound uncertainty about the future, and we’re going to be looking at quite a few years of difficult monitoring of both the water and animals,” Crozier said.

The series, created to inform and empower residents struggling with the effects of the spill, has already addressed topics ranging from legal rights and air quality to real estate values and mental health implications.

For more information, visit www.myusabc.com, e-mail usabc@usouthal.edu or call (251) 928-8133.