Voices from the frontlines of the BP Oil SpillMatt Petersen - President, Global Green USA
Posted: May 14, 2010 09:48 PM
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Dateline: Monday, Venice, Louisiana
I spent last Monday touring part of Louisiana coast, talking with media covering the BP oil spill, and meeting with fishermen struggling to weather the worst imaginable storm of their lives. It was a sobering time.
The whole Gulf Coast seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for the oil to hit the beach.
Volunteers who drove the 2 hours from New Orleans to Venice to help clean off the birds and wildlife were waiting for the wildlife to come in covered in crude. However, their help had not yet been needed. That day will come all too soon, and we are already seeing the impact of the disaster with reports of dead sea turtles, fish and dolphins - lost due to the spill starting to appear along the coast.
At the Venice marina, we found press waiting around for the latest news on the spill.
Expressing their frustration, they shared disturbing accounts of being kept out of areas of the Gulf most impacted by the spill. As if BP, Halliburton, and the other drilling contractors wanted to prevent them from documenting the disastrous impact of what is already the worst oil spill in US history.
The reporters said it was BP officials holding them back. They said the booms were failing, with the waves and oil splashing right over them.
There were only two restaurants open for lunch, and the Riverside Café we went to had an hour wait for anything cooked given they were over run with customers. We wanted to taste the crab patties to taste and support the local fare, but instead we asked for the special: red beans and rice, and got out in 30 minutes.
Why so crowded? The mini business boom due to the influx of media, nonprofit staff, government representatives, and BP executives were of little solace to the wait staff at the Cafe. Rather, they were grieving the loss of the livelihood of their family members, friends, and neighbors.
This sentiment punctuated what was becoming obvious - the impact of the spill was playing out in slow motion for the media and those concerned with the wildlife, but the impact was already jarring to the fishing community. They could not go out and fish. Some stated they were working for BP to help respond to the spill (apparently no longer required to sign documents waiving their future rights to sue for restoration) to keep busy as much to make money.
To document the voices of the fishermen, we sent a video crew the week before out to nearby Shell Beach. As Robert Campo - a sun-burned fourth generation fisherman from Shell Beach, Louisiana -- attests in the video, "I don't have Type A blood, I got Type Salt Water." You can watch the video by clicking here:
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More (w/Video):
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-petersen/voices-from-the-frontline_b_577257.html:evilfrown:
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