Still Not Gone, Still NOT Clean
Posted: January 7, 2011 Filed under: Environment, Environmental Protection, Gulf Oil Spill, New Orleans, toxic waste | Tags: 10 year old poisoned by corexit, Marshes dying from BP Oil, no clean up crews for BP oil mess, Oil in the Gulf, petrochemicals in human blood 25 Comments
THEN.
Well, it’s time for my bimonthly rant about the total lack of concern by any one above the I-10 on the fact we’re still swimming in oil down here. The Cost Guard is still doing the Dosey-Do. Obama doesn’t swim here so he doesn’t care. There was some MSM press coverage.
Hello? Is any body there?
PORT SULPHUR, Louisiana — Federal and Louisiana officials got into a heated argument Friday over the cleanup of oiled marshes during a tour of an area that remains fouled 8½ months after the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico.
State and Plaquemines Parish officials took reporters on a boat tour of Barataria Bay, pointing out an area where oil continues to eat away at marshes and protective boom is either absent or has been gobbled up by the oil. The heavily saturated area that reporters saw was 30 feet to 100 feet wide in sections. No cleanup workers were there when reporters toured the area.
The marshes are critical to the Louisiana coast because they protect the shore from hurricanes and serve as a nursery for Gulf sea life.
“This is the biggest cover-up in the history of America,” Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser told reporters, gesturing with his gloved right hand, which was covered in oil.
Nungesser was accompanied by Robert Barham, the secretary of Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
As the two were answering questions from reporters, representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration interrupted to point out that a plan is being developed to clean up the marshes. They also insisted that the government has not abandoned the Gulf, nor has it lost sight of the fact that BP is a responsible party.
“Clearly there is oil here in the marsh but we are working as a team to find a best way to clean it up,” said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Dan Lauer. “It’s a high priority.”
RIGHT NOW.
You could tell it’s a high priority.
There were no clean up crews.
There was oil everywhere.
People down here are getting pretty tired of the excuses.
We’ve heard enough of them since Katrina and Rita.
I noticed that Mary McCumin–GO MARY–had something up of FDL too called “Your Government is a Toxic Hazard”. She has some great links there that I haven’t yet put up. One includes a link to a 10 year old boy poisoned by Corexit from last month.
Here’s another report on shocking levels of poisonous substances found in the blood of people living in the area.
Samples of blood were collected on December 16, 2010, from four males, age 3, 36, 42 and 43, and one female, age 38. The individuals tested were a diver who came in contact with the BP spill chemicals, individuals who visited the coastal communities and wetlands, documenting the impacts of the BP spill, and individuals exposed along the beaches. The whole blood samples were analyzed for Volatile Solvents by Method 0762, Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry, by Metametrix Clinical Laboratory in Duluth, Georgia
You’ll see that the chemical testing of seafood is another project conducted by LEAN. Individuals and environmental groups are doing the testing down here because our government will not do it. Their concern is purely short term and based on dollars.
The high levels of petroleum hydrocarbons are troubling particularly since many of these species are consumed by people. It is our understanding that there should be no detectable levels of petroleum hydrocarbons in seafood.
It should be noted that none of the samples listed above were visibly contaminated nor did they have any unusual odors. The seafood species, in particular, appeared pristine. We have made an effort to test a broad sampling of areas across the coast.
Based on our sampling project we believe that the government’s pronouncement that Gulf seafood is safe is premature.
This information is particularly valuable in determining possible public health concerns related to contamination from the oil disaster. Information gathered will help us to understand what possible precautions should be taken now and what actions are necessary to fully restore the environment of the impacted areas.
This group has collected samples from diverse locations in three coastal parishes as well as diverse groups of sea dwellers. They’ve tesed, oysters, blue crabs, mussels, shrimp, various types of trout and shrimp. Their chemical tests show high levels of Petroleum Hydrocarbons. Their human test subjects include a three year old who had an elevated level of 2-Methylpentane. This chemical is classified as a solvent. It is considered highly flammable and toxic to the environment.
I can only imagine the levels present in those folks who might actually be involved with the original clean-up. I can’t imagine Jon Stewart will beg for continuing health care for these responders in the same way he did for the first responders of 9/11, but we shall eventually see.
Here’s the Times Picayune version of the story. The best thing there is the series of photos. They say more than the story ever could. Oh, and don’t think you won’t hear more on this from me because I am not gonna let any one that I come into contact with forget about it. That would include Jon Stewart, if he ever listened.
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We have a four alarm fire right now up town that’s shut down the Street Car. It appears to have caused some problems for the old–and I mean OLD–houses in the area. It’s a historic area.
That’s a tweet pic from a local reporter on scene.
Some of those old homes are really nice architecture and really OLD. I hope they are saved and little damage is done to the neighborhoods.
They’re really worried about the homes on the block. I have friends that are tweeting me that they’ve been hosing down the roofs of all the homes in about a 2 block area. It started in an abandoned church and spread from there.
There’s also a big old department store complex that’s been turned into an assisted living home in the area. I’m sure all that smoke hasn’t done any good for those folks.
Hope they’re not wood frame. We had a five alarmer around the corner from us when I was 12. There was a fire station across the street from where we lived and a reflection from the fire showed in the top floor window of it and I thought the fire station was burning too. There was nothing but fire engines visible in the street up and down the 2 blocks I was able to see. When it was done, several wood frame buildings around the corner were gone and a few businesses just down the street from us. These fires really spread, esp. when the buildings are connected. FDNY worked all night just to keep the fire from spreading all the way down our block.
They are mostly two story greek revival frame houses built around 1830-1860. They’re basically the first of the “american’ invasion after the Louisiana purchase. They’re part of the American quarter.
This is very sad to see dak…I swear I need to get down there and see NO for myself. I cannot tell you how many times I have read Toole’s book and can visualize Constantinople Street…Has there been any more information on the problems due to the lack of disaster status. That link you put up about the taxes on BP claims is still in the back of my mind.
Not recently. I’ll see it if it happens. The blogging community down here is pretty tight and the tweet network operates fast and furious! We have a great investigative site now called The Lens. They’ve been following that and I’m sure they’ll report what they find.
Okay, NOW, I’m paranoid.
and another one bites the … never mind
VIRGINIA: Leader Of Anti-Gay Episcopal Sect Fired In Pornography Scandal
You should see his pictures. Talking about Raising the dead …
Jeez, these guys are a bad joke by now.
I tell you Ralph, the hypocrisy of these preachers is beyond reproach.
So – where is our gal Mary Landrieu on all this stuff. Was she there supporting Plackerman (?). How about this guy Vitter – is he any help?
They bring home the bacon but some of the actual on the ground work isn’t possible from homes in the beltway. Vitter is an idiot. He does vote for things and drag the Republicans along, but he’s really not very bright.
Thank you for this post. Personally, I wish you would write more on this situation – everyday if possible til they clean it up, pay retribution, medical for all victims of this DISASTER that our corporate prez did not call.
From your Times Picayune link:
“Don’t give me that song and dance. Don’t tell me I had a voice in that crappy document,” Nungesser said. “You’ve got a procedure to follow, and I’ve got a parish to save.”
Billy Nungesser is tired of weasel words and is responding in a manner that I certainly understand and respect. Is anyone else down there speaking up? Is anyone organizing protests in front of Gov. Jindal’s office – shutting it down or interrupting State legislators in session?
The spill is an epic global disaster – of course it’s not cleaned up. Weasel words and actions by our weasel government will not placate other countries who are going to be poisoned also. It will take a global initiative bringing suit against the US Gov.-BP for relief and to require safer drilling or no drilling. In this country our citizens must stand up and protest – loudly until positive action is taken.
I wonder what a real environmentalist would have recommended in the beginning of this disaster to save lives – human and all other beings. Not using Corexit would be one I can think of. One would expect our Coast Guard to be on top of this, but one would be wrong. It’s now an arm of the corporate government we have – does not matter what party. That does not mean that all who work for them agree, it means they would not have work if they don’t follow orders.
The situation is enraging and saddening., depressing. What a coincidence Bu$h II and Bu$h III(BO) seem to not care about NOLA – seamless inhumane disregard. Can our government be more blatant in their disregard for it’s citizens safety? I don’t think so.
Governor Jindal is too busy traveling around the country for book signings in preparation for getting the next job .. either VP or POTUS nod. His big concern is drugs being smuggled into the state via bath salt packaging.
Okay, it’s from CNET, but wikileaks tweeted it to me.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20027893-281.html#ixzz1AQ8uqsjM
I just know that it is only a matter of time before Assange finds himself next door to Manning…in solitary.
Happy New Year, I like the new look to the site. It’s not that I’m not a regular reader of the blog, but most of it isn’t relevant to me. Anyway, I think your bimonthly rant is a good thing, the trouble with 24 hour news is that news stories are hardly ever revisited, oh, apart from the “Year on” stories you’re bound to get.
As for the poisoned seafood, do people really believe that a spill of that magnitude is going to away without any harmful effects on the wildlife of the gulf? I think it’s mostly out of sight, out of mind. The official word is that it’s gone away, so that must be true…
Keep up the good work Miss Kitty.
Hiya!! You mean the good Welsh people don’t hold their breath on every little bit of news coming out of the US? OMIGOSH! But, but … but w’e’re the IT nation!!
I know it’s hard to believe but I’m not that interested in US politics/economics. Not that they don’t affect my day to day life i.e. the price of oil, the economic downturn, the weekly reports of UK soldiers dying, these are just some of the things we have in part to thank you for. However, there are just things that have more of an influence. I’ll give you a couple of days for that to sink in. 😉
At least after the huriicane, there was acknowledgement of the disaster and mobilization to restore New Orleans. Obviously it was more for industry than for people. Same as it is now. But this time, they don’t want people traveling down there to help because they will see it with their own eyes. How can they possibly say the seafood iis safe to eat. Any person with 1 brain cell knows everything there HAS to be contaminated and unfit for human consumption. Then as it works its way into the food chain, we can’t trust fowl or anything that consumes the water. I did read that it was cleaned up until you dug 2 feet below the surface. I didn’t have to think a miinute that that also was a lie. \the oil from Exxon Valdeaz is still in Alaska for gods sake and that was a clean-up run by industry, not necessarily voluteers and poor hourly workers. The same article said that there was oil in the marshes but ‘they’ had decided that it would cause more damage to the marshes to attempt a cleanup that not to. Who is ‘They’ it didn’t say. I asumed it was the government. At least Katrina was hung around george bush’s neck until he left. I want to see this everywhere Obama goes. As far as he’s concerned, a little payoff should suffice. YOU ARE DISPOSABLE! He could care less about that part of the counrty. One thing about him is he doesn’t know this country. Has no ties to any place in it except Hawaii. And Corexit, I can’t even begin…… Remember it is manufactured in Illinois.
I just googled the fire to read about it and I must say kudos to your fire dept. if they indeed contained it to the church and home next door. No injuries it said also. 6 alarm fire!!!!
I will have to add that if it’s in any historical area, you’d be surpised how quickly those number of alarms go up. When I first moved here, we had a 13 alarm fire in the French Quarter. That being said, the NOFD is world class and deserves every penny they make. Somebody torched the house next to mine–actually it was what we call ‘cajun lightening’ down here– and they were here so fast and furious. Well, I do live two blocks from the station, but still they were great! I was freaked. Youngest daughter was like 12 and a friend was living here with her 2 year old. I had to get 4 dogs,a cat, a toddler, and a kid out to the neutral ground. PLUS, my car was right in front of the house and I had to move it out of the way quickly. The house is less than 6 feet from mine. Very close call.
I heard the cocktail crash through the window and saw the first flame. I screamed dial 911 despite the fact I have an alarm where you can push one button. I always say Joe Dirt saved our home because youngest daughter made me watch the silly movie and the TV’s by the front door. I was sitting on the couch asking myself why did I watch that awful movie? If I’d have been back in my room, I may have figured it out too late.
NOFD is the bomb!!!
I hope you’ll continue keeping us advised as to what’s really going on in the Gulf. This is such a global tragedy and catastrophe – and it is criminal.
I love that Billy Nungesser told those Coast Guard/NOAA folks to kiss his ass.
Thank you. You are my source of Gulf news..other wise like with post Katrina before it, it seems our need to know what happened on Dancing with the Stars and where Lindsay Lohan is in the court system is too vital to include Gulf news too