Although it is only day two - feels like day 2002. I was going to try to be concise and limit this two a more in depth one story - but all the stories are just to important. I also have to appologize - I took some amazing video today - but have figured out how to get it from tape to my computer - so the update of pictures is not that extensive as I was focussing on the video.
Top of the day - 9am - felt like 100 degrees already!
The first thing that I have to say is that I feel that I have walked onto a movie set. There are the "crew" compounds - and then their is the drama that is unfolding every day. But much like a good mystery - there are "clues" everywhere - but the criminal is remaining elusive.
At noon I walked the west side of the beach with "Dave" - a shrimper. Big Lesson - I called him a fisherman - and he said that he was not a fisherman - he fished for shrimp - so I asked if I could call him a shrimper - he laughed but I think that he was ok with this title.
Dave is a third generation member of the community. But he is now out of work. It's really hard to talk to a man in his 50's who tells me that he is really depressed. But he was great - took time to walk with me on the beach and tell me about how life should be here. There were Dolphins swimming really close to shore "fishing" for flounder. It was an emotional moment when Dave said very quietly that he was sad that his kids may never be able to experience these moments.
Dave told me that they have had meetings now on the island about evacuation. If they get a hurricane here they are going to remove everyone here - as the oil that will be spread over the community will be extremely hazardous. He told me that they have said that if they keep thier receipts then BP will pay for thier moving costs. Well first off - some people don't have the money to move - and secondly - there is absolutely no trust here in BP.
We talked a lot about the culture of living in a seaside community. The value system is different - with limited access to the stimuli that the city brings - life runs at a much different pace here.
We also talked about the way the clean up has been run here on Grand Isle. There are people from the community involved in the cleanup - however - the majority of the workers are people that the sub-contractors have hired - these include the unemployed - and convicts.
Dave and I also stopped and just smelled the air. Picture the smell of a clean spring day - and then dump a gallon of oil on it. There is a hint of fresh air behind the clinging oil smell. I told Dave about the memo from BP re: people can always get their seafood from somewhere else - Dave had seen the memo. Talk about diminishing someones liveleyhood.
On a side note - Dave and the whole island were wiped out during Hurricane Catrina - but you would never know. They have completely rebuild - talk about an industrious people!
I left Dave - and wondered back down the beach.
First beach conflict: big security guard approached me and told me that i was not supposed to be on the beach. I explained that I had been out walking with a resident walking the beach. He told me that I could be contaminated and that they might hose me down. I said great go ahead - it's so hot a good hose down would have felt good! His next approach was to tell me that they were going to take my camera away - I said that I really did not think that was going to happen - did he really want to make this into a newsworthy story? Poor guy was a bit loss for what to say next. So I said that I was leaving the beach in any case so why didn't we call it day. His last words as I walked away were - "better not see you again". Never one to let someone else have the last word I responed - "how sad - I was really hoping to see him again."
We all have to remember that these workers on the beach are not hired by BP - rather companies that BP has contracted. So BP can tell us all they want in the news that the workers are free to talk to anyone - but it is sub-contractors that won't let them. Good out BP - congratulations.
I then went back down the island - stopped at the community centre - I wanted to talk to a rep from BP - tomorrow I am having a conversation with Curtis Thomas - PR rep for BP here on Grand Isle - or at least I hope I am - you never know with BP. I did speak with a woman called Sydney - a retired BP worker who they have travelled from California. She was extremely pleasant - much like a stepford grandma - but why are they bringing people here from California I have to ask. More wieirdness.
I then went back to the state park - again big compound but very few workers.
I was heading back towards the Marina and as i was stopped by the side of the road I met Keiswick - a worker from Baton Rouge - I offered him a ride to his compound - which he gladly accepted. I told him that I was not a reported so he opened up a bit. He was out of work in Baton Rouge so grabbed the chance at a job. I asked if he did not feel a little weird about not being able to talk to whomever he wanted. He said no - he just did not want to loose his job. I told him that it reminded me of stories of the depression - when they had camps for the out of work men/families - and that they were not allowed to speak out either. But he just felt that three meals a day and a paycheck were worth keeping his mouth shut. So I asked - just what are you keeping your mouth shut about? Is there something that you are doing that you feel is wrong? And that is one of the big questions - the oil is everywhere - the impact to wildlife and people is obvious - just what are the cleanup crews hiding?
When I dropped Keiswich off at the compound the Sherrif stopped him questioned him. Did not hear them - but as they were looking at me - I can only imagine that they were asking him who I was - and what did he tell me.
I then met up with Robert Vegas and we went out on his boat.
Robert is third generation on this island - he is taking Business at a Louisiana college- so that he can take over the family business on the island - Bridgeside marina. But looks like that his plans are going to have to change.
It was an upsetting and eyeopening trip.
We went to Bird Island - it is incredible - there are many many many oil covered birds. But we did not see ONE rescue workers for the birds. It is the only island around here that is a bird sanctuary - so it's not hard to find. I asked why was there not a boat - at least one - rescuing the birds - and having other boats transport them. Robert really did not have any answers but agreed - quite strongly - that they should be there.
I can't really explain what it is like to see a bird trying to breath - picking at it's feathers trying to clean itself. It's heartbreaking. I think that we should make all of the BP executive spend one day on bird island.
But our trip just got worse. We went further out around some of the other islands. First of all - there were very very few boats out cleaning up. and they all went in for the day at 5pm - it does not get dark until after 8pm.
And the booms just don't make sense - they have long booms stretched out - but only sporadically - do they think that the oil knows not to go around the boom?
But then we can to this area - where the oil is just a thick mass on the water. Even Robert said that it was the worst that he had seen so far. And to top it all off - there was a boom that had gone up on the rocks - tangled up not doing the job. Robert said that it had been there for at least four days.
Also - there is oil everywhere on the other side of the booms - meaning that the booms are not stopping all of the oil.
I have all of this on Video so hopefully I will be able to upload! It's really hard to find the words for how incredibly bad this is.
I also met Students from LSU - and a businessman whose company has developed a system and equipment that seperates oil from water.
I'm going to write more about them in the morning as their voices are really important and what they are doing and have to say is important. But now I am going to sit out and enjoy the cool breeze - and watch the storm that is coming in!
My final note tonight - it is so so important for people to start questioning. Ask questions and demand answers.
Also - and this is from the woman who is scared of birds - take time to really look and enjoy the nature around you - it may not be there for long.
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