In the bayou, health concerns grow
Posted May 19, 2010 in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment, Moving Beyond Oil
People in the Louisiana bayou have questions. Lots of them.They want answers about what’s in the water and the air that surrounds them. They want more protective gear for the local fishermen who are sent out daily as marine hazmat workers in a valiant—yet seemingly impossible—job to keep the poisonous oily waters at bay. They want BP to put a stop to eye-stinging chemical dispersants dropped by aircraft near their community. They say they have had enough of the evasive answers coming from BP and state and federal officials about what health impacts their kids may face years from now.
So on Monday (May 17), something unusual happened in the small fishing village of Venice. Local citizens organized a press conference and demanded that BP stop spraying aerial dispersants and provide a plan to evacuate residents if necessary. They demanded more masks and respirators for the fishermen and workers who go out on the cleanup boats, some who have complained of headaches and irritated eyes sitting in the toxic fumes. And they want answers to questions about the community health risks from petroleum air emissions that blow over their town and is captured by EPA monitoring equipment.
According to an analysis by the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, EPA data shows hydrogen sulfide emissions have exceeded concentrations that cause physical health symptoms by 10 to 100 times. But residents complain they can't get answers to their health concerns.
“They’re not telling us anything,” said long-time resident Kindra Arnesen, who is married to a shrimp boat captain now hired to clean up the invading oily tide. “They’re spraying this everywhere and our kids have been breathing this stuff for three weeks. Guys are being sent out there without respirators, even guys way out there burning the oil. We’ve heard reports of headaches, nosebleeds and allergy attacks. What’s going on down here is killing us.”
Acy Cooper, VP of the Louisiana Shrimp Association, also was at the press conference. He later said he was very concerned about the lack of protective gear for some of the fishermen doing the clean up.
First Posted: 05- 3-10 04:52 AM | Updated: 05- 4-10 04:25 AM