Lifetime Residents of the Gulf Coast Express Their Outrage

A few weeks ago, approximately 60 residents of the Gulf Coast gathered from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., in Bienville Square of downtown Mobile to protest BP's handling of the Deep Water Horizon Oil spill.



Deborah Ingram, a 51 year old resident who has spent her entire life enjoying the beaches and estuaries of the Gulf, organized the event with the help of a few friends. They used Facebook and flyers placed in bars and coffee shops around town to bring people to the protest. “This entire situation could have been avoided,” Ingram said. It wasn't avoided though, and the protesters understand that the past mistakes cannot be undone. Ingram, instead, said that she and the others would like for the government to take over the clean-up operation. She and others at the protest believe BP is interested in salvaging as much of the oil as possible regardless of the impact on the environment.

Ingram said that the protesters also echoed the call of the Shrimpers Alliance and other groups for BP to stop dumping hundreds of barrels of the chemical dispersants Corexit EC9527A into the water.

A quick glance at the product safety data sheet published by Nalco, the makers of Corexit, proved their argument to anyone who favored the use of the dispersants. Page three of the eleven page data sheet states that the chemical should never be allowed to contaminate surface water. Page eight of the same document states that the human health hazard potential is acute in the short-term, but chronic over the long-term.

Though no studies have been done to show the effects of Corexit EC9527A on the environment, the main ingredient is a chemical known as 2-Butoxyethanol. This chemical has been proven by the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) to be highly carcinogenic, causing adrenal tumors in animals.

The sentiments against BP were echoed by everyone who came to the protest that day, and the hundreds who honked and waved in support as they passed by in vehicles. Some people even stopped and joined the protest. The few naysayers moved along when confronted with the facts from the well-researched group of protesters.

William Egbert, a life-time resident of Gulf Shores and a local college student at the University of South Alabama, did not attend the protest. He is distraught for reasons unrelated to the chemical dispersants being used. The effect that the spill is having on local tourism truly concerns him.

“On the Fourth of July, the streets are normally clogged with tourists. This year it looked like winter,” he said. Egbert applied for a job cleaning up the beaches shortly after the spill occurred. He was hired, but was never able to actually join the clean-up effort. He isn't the only one that is angry about not being allowed to help. Many people all along the Gulf Coast express similar outrage.

“What bothers me most is BP saying they want to do all they can to clean it up. A lot of people want to help, but are being turned away,” said Cameron Naramore, another lifetime resident of the Gulf Coast. He and his family recently purchased a home in Mobile, but said if the spill occurred sooner in the year their decision may have been different.

Eric Rockwell, also a lifetime resident of the Mobile area, mentioned that one of his favorite things about living in this area is the fresh seafood. Although experts continue to say that Alabama seafood is safe to eat, Rockwell and others aren't sure. “After all the lies that have been told throughout this entire thing, can you really trust the seafood advisory?” Rockwell asked. He had no kind words for BP – everyone I spoke with accused the company of being dishonest – but also says that responsibility does not lie solely with the oil company.

“Ultimately this tragedy happened because of America's dependence on oil. If we aren't willing to find other means of transportation and energy production, things like this will continue to happen in the future,” Rockwell said.

No Answers to Gulf Oil Spill

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