Environmental group and LA indep. press find barriers to checking wild life status

 

by Carol Forsloff - The  National Wildlife Federation, and other environmental groups such as Greenpeace, have been to the Gulf Coast and are reporting back with their observations, even as the Unified Command has restricted the distance to 65 feet for observations.

The following is a narrative of the National Wildlife Federation's observations reported on their website, combined with the observations similar to those of Green Heritage News made in mid June.

On Grand Isle, Karen Blackburn has reported thousands of dead hermit crabs and others struggling to breathe in areas where the oil is soaking their environment.  This is similar to the experience related by Greenpeace volunteers when they spoke with Green Heritage News is mid June.

She also reports seeing several seagulls with oiled heads, eyes and bodies.

She said she wanted to survey Fouchon Beach in Fouchon, LA.  but was turned back by The Port Authority for the Parish turned me back and had me go to the Port Authority Office.  There she was notified LA Wildlife & Fisheries had already been on that beach and not to come back without an official with her.  She observed these restrictions appeared to come from "LA--is devoted to the oil industry here."

Sally Williams reported a trip to Cocodrie, LA  reflects observations similar to those of Green Heritage News in mid June while on Grand Isle.  She saw a virtually empty town except for BP officials and charter boats hired out by BP at $600 - $900/day.  These vessels are paid whether they go out or not.

On Grand Isle, Green Heritage News was told some boats might be available at $200/hour, because it was impossible to see the wildlife in the oil near the shore, with the boom put across for protection.  There were, at the time in mid June, boats to hire; but Williams declares there were none available when she inquired.  She observes this is a way to keep people like the press and environmental volunteers to see what is happening.

"The three hours spent in Cocodrie were eerie since I only saw one heron, two black birds, and one duck. So quiet it sent chills up my spine. "  This was the experience Green Heritage News had on Grand Isle in mid June as well, with boats lined up along shore, restaurants virtually empty and workers behind sand slopes or near boom areas, unavailable or unwilling to speak with reporters.

Caryl Kilinski is quoted by the National Wildlife Federation seeing tidal creeks with oil sheen in St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge Park, which she reported to the Response Team.The high tide created tidal creeks which contained oil sheen.

On Grand Isle, Eschete reports a series of difficulties trying to see what is going on in Grand Isle.  She had problems gaining access to remote areas where the birds are without a badge from BP, but then was unable to hook up with anyone at the command center to get the badge.

This experience mirrored that of Green Heritage News in a tour of Grand Isle on June 11, where the reporter was advised special permission was required to look at the operations on the beaches, and there was no answer at the telephone numbers provided to secure the badges.  Furthermore, Green Heritage News could find no response workers available or willing to speak about the work being done or what is happening with the animals.

"The two dolphins were very close to shore and clearly struggling to swim; they would roll over on their side and were barely able to roll themselves back over," "Farrar Brown of the National Wildlife Federation reports. On the Louisiana Coast Farrar Brown saw two dolphins struggling to swim with oil on them.  She was unable to get through to Unified Command to file a report on this.

These were the experiences of the volunteers of National Wildlife Federation.  They are not members of the press with press credentials ordinarily obtained or required by agencies to assess events, including such public ones as inaugurations or parties where government leaders are involved.

Green Heritage News, with independent reporter status and credentials from the Louisiana Press Association, however had similar experiences to these environmental groups.The government offers press releases regularly about their ongoing efforts to clean up the spill and to save the wildlife.

But in the responsibility of the press to hold power to account, in this case the observation of what is being done in critical areas, the press is restricted either through availability of transport by its cost or permissions required with no authorities available to grant them.

The Unified Command, through careful selection, offers reporters occasional trips by boat or airplane, again that must be paid by the reporter at hundreds of dollars per hour to be taken on carefully determined routes.