The State of the Gulf: Q&A with Liz LeBleu

This month in our “The State of the Gulf – in the Words of Our Neighbors and Friends” series we’re bringing you some of the voices of the Gulf, people that we met with during our trip and that we’ve stayed in touch with over the last few months. This Q&A is with Liz LeBleu, one of our on-the-ground guides and a local Gulfport volunteer extraordinaire.

What does the Gulf look and feel like now, 8 months after the spill?

It looks relatively clean, but there are still BP workers present who look for any sign of oil to remove it before it raises any eyebrows. There is a BP Gator and Port-a-Potty every 2.5 miles when you drive down the beach. I did hear from a friend who works closely with the Ship Island Excursion Group mentioned they removed a 3 ton tar ball just last week from one of the barrier islands.

How have you personally been affected?

Not sure if you heard, but Pat’s 2 year old nephew was recently diagnosed (October 19th)with Leukemia,  to be more specific, ALL (Acute Lyphoblastic Leukemia). I can’t help but wonder if it is due to all of the benzene that has been dumped into our waters through out the past year. I have read tons on the suspected causes of Leukemia and benzene is mentioned specifically on several sources. It may just be a crazy coincidence, but a girl can’t help but wonder.

How has your community been affected?

Our community has been greatly affected by this disaster. In the beginning fisherman were our focus, because the waters were closed to fishing, shrimping and oystering due to the spill. But now that the months have passed our tourism industry has taken a huge blow; restaurants, stores, hotels, and casinos have all experienced layoffs and lost wages as a result of the lack of tourism.

The waters have been reopened to fishing, but even the fisherman warn that with the oil resting at the bottom of the Gulf damaging fish, oyster and shrimp populations, encouraging fisherman to get back out there could damage what is left of the fish stock  for several years to come.

What has the government accomplished in the last 8 months?

Good question. In  my opinion; they seem to have turned the other cheek to this disaster. In the beginning they (NOAA) made excuses for the hundreds of sea turtles that began washing up after the spill and the use of Corexit, soon after that the director of the EPA, Lisa Jackson began to state that the Corexit being dumped into the Gulf was not harming the Gulf and that it would help the oil disappear, she even went as far as to say that she would let her children swim in the Gulf just a few weeks after the spill. She has since retracted her statement and said that she would not encourage the use of dispersant with future spills. She does foresee the industry claiming that it is a way to mitigate the damage the of a similar gusher. Gene Taylor was a 21-year Congressman for our district, who made a name for himself while standing up for the people of our region after Hurricane Katrina.

After weeks of trying to reach him and discuss what was happening I could not figure out why in the hell he was not returning my calls, or speaking out about the spill. I was specifically trying to reach him to discuss the thousands of pounds of crude that was being removed from the beach being buried in Pas Christian, the coastal town in which Gene resides when not in Washington. After a little research I found out exactly where his voice had gone. His elections had been funded by his brother, Dean Taylor. Dean is the CEO of one of the largest supply boat companies in the oil industry, Tide Water international.

Ken Fineburg has continually attempted to trick the people who have lost their income because of the spill to settle out of court for a “Quick Pay Option.” These are people that BP has denied their claims repeatedly. The quick pay option gives the claimants a quick 5 g’s . Yeah, five thousand dollars to make up for a loss of income for 8 months and a predicted several years. How do you think this guy sleeps at night? What really sucks is this is legal and permitted by the government.

Short sweet answer: Not Much.

What do communities in the Gulf still need that they’re not getting?

Many fisherman still need help financially. As well as many people in the tourism industry. I also feel as though the studies that are being done by some of the local universities that show that our seafood may not be as safe to eat as we are leading people to believe. Funds, education and information.

What is one local charity/organization that you believe is doing good work that people who want to help the Gulf can donate to?

I have been a little out of the mix lately because of school and work, but have been working with a local charity, Feed My Sheep, which is a no-questions-asked soup kitchen. It is a place where the people who are affected financially can eat 7 days a week on a no questions asked basis.

A few months ago, I would have said that the Pascagoula Audubon Association has done a lot to help the animals that were directly effected by the spill. Or the Gulf Restoration Network. They have done a great deal of positive work after the spill to bring awareness and raise money for the fishermen in need.