Chuck
Barnes is director of the Alabama district of the Eastern Surfing
Association, and is responsible for organising surfing competitions.
"In
early September our local government gave the all-clear so surfers
started going back into the water," Barnes told IPS. "But we immediately
had several surfers get sick with headaches, upper respiratory
problems, and other things and that's when I decided we needed to test
the water."
Barnes says that tests conducted in the Orange Beach area "all came up toxic".
I'm worried about the fact that everybody is still giving the all clear
signal, but nobody [government] is doing honest testing," he said. "We
have fresh tar balls washing up right now. They just turned the Gulf
into their huge science experiment, and we're just sitting here under
the microscope waiting to see what happens to us."
Joe
Overstreet, a merchant seaman, lives in Fairhope, Alabama, which is on
the coast and Mobile Bay. He also had his blood tested by Dr. Subra.
"I
have a new rash on my body now, on my chest, and this is after an older
rash I've had that turned into blisters. I did the blood test in
Pensacola, and when it was returned I tested positive for six of the
nine chemicals in BP's dispersants," he said.
Overstreet worked as an oil disaster response worker for BP.
"I
take Benadryl pretty much every night so I don't wake up with a
headache," he told IPS. "I have pains on my right side recently, and
unbelievable headaches. When they start happening I have to stop
everything. I have them every day."
Overstreet, who has worked in
the oil fields and is familiar with the dangers and chemicals used,
said he and his neighbours "could smell the Benzene coming up into the
bay. I was working on the beaches, and on low tides we can see the clams
out there. They used to be white. Now they are all black. And nobody
seems to pay any attention to this. I've lived here all my life and I
know it's not right."
Like others, he is mystified by the lack of appropriate response by government authorities.
"I feel like I'm in the twilight zone. Nobody seems to be doing anything or talking about it," he said.
DeAngelis is worried about the dolphins she has come to love and protect, as well as humans living along the coast.
"It's
devastating," she said. "My identity is wrapped in being Captain Lori,
but I don't know if I can go on my waters and watch out for my babies,
and nobody will tell us what is happening. I can't come up with the
right words. This is the meanest, most deceitful, most horrible thing
the government could do to us."
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