BP Gulf Oil Disaster Investigation DAY X—Pointe à la Hache, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana

Byron Encalade was born and spent his entire life in Pointe à la Hache. His first entreaty to the NAACP was calling upon the Association to be a voice of advocacy for disenfranchised black fishermen in Plaquemines Parish. “We need NAACP here, in black communities, to give us our rightful voice.” He went on to say that during Hurricane Katrina there was no discernible representative of black communities serving on decision making bodies for disaster planning and response. The outcome of that lack of informed representation is evident in the fact that five years later there are still displaced and severely compromised lives stemming from that disaster. One such challenge was that compensation for damages was only based on wages and not on the significant loss of investment in property that was the cornerstone of livelihoods.  Recognizing the intersection of significant economic insecurity and the state of suffering of communities in the gulf, Byron called on the NAACP to advance policies and initiatives that uplift accumulated wealth for black communities.

Byron lamented the loss of oyster beds due to freshwater conversion. He went on to say that it will be at least 3 years before people can do oyster fishing again, and that’s only if the harmful activity that is causing the conversion has stopped.

Byron shows us a dead oyster which he says tells the story of the state of the livelihood of many.

Re the claims process, based on the experiences of his community with slow and insufficient payment, Byron states that the sentiment of the community is “Enough is enough.” He recommended that there be significantly greater oversight.  With BP handling the claims process he likened the situation to “The fox having the keys to the chicken coop.”  One reform he would like to see is a 6^th month payment structure so that people don’t have to worry from month to month, as well as traverse onerous administrative procedures under such pervasive duress.

To view interview with Byron, please click here.

BP Gulf Oil Disaster—NAACP Investigation DAY IX– Town Hall Meeting Houma, Louisiana

In our travels through Terrebonne Parish, Carmen took several pictures of makeshift signs and other sights that characterized the impact the Oil Drilling Disaster was having on Terrebonne Parish and how folks felt about it.

Terrebonne Parish Resident Expresses Frustration With This Lawn Sign

 

Another lawn sign expresses a sentiment that many hold

Signs, radio and TV commercials, etc. display the proliferation of lawyers in the Gulf

In the Houma Town Hall meeting there was a diversity of participants and issues raised. Several members of the Houma Nation were present and shared gripping testimony of their experiences.  Other members talked about concerns about the claim process, contracting and employment opportunities, as well as health and socio-cultural challenges.

v  “It may be 8-10 years until we can fish again.” Percy Dardar, of the Houma Nation. Lori Ann Chaisson, also of the Houma Nation, echoed this assessment, “We can’t work. We won’t work for years to come. ”

v  “People think of just the Bayou, but the ripples are many including factories and stores that deal with ice, shrimpers, oysters, etc.  Many women will lose their work.” Lora Ann Chaisson of the Houma Nation in Louisiana.  Testimony from community members in Biloxi echoed the same, “Support organizations such as the commercial laundromats that have contracts with hotels are seeing significant losses. The Innkeepers association has seen a 35% – 45% decrease. The longshoremen are affected because access to the channel is limited and the engines that are water cooled cannot go through oil-infested waters. The shuckers, ice men, etc…..a lot of minorities are involved in these industries.”

v  Houma Chief Elect Tom Dardar expressed concern for the lost vocations for older persons, for whom fishing has been their lives for decades, who do not have other choices.  “We must understand the alternatives. Who will teach us the trades?”  Lora Ann Chaisson agreed, “Business down 50%. My dad is 74 years old. What is he supposed to do? How are we going to train older people?”

v  “I don’t want to have to leave because you came and destroyed my land. Our culture is identified through the land. The land identifies us.”—Houma Nation Chief Elect, Tom Dardar. “We will come out on the other side. But what will we become?”

v  “Parents stressed over their children. What will happen to the kids?”—Lori Ann Chaisson “Kids need to understand. Children are upset because parents are upset.”—Chief Dardar 

v  A nurse at the Town Hall meeting in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana expressed her concern that “the medical community does not know what we are treating, what we are looking for, and what the possible illnesses and treatments are out there. Health clinics in affected and soon-to-be affected areas are a critical need.”

BP Gulf Oil Disaster—NAACP Investigation DAY VIII—Gulfport, MS

BP Gulf Oil Disaster—NAACP Investigation DAY VIII—Gulfport, MS

Kathy Egland, NAACP Board Member and Former Branch President for Gulfport, introduced me to a young man who had gotten involved with the clean-up efforts working on one of the crews.  He shared his experiences with starting off each morning with briefings that were primarily focused on warning workers not to speak to the media/press.  One large challenge he faced was not getting his correct pay and he wasn’t alone.  For him to get this proper compensation, as per his work agreement, he had to engage in a lot of back and forth with the company before he was finally paid, much to his frustration. In the end, he decided not to continue working under these circumstances, after his initial negative experiences in the few days he was on the crew.

BP Gulf Oil Disaster—NAACP Investigation DAY VII—Pensacola, FL

Pensacola, now one of Florida’s top tourist destinations, has a rich and colorful history dating nearly 450 years, being the first European settlement in the continental United States. In Florida I had the fortunate of visiting with some of NAACP’s leaders from the Panhandle region including Eladie Sampson, Elvin McCorvey (Pensacola Branch President) Sabu Williams (Okloosa Branch President) and Lewis Jennings (Panhandle Area Director).

Before we visited the beach to see how the oil was already impacting the shoreline, and by extension, tourism and livelihoods, the team shared some observations and reflections on the situation.  One of the members, Lewis, had extensive experience dealing with hazmat materials in the military. Through this lens, he expressed concerns about the classification of oil in this situation as not having the level of hazard designation that he thought would be warranted. Relatedly, he worried about what he considered to be insufficient hazmat training, as well as lack of standardization in protective covering for workers.

Other matters raised by the group included concerns about what they deemed as potentially inadequate air quality monitoring. They felt that there needed to be closer attention paid to pockets where there might be higher concentrations of airborne toxins. They suggested that there are some local facilities that can be utilized to optimize air quality monitoring. Another issue was whether employees of businesses are receiving the same level of outreach and access to the claims process as business owners.

Structurally the group recommended that the voice of the community needed to be uplifted in decision making processes around the oil spill and disaster management to ensure that all needs are being met. The team stated that representatives of constituency based groups should be in place at all levels of emergency management policy making and program design systems

On Pensacola Beach, we observed clean-up crews collecting tar balls.  Off-camera one worker stated that he had been instructed that if he speaks with the media he would lose his job. 

Elvin McCorvey pointed out the diminished presence of beach-goers on the sand and in the water. He also talked about the ripple effects from the fishermen, to the hotel restaurant workers, to the maids that clean the rooms.

Ms. Eladie Sampson shared her observations of the clean-up work, as well as her analysis of the looming impact of the disaster on the tourism industry in Pensacola.

Sabu Williams also showed how the appearance of the beach was already changed from the “white sand beach” to a tannish/gold color due to the oil sheen. He also talked about how this would affect tourism.

Lewis Jennings expounds further on his thoughts re hazmat management, the effects on local livelihoods, and also shows the media attention that has been garnered by this disaster.

As we were leaving the beach we came upon a tarball that the clean-up crews missed.

BP Gulf Oil Disaster—NAACP Investigation DAY VI—Mobile, Alabama

The NAACP Mobile Branch Leadership (Robert Walker, Branch President, as well as Tommy Green and Rick Henderson) treated me to a thorough tour and enlightening analysis/commentary on the BP Oil Disaster and the impact so far, as well as what it will potentially mean for coastal Alabama. They took me to Dauphin Island, a popular tourist destination, as well as Bayou La Batre which is home to marshlands where lots of fishing occurs.

At Dauphin Island we drove to one end where the beach area was closed and military personnel were busily setting out boom and erecting berm (a term I had never heard before and now hear daily!) We asked a wildlife and fisheries person who was there seemingly guarding a gate to ensure there were no casual visitors. When asked about the potential for oil coming ashore, she stridently stated that the oil was “far away, at least 25 miles out”. This struck me as grimly humorous as we watched the coast guard folks behind her frantically laying out protective infrastructure. Of course, two days later, tar balls appeared on Dauphin Island. Our team talked about the spin conspiracy which is determined to put things in its most positive light, no matter what the reality is of what’s occurring.

We talked a bit about the politics of oil and of this disaster. Rick, with a healthy sense of irony, stated the contradictions in some positions on the issue of the clash between de-regulation and maintaining safety standards, “They want small government when they don’t need anything. When you don’t want regulation and you want free enterprise and you want capitalism to run rampant, ie “drill baby drill”, this is what happens!”  The team also spoke about what they considered to be unrealistic expectations of President Obama. Again with his gift for painting a picture to characterize a situation, Mr. Henderson stated, “They want Obama to put on a swimsuit and go down there and cut it off himself.”

Robert Walker, lifelong resident of Mobile, Alabama speculated on how the oil spill will affect the beaches of Mobile Bay and the people who make their living from industries dependent on those beaches.

In Bayou Le Batre, Alabama, Rick shows the waterways and the booms that have been laid in the attempt to mitigate. He talks about the marshlands of the area and how the oil will impact sea life as well as the livelihoods of persons in the region.

BP Gulf Oil Disaster—NAACP Investigation DAY V—Biloxi, MS

James Crowell NAACP Branch President of Biloxi, MS took me on a tour which focused on “The Peninsula” which is a low income primarily African American and Vietnamese American area. This community is particularly concerned about the oil disaster because they haven’t fully recovered from Hurricane Katrina yet. Also, if the oil comes in, they will be surrounded on three sides. They wonder what this will mean for their quality of life and potential displacement, particularly if there is a hurricane which would significantly exacerbate the situation.

 While appreciating the tour, it was a bittersweet because, while I appreciated the history, I feared for the vulnerability left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the threat of both the oil disaster and the coming hurricane season.

(VIDEO TO COME–HAVING TROUBLE EMBEDDING)

BP Gulf Oil Disaster—NAACP Investigation DAY IV—Thibodaux, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana

Burnell Tolbert, Branch President for Lafourche Parish, Louisiana shared the changes he’s observed in the Parish since the BP oil disaster. He also introduced me to Darien Francis, one of the many people from whom Mr. Tolbert has receive requests for assistance in coping with this catastrophe.

Like so many, Mr. Francis, who operates a small take out restaurant at the back of a gas station convenience store, is faced with the specter of losing his business. Mr. Francis’ restaurant features seasoned shrimp, crabs, and crawfish.  Of late, Mr. Francis’s normal supplier of seafood has raised his prices to such an extent, Mr. Francis’ customers can no longer afford to purchase the product. Just to keep his business going, Mr. Francis has had to resort to expanding his repertoire to selling turkey neck and pig’s feet.

BP Gulf Oil Disaster NAACP Investigation DAY III—Houma, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana

In Houma, in Terrebonne Parish, I met with Jerome Boykin, NAACP Branch President of Terrebonne Parish.  He talked about the complaints/concerns he has fielded, particularly from people engaged in clean-up efforts.  Jerome connected me with one woman, “Mary” who had been trained along with several other women. Day after day while male acquaintances of hers were all called for jobs, neither her, nor her female acquaintances were called.  Jerome called and spoke with the contractor who was managing the clean-up efforts about the concern around gender based discrimination. Mary and her friends were called the next day and placed on work crews.

Another person, “Tom” she shared his experiences on the clean-up crew. He stated that they are “messing up checks and not giving us all of our hours”.  Tom also said he had been working for 12 days straight with no days off. He said that they had been told that there is no guarantee that their spot will be open if they take any days off. So he doggedly continues. Tom’s days are tough because he has to report to the “staging area” at 5am to sign in. At 5:30am they leave and they start working at 7am and then sign out at 5:30pm.  Plus, the work they do is arduous to say the least with toting boom all day in the heat. They are provided with water and Gatorade, but otherwise they are charged what she sees as exorbitant costs for the only available food provided by the caterer contracted by the worksite, $10 for lunch.

Another worker, “Peter” shares concerns about the racial disparities in worker placement. He states that out of the 400-500 people on the worksite, 99% are black, 1% are white. The handful of white workers are largely supervisors and “they are not loading boom.”

BP Gulf Oil Disaster NAACP Investigation DAY II—St Bernard’s Parish, Louisiana

The second day of my visit included a visit with Mike Bailey, a lifelong resident and community leader in St. Bernard’s Parish. The only time he has ever left St. Bernard’s was when he lost his home and all of his possessions to hurricane Katrina. Mike was gracious enough to meet me between a wedding and a reception to accommodate my visit. J

In his interview, Mike describes his community as a working class community where most people work in the oil or sugar refineries. He talks about the devastating impact Hurricane Katrina had on life and work. Mike states, “We were just starting to get back and now there is this oil spill.”  With hurricane season coming, Mike is concerned about “saving the wetlands that serve as a bumper guard to protect us from the hurricanes.”

BP Gulf Oil Disaster NAACP Investigation DAY I—Gulf Coast People’s Movement Assembly–Biloxi, MS

My first full day on the tour started at an opportune time, as I was able to participate in the 2^nd Gulf Coast People’s Movement Assembly (PMA) in Biloxi, MS, a meeting of 40+ community based organizers, activists, and other workers.   With an overarching frame around climate change and the gulf oil disaster as one incident stemming from poor energy choices and the nation’s damaging over-reliance on fossil fuels, people gathered to share their experiences and analyses of both the impact of the oil disaster in their communities, and what they can do to uphold the human rights and wellbeing of the gulf coast residents. Participating organizations included the Steps Coalition, Project South, New Orleans Women’s Clinic, Coastal Women for Change, Gulf Coast Fellows, Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, Oxfam, and NAACP, among others.

The PMA raised issues and concerns as well as identified priorities for action. Prominent matters were the looming threat of hurricane season, physical and mental health, worker safety, housing and right to return, economic issues and the claims process, differential impact of climate change on women and women’s rights, etc.

This PMA was part of the lead-up to the US Social Forum where the group met again, with others to further this discuss leading towards a resolution that people would agree on to frame action on this disaster specifically as well as advance an ecological justice agenda that protects the gulf coast residents and beyond.