Oil on Pensacola Beach

[TomD]

I live here so I've been keeping an eye on it.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1213/4728582547_10ffd3e27b_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1101/4729227812_eb5a668296_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1134/4728582075_b546414aed_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1370/4729232032_d4781517bd_b.jpg

[StackerKen]

Thanks Tom.

What's the smell like?...No overpowering fumes?

and...What are they waiting for?...why don't they clean it up?

[Large Sarge]

you see anything in the water, like its "boiling from acid"?

as those other videos show

thanks for all the updates, sorry you have to live through this nightmare, hope you have an escape plan/route in mind also

all the best,
Sarge

[MNeagle]

Thanks for the first-hand account. Stay safe!

[TomD]

What I experienced is mildly unpleasant but not very strong. When I was there, the majority of the slick had moved on leaving the beached oil. For whatever reason there wasn't much smell with the beached oil. Maybe the volatiles vaporize out rapidly.

I saw the video about the boiling surf and when back at the beach the next day looked hard for it but didn't see it.

As far as cleaning it up, that's a mystery to me. What the have is several thousand bussed in workers with hazmat suits and flat shovels. They stand around under tents all day long, every day doing little of nothing. It's really weird. The only explanation is that they are trying to make it look like they are doing something. As far as cleanup is concerned, 2 or 3 pieces of appropriate equipment would easily out produce the whole gaggle.

This was out only real oil to hit here and it lasted one day and has since moved on. But it looks like it will be another 2 months before this thing is capped and hurricane season is coming. It can possibly get very bad. The beaches are relatively easy to clean but if it gets back into the bays the shit has hit the fan.

The shot below is typical. You can see these tents set up every couple of hundred feet for 10's of miles up and down the beach. Each tent will have 10-20 people in it and they are just like this all day long. It's rare to see any of them lift a finger.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1332/4729230400_08e2ffcd33_b.jpg

[StackerKen]

figures...

Thanks again Tom

[madfranks]

That first pic, with the contrast of the blast white sand against the tar and oil is really something else. You should try and sell that photo to the newspapers and media, that's the best photo I've seen yet showing what it looks like. My brother lives in Pensacola and is pretty upset with their white beaches getting all tarred up. I would caution you and everyone else in that area to be extremely careful about the possible gasses that are coming out of the slick.

[sunshine05]

Thanks so much for sharing the photos. That must really be something to see all those people sitting around under those tents all day doing nothing. What is up with that?! Very strange.

Please keep us posted if you can.