May 24, 2010
Dear Family and Friends,
As the impending
disaster looms just off of our Gulf Coast shoreline there�s
a question that haunts me � where is the aid of our federal
government?
Most of you are aware that my
husband, Jon, works on an offshore supply boat for a
Louisiana-based company.
As a result I get a lot of information directly from
gulf workers concerning this recent
oil rig accident.
The word within the industry from the beginning of
this accident in relation to the effect on our beaches was
that in the initial weeks this spill was practically 100%
recoverable ecologically if stopped from reaching our
shores.
Unfortunately, once the oil reaches land it will take
massive clean up efforts to undo the harm.
Immediately following the
accident BP implemented several measures to attempt to
control this disaster such as controlled burns and
distributing towable bladders, which float on the top of the
water to soak up the oil before it reaches land.
Also BP was using a chemical
dispersant called Corexit 9500 created just for such an
accident as this.
The mainstream media has reported that the EPA
has squashed BP�s efforts to use it citing it as �unsafe for
the environment�.
Other sources report that Corexit 9500 has been a
proven and highly effective agent to disperse oil and was
deemed both safe and legal more for than two decades
prior to this accident.
If the EPA has suddenly refused to allow BP to use
this agent for this particular incident then why haven�t
they a) provided a factual explanation for the recent
disapproval of this biodegradable, low toxicity product or
b) provided an alternative product?
As citizens rather than scientists you have to ask
for yourself who you believe and if the EPA�s
position is politically based or unbiased.
After all, this is the same group who announced
recently that carbon dioxide � a product of breathing - is
suddenly harmful to the environment.
Admittedly this accident was
originally caused by the Deep Water Horizon oil rig.
Perhaps BP should have been better prepared
for the possibility of such an unprecedented accident.
This has been the first accident of this kind by any
offshore drilling company since the industry began ocean rig
drilling around the 1930�s.
And what a terrible accident it has been � not only
have Louisiana�s beaches already been affected, but 11
hard-working Americans lost their lives� which is an
unrecoverable loss in itself.
However, America must continue
to pursue domestic drilling � at least in the near future -
for the goal of energy independence because at this point in
time we are too financially broken as a country to begin
investing in alternative energy solutions such as solar and
windmill technology. The alternative is to purchase oil from
such regions as the Middle East.
In my opinion what is most
disturbing about this situation is the lack of effort from
the Obama Administration to stop this disaster from reaching
our shorelines.
In the end, who knows whether or not the federal government
will eventually initiate aid after the mess comes
ashore and has created massive destruction to our Gulf
Coast? Why
haven�t additional bladders been produced to help prevent
this impending tragedy as the black gooey oil evident on
Louisiana�s sands continues to wash closer to our own
beaches?
Unfortunately BP could not have
anticipated that if such an accident like this were to occur
our federal government would refuse to help in their efforts
to recover from a national disaster.
After all, our government immediately volunteered a
financially stumbling America to assist Haiti in their
recovery from their devastating earthquake.
And the Bush administration implemented the National
Guard only hours after Hurricane Katrina.
So where is the help for
Louisiana or the Gulf Coast? Why hasn�t the
federal government stepped up with their tremendous
resources to join with BP to proactively prevent this
tragedy from reaching our shores at all?
Again, here we are more than a
month after this terrible accident has happened � many days
and many press conferences later� We hear the blame,
President Obama, but where�s the aid?
Sincerely,
Susan
Pensacola, FL