Saturday, June 12, 2010

Oil Takes Aim At Pensacola


So far we've escaped the fate of Louisiana, Mississippi, and now Alabama. Although we've seen scattered tar balls on Pensacola Beach and a very limited amount of oil enter Pensacola Bay, the impact here has been relatively minor compared to what has been happening to our west.

But in the last two days oil has entered Perdido Pass along the Alabama-Florida border and fouled the beaches of Orange Beach, Alabama. A sense of foreboding hangs in the air tonight over Pensacola as we wait to see what our fate will be here. At this point it looks like it could go either way. There appears to be no consensus as to whether or not oil will foul Pensacola Beach in the coming days. Large patches of oil are lingering precariously close to our coast at this very moment.

This is what deregulation, massive corporate lobbying, and lax enforcement of existing regulations looks like. It is black, sticky, and smelly. And after infiltrating Louisiana's wetlands it is now impacting the most pristine beaches in the United States. President Obama will be visiting Mississippi, Alabama, and here in Pensacola on Monday and Tuesday. I think his access is going to be limited here in Pensacola, but if I catch a glimpse I'll let you know. As of this moment, I'm sure if he's going to see our famous sugar-white beaches or a nasty mess. I'm hoping for the former.
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