Cleanup workers describe conditions as "beyond bad" (defying BP's gag order)

[Robbien]

Source: 9News-WAFB

GRAND ISLE, LA (WAFB) - Beach cleanup workers along the Louisiana coast are blowing the whistle on what they call "beyond bad conditions."

For weeks, reporters have been trying to talk to the folks on the front lines cleaning the beaches. The majority of the time they will not talk on camera for fear of losing their job, but today two workers are saying they are fed up.

<snip>

"A guy passed out on the beach literally with sand in his eyes, ears and nose and the people around him were laughing, even the bosses," said cleanup worker number one. "There was about to be a big fight."

<snip>

"All we're doing is raking seaweed. I would like to get out there and actually help with the wildlife and the marsh and major areas of it. They have us just working on the beach. When we went to scoop up some oil yesterday they told us, ‘don't scoop up the oil...just rake the seaweed'," said cleanup worker number two.

Read more: http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=12662634

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Snipped out parts talk about the people who hired them and how they aren't being paid. The hiring company has no comment.

[salguine]

1. It's time to start holding BP officials face-down in oily marshes until they stop struggling.

[Robbien]

2. BP officials are all hidden away at headquarters guarded by mercs

Everyone dealing with the Gulf are contractors and subcontractors.

BP is so far removed from everything and everyone.

[Kringle]

3. Obama's hands-off approach, in action .nt

[Iowa]

4. Yep.

[Laelth]

5. The President needs to take charge of the clean up and containment operations.

His failure to do so, and his blind faith that BP can do this job, will hurt him dearly. This report is only the tip of the iceberg, I suspect.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Curmudgeoness]

6. A contracted company tried to recruit me as a biologist

to go to the gulf to work with wildlife (mostly birds). It was tempting to think I may be doing something, but I am not willing to die to keep BP from looking bad. And from many stories I have been reading, this work could be killing people. This job could have you working 16 hour days, and you may have had to spend the nights on barges---wouldn't you love to be breathing fumes 24/7?

[EFerrari]

7. Where the hell is the EPA? Or OSHA? Or somebody?

It really sucks to be the world's biggest 3rd world country.