Article archive / August 1, 2012
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 1, 4.
It’s been over two years since officials finally capped the well that killed 11 men and dumped 5 million barrels of crude, and to some people’s alarm, 700,000 plus gallons of dispersants, into the Gulf. For many in Louisiana, Deepwater Horizon is over. But as with most disasters, the lyrics of Randy Newman’s song Louisiana, apply: “Some people got lost in the flood. Some people got away alright.”
In 2010 during the crisis, the distress was evident. Psychologist Dr. Anthony Speier, then Deputy Assistant Secretary at DHH, (now Assistant Secretary) had told the Times, “We have had 11,000 contacts and 23,000 crisis counseling interventions.” He noted the increased frustrations and weariness among people “who have a tradition of living off the land.”
He said, “There is an increased worry and anxiety among those who can’t find jobs, and concern over the security of their future, and loss of a way of life.” He explained the agency saw more stress, anxiety, and more drinking during the early period of the spill.
Dr. Kim VanGeffen, who served as President of the nationally recognized community service call center, Via Link, noted during the 2010 crisis that there was a range of reasons for people contacting the center. “Via Link is also getting calls from people with questions such as the safety of water supplies and seafood. They are also providing telephone numbers of BP departments that people need to contact. They also anticipate crisis/suicide calls related to the oil spill much as we experienced after Katrina.”
She agreed with Speier during the 2010 period, expecting the most impact on those “… citizens whose livelihoods depend on the Gulf.”
Today, the calls have dropped off dramatically, explained VIA Link’s Richard LaPratt, Program and Services Director who oversees all calls at the center. He told the Times, “What we’re seeing in calls is that they have dropped dramatically with us.” At first, the call center was flooded with calls.
“… Our call center was out in front of everyone. We had a huge influx of calls, all types of calls, for housing, shelter, claims information.”
Through April 2010 to June the center had 1668 calls from people. “… a large portion of those were people wanting to volunteer to help,” he said.
Then the calls dropped off to approximately 400 per month from those seeking assistance. From “October to December the calls for assistance dropped to about 125,” said LaPratt. Then, “Calls leveled off to from 20 to 80 and now we are not getting a lot of oil spill related calls. But we continue to get those for information, claims, rent, household problems.”
Why? He explained, “Because the people most affected, those living in close-knit coastal communities don’t call. Plaquemines was one of the hardest hit,” said LePratt. “A lot of these communities don’t go outside their walls. Like Plaquemines. There is a Korean community there and they were hit hard.” It was similar in others across the coastline, especially in those communities where individuals depended on the gulf for their livelihood.
While some people took the original payments from BP in order to survive in the months after the explosion and fishing bans, others received no compensation. An example is the shrimp processors.
In a press release in April, the American Shrimp Processors Association was critical of the Deepwater Horizon settlement noting the settlement excluded links in the seafood supply chain such docks, processors, and distributors.
“I simply can’t comprehend how after two years they don’t understand the difference between a seafood dock or processing business and a shoe store,” noted Executive Director for the shrimp processors David Veal.
“It is a slow rebuild,” Via Link’s LaPratt said. “It’s coming back very slowly. To a large extend that profession is now gone,” speaking about the one-man or two-man fisherman business.
“Were they able to weather the storm? Many were living hand to mouth, and for six to eight months they had nothing. What you’re seeing is that a lot of these people had to change their life,” LaPratt said.
“The short term is one view, the long-term is not so easy to look at. The real recovery is far from over,” he said.
Storefront of a small, family-owned business in the Gulf area. The store’s owners depended on distributors and fisherman from the Gulf, and closed shortly following the Deepwater Horizon spill when public concern about the seafood was high and fishing bans were in place. The store never reopened. The building has stayed vacant.
A blood test showing volatile solvents (Metamextrix). This is from the blood of a person who lives along the coast and eats the seafood. It is not known what the source of this exposure was however. The test was done almost a year after the spill.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.