Gulf Shores, Alabama, well known for it’s white sandy beaches, great seafood and southern hospitality. In the past, I traveled down from Columbus, Indiana for vacations and fell in love with this little community. My mother loved it so much she decided to relocate about five years ago. In November 2009, my husband Phillip and I found ourselves in difficult a situation. With unemployment rates in Columbus at an all time high, and our third child on the way, we decided to make a move. We uprooted our family and moved to Gulf Shores to find work and to be close to my mother. Phil quickly found a job with a realty company, working at an upscale condominium in Orange Beach, Alabama, while I became a stay at home mom to our 4 year old twins and our new baby. Things were looking up, and the future looked bright.
April 20, 2010, my 34th birthday, and the date of a horrific accident that could have possibly caused the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. While Phil and I were enjoying my birthday dinner on the beach, we had no idea that our new community was about to face disaster. The next day the local news station reported the explosion on the Deep Water Horizon oil rig just off the coast of Louisiana. They didn’t say much, other than 11 workers were missing and presumed dead. I remember a deep sinking feeling in my stomach, thinking “this is not the end of this story.”. And so the news began to pour out, no pun intended, about the oil and it’s possible destruction. They initially warned the people in the Gulf to “stay indoors, close windows and run air conditioning on re-circulate, and to avoid strenuous activity outdoors”. I have not heard of any more precautions from these news casters. I do however, hear about the dangers to wildlife and marshes. I recently read an article on the adverse affects the oil and dispersants could have on sea turtles if these chemicals are inhaled or ingested. What about humans? If these chemicals can harm and kill wildlife, what about our children? Not that we as humans are a superior species, but what mother doesn’t worry about the health of her children? I recently visited the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website and found the following:
EPA has observed odor-causing pollutants associated with oil on the shore in the gulf region at low levels. Some of these chemicals may cause short-lived effects like headache, eye, nose and throat irritation, or nausea. Some people may be able to smell several of these chemicals at levels well below those that would cause short-term health problems.
EPA is also conducting additional air monitoring for ozone and airborne particulate matter. The air monitoring conducted through June 21 has found levels of ozone and particulates ranging from the “good” to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” levels on EPA’s Air Quality Index.
This information is quite scary to me and others in this region. Not only is the oil destroying our beaches, our livelihood, and our community, it can potentially destroy our health. I’ve not been one to theorize on conspiracies, but I can’t help but think that they are not telling us all of the facts. There are days when I step out of my front door and am completely overwhelmed by the smell of oil. My friends have asked me to describe the smell, it’s hard to pin down. It is like a mechanic’s rag saturated in oil, and placed over your mouth and nose while you try to breathe. Fortunately, there are days when I don’t smell it at all, depending on which way the wind is blowing. I still don’t believe it is safe for children to play outside on these days. Just because I can’t smell it, doesn’t mean the toxins are not present.
Phil’s job at the condominiums, requires him to work outside, just feet from the shoreline. He has been coming home with severe headaches almost every day. He most recently had to leave work early due to nausea and dizziness. My step-father has been experiencing severe headaches that interfere with his working. And my mother has felt ill as well. Not only are my parents feeling the physical effects, they are being affected monetarily. They are condo/beach house rental cleaners. Since the spill, there have been so many cancellations in the beach rental business, there is no need for cleaners. One of my mom’s friends works on a boat in Orange Beach giving Dolphin Cruises. She is now out of work due to closed beaches, and closed boating ramps. These are only a few examples, personal experiences I have had with the effects of the spill. This has affected the entire community. Fisherman, Shrimper’s, Beach rental owners, too many to list in this article. Gulf Shores relies on tourism for income. The tourists are not coming, and I can’t imagine why they would want to. We are only in the beginning stages of the effects from this spill. In Gulf Shores, it has only recently washed ashore. There is so much oil in the water now, I’m sure it will be washing ashore for a long, long time. And what happens when we are faced with a tropical storm? What is to come from this? Will we all become ill? Will my husband lose his job at the condominiums? Will all of the marine life die off? Will this community bounce back? We are faced with unanswerable questions and fear. Fear of the unknown is one of the greatest fears of man. We are angry, we are concerned, we lack control and feel helpless. As the people in my community try and continue day to day, the feelings are there, and they are real. Time is all that we have now. We will do our best to clean up what washes ashore, and wait for more to come.
Gulf Shores, Alabama: 4/20/2010
Written by Sara Darnell Forney
Gulf Shores, Alabama, well known for it’s white sandy beaches, great seafood and southern hospitality. In the past, I traveled down from Columbus, Indiana for vacations and fell in love with this little community. My mother loved it so much she decided to relocate about five years ago. In November 2009, my husband Phillip and I found ourselves in difficult a situation. With unemployment rates in Columbus at an all time high, and our third child on the way, we decided to make a move. We uprooted our family and moved to Gulf Shores to find work and to be close to my mother. Phil quickly found a job with a realty company, working at an upscale condominium in Orange Beach, Alabama, while I became a stay at home mom to our 4 year old twins and our new baby. Things were looking up, and the future looked bright.
April 20, 2010, my 34th birthday, and the date of a horrific accident that could have possibly caused the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. While Phil and I were enjoying my birthday dinner on the beach, we had no idea that our new community was about to face disaster. The next day the local news station reported the explosion on the Deep Water Horizon oil rig just off the coast of Louisiana. They didn’t say much, other than 11 workers were missing and presumed dead. I remember a deep sinking feeling in my stomach, thinking “this is not the end of this story.”. And so the news began to pour out, no pun intended, about the oil and it’s possible destruction. They initially warned the people in the Gulf to “stay indoors, close windows and run air conditioning on re-circulate, and to avoid strenuous activity outdoors”. I have not heard of any more precautions from these news casters. I do however, hear about the dangers to wildlife and marshes. I recently read an article on the adverse affects the oil and dispersants could have on sea turtles if these chemicals are inhaled or ingested. What about humans? If these chemicals can harm and kill wildlife, what about our children? Not that we as humans are a superior species, but what mother doesn’t worry about the health of her children? I recently visited the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website and found the following:
EPA has observed odor-causing pollutants associated with oil on the shore in the gulf region at low levels. Some of these chemicals may cause short-lived effects like headache, eye, nose and throat irritation, or nausea. Some people may be able to smell several of these chemicals at levels well below those that would cause short-term health problems.
EPA is also conducting additional air monitoring for ozone and airborne particulate matter. The air monitoring conducted through June 21 has found levels of ozone and particulates ranging from the “good” to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” levels on EPA’s Air Quality Index.
This information is quite scary to me and others in this region. Not only is the oil destroying our beaches, our livelihood, and our community, it can potentially destroy our health. I’ve not been one to theorize on conspiracies, but I can’t help but think that they are not telling us all of the facts. There are days when I step out of my front door and am completely overwhelmed by the smell of oil. My friends have asked me to describe the smell, it’s hard to pin down. It is like a mechanic’s rag saturated in oil, and placed over your mouth and nose while you try to breathe. Fortunately, there are days when I don’t smell it at all, depending on which way the wind is blowing. I still don’t believe it is safe for children to play outside on these days. Just because I can’t smell it, doesn’t mean the toxins are not present.
Phil’s job at the condominiums, requires him to work outside, just feet from the shoreline. He has been coming home with severe headaches almost every day. He most recently had to leave work early due to nausea and dizziness. My step-father has been experiencing severe headaches that interfere with his working. And my mother has felt ill as well. Not only are my parents feeling the physical effects, they are being affected monetarily. They are condo/beach house rental cleaners. Since the spill, there have been so many cancellations in the beach rental business, there is no need for cleaners. One of my mom’s friends works on a boat in Orange Beach giving Dolphin Cruises. She is now out of work due to closed beaches, and closed boating ramps. These are only a few examples, personal experiences I have had with the effects of the spill. This has affected the entire community. Fisherman, Shrimper’s, Beach rental owners, too many to list in this article. Gulf Shores relies on tourism for income. The tourists are not coming, and I can’t imagine why they would want to. We are only in the beginning stages of the effects from this spill. In Gulf Shores, it has only recently washed ashore. There is so much oil in the water now, I’m sure it will be washing ashore for a long, long time. And what happens when we are faced with a tropical storm? What is to come from this? Will we all become ill? Will my husband lose his job at the condominiums? Will all of the marine life die off? Will this community bounce back? We are faced with unanswerable questions and fear. Fear of the unknown is one of the greatest fears of man. We are angry, we are concerned, we lack control and feel helpless. As the people in my community try and continue day to day, the feelings are there, and they are real. Time is all that we have now. We will do our best to clean up what washes ashore, and wait for more to come.