[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish braces for oil spill impact

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Parish braces for oil spill impact 

by Maya Rodriguez / Eyewitness News

wwltv.com

Posted on April 30, 2010 at 5:22 PM

Updated today at 5:24 PM 


SHELL BEACH, La. -- Amid the calm waters at Shell Beach, anxiety is
beginning to roll in, as a massive oil spill moves ever closer to the St.
Bernard Parish coast. Oil could begin washing ashore there this weekend.

"It's there. You can see it," said fisherman Kevin Heier. "It's coming. It's
inevitable with the wind."

Heier makes his living by fishing and crabbing in the waters along St.
Bernard's intricate coastline. It's a part of the state's massive seafood
industry that could see the first economic impact from the spill.

"Obviously, the conditions are horrible out there," Heier said.

On Friday, St. Bernard Parish set up a mobile command unit at Shell Beach,
where Haz-Mat crews loaded oil boom onto boats and took it out on the water,
to try and stop the oil. As the weather deteriorated, though, so did the
hope of success.

"It's just a bad situation and the weather's making it worse," said
fisherman Frank Campo, Jr. "I just can't believe the damage this is capable
of doing."

Fishermen said what is adding to their frustration is that after signing up
with British Petroleum, to volunteer their boats and navigation know-how,
the company has yet to call on them for help. The overriding fear now is
that the effects from the oil spill will be felt not just for the next few
weeks or months, but rather, for years.

"Possibly for 10, 15 years -- no one knows for sure," said Darrell Naquin,
with the Breton Sound Dock and Marina in Hopedale.

It is a potential nightmare that is inching closer to reality with each
passing hour. Based on forecasts, St. Bernard is expected to begin seeing
oil wash up on its coast on Saturday.

"It affects everyone, everybody, whether you're a fisherman or not," Naquin
said. "It affects the whole environment, wildlife, things that we love to be
around -- and it's just a disaster."

A disaster that now appears to be on a collision course with the way of
life, along coastal St. Bernard.

"This is our livelihood. This is what we do," Heier said, as he looked over
at his morning catch of crabs. "Without this, what else do we do?"

St. Bernard Parish officials said even if BP does not end up using the
fishermen as volunteers, the parish might. They said it all depends on
whether the parish is able to get assets of its own, to help keep the oil
spill away from the coast.