Deep Cleaning (?) the Gulf Beaches–December 6 Update
The assault of noise and clamor on the winter-quiet beach was overwhelming as I stood at the water’s edge and witnessed the ‘deep cleaning’ of a beach near Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The process involves a super-sifter machine that is fed ‘soiled’ sand, shifts the sand, spits out tar balls or any firm object and then spits out cleaner sand. The sheer number of bulldozers, monster dump trucks, front-end loaders, and track hoes was mind-boggling. Endless beeping and buzzing of machines and diesel engines grinding through sand was at the very least disturbing to the senses.
But what was more disturbing was the tar balls washing up at my feet. I looked out over the Gulf and thought of the bottom that seems to hold an endless supply of tar balls ranging in size from pin-head to fist-sized. All it will take is one winter storm over-washing the beach or a hurricane next summer to completely coat these beaches they are spending millions of dollars to clean. I shook my head in disbelief, in disgust. Once again folks are concerned with appearance, not a long-term solution to the problem.
From the beginning of this disaster, the intention was to sink the oil–to hide it. Now that the dispersant worked and much of the oil lays coating the bottom (reference the shrimper last month who brought up nets coated in oil….this guy is being ‘forced’ to pay for cleaning up the oily mess on his boat, nets, etc). Shrimpers drag the bottom to harvest shrimp so when this Bon Secour shrimper ‘struck oil’ and shrimp, it was finally proof to those of us who have suspected that the oil is coating the Gulf bottom. So why aren’t we spending the millions of dollars used in deep cleaning the beaches to get the oil off the bottom of the Gulf? Do the people making decisions to clean the beaches not realize that by next summer they will likely be coated again due to off-shore oil that will come ashore with high tides and waves that are typical of winter on the Gulf Coast?
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And at another end of the island, the sand is brown with tar balls uncovered by the strong wind blowing from the northwest. As this mighty wind slams into the point at Fort Morgan beach, the top layer of sand is blown off revealing a beach completely covered in tar balls.
After walking on the bay side and rounding the point, I witnessed workers hand-sifting sand on the Gulf side of the point. I think this is perhaps the best way to clean the beaches. It is certainly less invasive and less destructive to the coast. And it is less invasive and disturbing to wildlife. But that’s just my opinion. I tend to favor less destructive and invasive procedures, especially when it comes to environmental impact and impact on wildlife.
I don’t claim to have all the answers and I understand public officials wanting to give the appearance that deep-cleaning the beaches will make them ‘safe’ for tourists. But they are completely missing the point when it comes to long-term solutions of issues the Gulf of Mexico is facing. We need to stop using only bandaids and really work on a solution that truly removes the mess created by BP.