Emergency calls for volunteers have gone out to anyone willing to help in the efforts to minimize the expected disastrous damage from the huge oil spill from last week’s explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. Wildlife conservation groups are concerned about the extent the oil could pose to the coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. They say birds that are now in their prime breeding season are especially at risk.
A number of organizations are recruiting volunteers to help deploy booms and getting prepared to locate, capture and clean oil-covered wildlife. The Audobon Society in association with the Louisiana Coastal Initiative is making its center in Florida available for bird cleansing and rehabilitation.
The oil rig explosion and resulting oil spill has the potential to devastate not only Louisiana’s oil and gas industry and the related companies who support that industry, but also the vast fishing, shrimping, shipping and recreational tourist economy of our state. We looked on with horror at the stark pictures of oil-soaked birds and oil-covered beaches ruining the pristine beauty of Alaska as a result of the Exxon Valdez spill. Unfortunately, we here in the Sportsman’s Paradise may soon be facing the same stark reality.
To report oiled or injured wildlife call 1-866-557-1401. To report oil ashore call 1-866-448-5816.
Also, the EPA has launched a new website to inform the public about the spill’s impact on the environment and the health of nearby residents.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
