Oil Spill
After signing up and before being deployed to whatever position I was to be assigned, I decided to begin documenting my experience with the oil spill cleanup. I say oil spill cleanup, but I have no clue what I will be assigned to do. As I type this, I have no idea what I will be doing or the type of work that awaits me, I begin training in the morning (Friday July 02,2010) and figured I would share photos and excerpts from my experience. Update 4: Hours have increased to 4:30AM until 7 PM now. We are on standby for today as the storm named Bonnie approaches. I have been doing various different assignments, as the latest pictures will show I've been working at the dock, and on the water doing whatever I am asked to do. Over the past week I have deck handed on boats going out on the water to bring supplies out in the field, transport contaminated oil boom, wipe down and decontaminate tons of gear/machines and all kinds of different things. I have met a lot of interesting people and gotten to know hundreds of people I work with daily, it has turned out be a rewarding experience and one hell of an adventure. 25. Boats in Barataria Bay Update 3: By the time I get home I am very tired and really don't have much energy to make these updates. I am working in the sun all day. Wearing the chemical protective suits during Louisiana humidity and heat is quite exhausting but so far I have been doing well and despite the hard work enjoy what I am doing. So far I've been involved in many aspects of the cleanup. I have pulled dirty boom from the water, helped transport it, and even skimming the marsh ponds for oil and have seen the devastation this oil spill is doing to out local fishing areas. It is very sad to see, let alone, experience it. 19. Unloading Soiled Boom UPDATE 2: Hard at work, long hours, hot days, doing wide range of things from pulling boom from the bayous, to transporting contaminated boom etc... see picture notes for more info on daily activities... 14. End of the day
UPDATE 1: I am now officially part of the emergency response effort now. I passed my HAZWOPER 40 hour class and am now on 12 hour shifts from 6 am to 6 pm. I leave home at 5 AM and get home at 7 PM so I will update as I can... 7. Day 4 HAZWOPER HAZMAT
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