We here on the Gulf Coast have fishermen and oystermen that are not licensed and bonded. They are subsistence fishermen who catch food for themselves and their families, and to sell informally to the community. That means, in short, they're not qualified to apply for BP funds through the claims process. By not reporting their income, they cannot apply for compensation and other resources.
Criticism of BP "claims czar" Kenneth Feinberg continued this weekend at a town hall meeting in Louisiana, and this time members of Congress were listening.
Willie Seaman of Irvington, AL, lays carpet and floors for a living. But last summer, as the BP well gushed thousands of barrels of oil daily into the Gulf, Seaman signed up with the BP cleanup program, working on a shrimp boat several miles off shore.
Mark Stewart is a third generation fisherman from the Mississippi Gulf fishing community of Pass Christian. He's a proud and tough working man of the sea, used to hauling in nets until his arms nearly fall off and fishing all night until his eyelids are crusted shut like a saltine sandwich. That’s the life he knows, the life he wouldn’t have any other way.
And it’s the life he fears he may never lead again.
Last Friday I was invited down to New Orleans to take part in the festivities surrounding the opening of the BP Deepwater Oil Catastrophe whistle-blowing documentary, “The Big Fix.” The film, which was directed by husband and wife team Rebecca and Josh Tickell, also featured Peter Fonda, Jason Mraz and Amy Smart.
Press release from Operation People for Peace Inc. Houma, LA (October 19, 2011) - Dick Gregory-Actor/Comedian and Human rights Activist, Dr. E. Faye Williams, National Congress of Black Women-Chair, and Art Rocker, Operation People for Peace-Chair are convening a meeting with ministers, community activist, and others in Houma, Louisiana concerning the lack of payments by BP’s Ken Feinberg. This meeting will be held Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at New Rising Sun Baptist Church at 230 Saint Charles St. Houma, Louisiana 70361 with Facilitator -Rev. Byron Clay, Jr.
Each week, the public radio show State of the Re:Union tells the story of "how a particular American city or town creates community." This fall, Host Al Letson and Producer Tina Antolini devote an episode to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Residents and clean-up workers exposed to the 2010 BP Oil Spill Catastrophe may experience adverse health affects for many years to come, according to a recently released review. “The Adverse Health Effects of Oil Spills: A Review of the Literature and a Framework for Medically Evaluating Exposed Individuals,” written by Barry S. Levy and William J. Nassetta, analyzed 13 studies of health effects among clean-up workers and community residents exposed to past spills.
We here on the Gulf Coast have fishermen and oystermen that are not licensed and bonded. They are subsistence fishermen who catch food for themselves and their families, and to sell informally to the community. That means, in short, they're not qualified to apply for BP funds through the claims process. By not reporting their income, they cannot apply for compensation and other resources.
Criticism of BP "claims czar" Kenneth Feinberg continued this weekend at a town hall meeting in Louisiana, and this time members of Congress were listening.
Last Friday I was invited down to New Orleans to take part in the festivities surrounding the opening of the BP Deepwater Oil Catastrophe whistle-blowing documentary, “The Big Fix.” The film, which was directed by husband and wife team Rebecca and Josh Tickell, also featured Peter Fonda, Jason Mraz and Amy Smart.
Each week, the public radio show State of the Re:Union tells the story of "how a particular American city or town creates community." This fall, Host Al Letson and Producer Tina Antolini devote an episode to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
