Today I went a a 'Service Day'. I volunteered to help with some of the efforts ongoing in the are re the Oil Spill. Today's activity was a beach clean exercise, no oil in sight, but in preparation off, such that if the oil arrives they can dig out just the sand with the oil and do not have to segregate out rubbish at that stage or stop to take out the big logs, truck tires etc.
There was 1.5 bus full of volunteers from our company and then some people from the area who had volunteered too. One couple had driven 1500 Miles to help out for a day whilst another couple from New York, traveling through the US for a Month, also signed up, so not really all that local. Of course all hope the oil does never reach the beach in the first place. The stretch we worked on covered some 6 Miles.
I had a new friend pretty soon. Jose became my buddy for the day and told me all about his 29 years at the Deerpark Refiney in his strong Mexan (Mexican English) accent. He told me loads of things really, and most things a few times over. So I found out he had an extensive shell collection (he did not appear too picky when it came to shells so I could see that) most of which his wife dumped recently in the concrete when it was pored for his garage or something. Jose is from the Border. Sounds strange but that is really what it is. He is from the Laredo / El Paso area in SW Texas and people there don't really see themselves as either Mexican or Texan. They are from the border and grew up with a leg on either side. During all the talking we dug out truck tires and collected garbage of all kinds including chess pieces, an onion (which we planted), a plastic soldier, perfume and much more.
Cameron Parish is on the Louisiana Coast just across the border from Texas. The parish is HUGE with some 5,000 km2 (largest out of the 64 in Louisiana), but not very densely populated (some 9,000 people in 2000). The recent Hurricanes also had a major impact on the coast here with big storm surges (up to 10m after Ike). So if anything population has likely gone down like in many area's heavily affected by either Katrina or Ike. Any houses I saw where very very knew or in the process of being build or repaired. The majority of plots only had foundations with a trailer on it. A very sad sight. The new houses are all built on very high poles to hopefully survive the next storm surge.
Most of Cameron Parish is marshland (grassy swamp) and empty. Along the coast there is a significant amount of petrochemical industry and there is a lot of coastline and the channel which ultimately gets to Houston too all along passing by refinery after chemical plant after refinery. I think I saw more drill rigs & tankers then houses.
In advance I thought the 4.5 hrs of clean-up work would be a breeze, however 4.5 hours in the blazing sun was more then enough. It took about 5 liter of water to feel human again after. That and with an early start due to the 2 hr commute to the site made it a long enough day but very rewarding.
