{"id":579738,"date":"2010-05-26T15:19:10","date_gmt":"2010-05-26T19:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/climateprogress.org\/?p=26080"},"modified":"2010-05-26T15:19:10","modified_gmt":"2010-05-26T19:19:10","slug":"fishermen-hired-by-bp-for-oil-clean-up-weren%e2%80%99t-provided-protective-equipment-have-now-fallen-ill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/579738","title":{"rendered":"Fishermen hired by BP for oil clean up weren\u2019t provided protective equipment, have now fallen ill."},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Times<\/em> reports<\/a> that some fishermen have \u201cbecome ill after working long hours near waters fouled with oil and dispersant.\u201d\u00a0 This is a TP repost<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/span>With last month\u2019s massive oil spill at the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico threatening the livelihood of the area\u2019s fishermen, BP said it would \u201chire as many local residents as possible to clean<\/a> the beaches and distribute booms through the surrounding marshes and waterways.\u201d But the effort has hit a few bumps with fishermen complaining that \u201ctoo few people<\/a>\u201d were being hired and their cleanup contracts<\/a> contained problems.<\/p>\n

At least one worker says he wasn\u2019t given protective equipment by BP<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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Like other cleanup workers, Jackson had attended a training class where he was told not to pick up oil-related waste. But he said he wasn\u2019t provided with protective equipment and wore leather boots and regular clothes on his boat.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThey [BP officials] told us if we ran into oil, it wasn\u2019t supposed to bother us,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cAs far as gloves, no, we haven\u2019t been wearing any gloves.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

BP spokesman Graham McEwen told the LA Times that \u201che was unaware of any health complaints<\/a> among cleanup workers,\u201d adding that \u201cthe fishermen the company is training are not being deployed into areas that require respirators or breathing apparatus. Those who are working for BP laying booms or skimming oil are issued protective coveralls and gloves.\u201d However, George Barisich, president of the United Commercial Fishermen\u2019s Association. in St. Bernard Parish, said that fishermen \u201ccomplained to a BP representative about illness\u201d at a recent meeting. \u201cBP has the opinion that they are not getting sick,\u201d Barisich said.<\/p>\n

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