EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Confirmed Fish Kill on Grand Isle; “Overpowering Stench of Death and Decay” Coming From BP “Death Mounds”

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On the ground with New Orleans photographer Jerry Moran.

FROM JERRY:

All of these images were taken October 21, 2010 in the area of Latitude 29.199 N, Longitude 90.042 W.

For the first time in a few weeks, I headed out to Grand Isle, Louisiana – primarily to document cleanup progress that has – or has not – been made since the spill response began.

Earlier in the week, I received information regarding a possible fish kill around Grand Isle, which I confirmed to be true. My first stop was the west end of the island. Upon arrival, I did not see many dead fish, but while walking along the jetties, I was hit by an overpowering stench of death and decay. Back in May, I smelled this same scent and found a mound of buried bull redfish and dolphin, so I decided to go back to that same spot to check it out.

When I was about 10 yards from a recognizable mound of sand, I started hearing the unmistakable buzz of flies.

What I found was truly indescribable visually, I had never seen so many flies and the smell nearly brought me to my knees. There were at least 40 to 60 large redfish, drum – and who knows what else – under a BP “death mound” of sand in the exact same spot that I found the decapitated dolphin and bull redfish in May.

I find it very disturbing that BP cleanup crews are simply burying large numbers of dead fish and other marine life without letting anybody know.

There was also another death mound about 20 yards away closer to the beach at Latitude 29.199 N, Longitude 90.047 W. The media continues to consistently disregard or overlook these occurrences, reporting that everything is just fine in the Gulf. I know these reports are untrue, based on what I am finding six months after the spill.

Additionally, more evidence of land farming (or burying oil) on the west end of the island is seen in the images of the levee resembling the Grand Canyon rock strata, Latitude 29.195 N, Longitude 90.055 W.

Images at Latitude 29.266 N, Longitude 89.953 W are from the east end of the island behind State Park, which is still closed to the public. I couldn’t get to the beach, but I observed heavy machinery, and the constant and overpowering stench of death coming from the other side of the levee.

© Smith Stag, LLC 2010 – All Rights Reserved

1 comment

  • October 28, 2010

    Dear Mr. Smith,
    Greetings to u. I reviewed these photos today and I think Jerry is right. I live here in Pensacola. I spoke to the assistant manager at the Wal-Mart here, and she told me that oysters were $7.00 per glass jar back in the beginning of the year. Now they’re $24.00 a jar as of two weeks ago. However, she told me they no longer carry them in the store because they are too expensive per case.
    sam j. haim

Stuart H. Smith is an attorney based in New Orleans fighting major oil companies and other polluters.
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