If you are in the Beacon's Beach area then you probably smell the diesel fuel in the air. It is all over the beach. The lifeguard I talked to said the city lifeguards were working with the Coast Guard to locate the origin of the spill.
The fuel in the air burned my eyes so bad that I only snapped a couple of shots before retreating back up the bluff.
The spill stretched the entire length of Beacon's Beach, I'm not sure if other areas are affected.
Fire Department, Lifeguards and a Haz-Mat team (with helicopters buzzing overhead).
Hell. I could smell the deisel at 7-11. Oh yeah- power boats aren't bad for the ocean. Hell- Cars aren't bad for the ocean either right?
ReplyDeleteFor that matter, I'm sure our wonderful congressman Bilbray "Duke Jr." will use this as proof that oil spills will pass and off shore oil drilling off Beacons is needed to supply our oil thirsty California.
It's really horrible. I can taste it in the air, ugh.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a big fat overtime check for all the government slackers. Look at all those nicely fed boys with smiles on their faces.
ReplyDeleteDid they do anything or just stand around shooting the shit? Did they at least sweep the parking lot?
Well one thing is for certain, they will need to polish the trucks twice tomorrow since they were near the ocean with diesel in the air.
which one of you leucadia troglodytes called them? if they are so useless take care of it yourself.
ReplyDeleteBummer!
ReplyDeleteI'm still gonna paddle out for the incoming swell tomorrow morning. I've surfed in worse conditions.
ReplyDeleteanon 10:33, you're a punk bitch not worth your current salary. Sorry, that assumes you have a salary. I'm sure you're schedule changes a lot at Wendy's, mofo. I meant you're not worth your hourly rate.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's awful. It does seem like those guys are standing around, and the helicopter doesn't do much, besides view the disaster from on high.
ReplyDeleteI don't blame anon 10:33 for saying they look like these guys on taxpayer payroll are just standing around. That is how it appears. And what will they do? Anything?
Last anon must be from the fire dept., or maybe police. Is it a Guerin? Bitter, bitter, bitter.
I'm not sure what they can even do besides post warning signs.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad just pointed out that all the Grunion eggs laid last week are probably dead now.
I walked past Moonlight Beach this morning and heard the lifeguard over the loudspeaker warn a surfer about entering the contaminated water. It seems the contamination has reached there. At Beacon's there was a big crowd with television crews, but nobody in the water surfing. Ugh!
ReplyDeleteToday, at noon, my friend Carolyn and I went to the "press conference" at Moonlight Beach. 6 or so camera crews were there, reporters and the heads of various departments, including our very own fire chief Mark Muir. There was not one Encinitas City Council person. This one guy got up to the microphones, and stated the fuel had to be tested, but by smell and color they determined it was deisel, and they claimed a lot of it is sticking to the kelp at Beacons. Estimated gallons: 500-1000, and the presumed source was a large ship, which no one has been able to find. Someone asked if it could be a Navy ship and the guy said that is also a possiblity, (I'd say that's a very good possibility-my Dad is a Navy Commander and said the navy was always terrible about what they threw in the sea, and that they've completely polluted San Diego bay).
ReplyDeleteMy friend asked if the Navy would be exempt from prosecution if found responsible for the spill, and boy, did they dance around THAT question and gave no real answer.
Then some other guy mentioned the surf contest whcih was to be held on Saturday and said "we'll just move those activities to the sand." Say what? "We are expecting 6,000 people, so come anyway and have a good time!" Then someone asked how long the fuel would contaminate the water, and this other guy said the beaches would be closed for 24 hours, but the sun and waves "burned off" a lot of the fuel and "The Environment will take care of the rest". Say WHAT? Yeah, tell that to the mammals that will have their skin all itchy and burning.
I had first hand experience with deisel fuel once. We went sailing to Catalina and the idiot who owned the boat put the deisel in the water tank by mistake and right in the middle of my shower I got drenched with the stuff. I had to completely cover my body with shampoo and jump stark naked into the Avalon Bay in front of everyone and the smell stayed in my hair for a week.
Deisel fuel is heavier than water-that's why I didn't immediately realize I was going to get covered in the stuff, so right now there's a probably quite a bit resting on the sea floor.
Oh yeah, the Switchfoot rock stars were there. I guess they are going to play music at Moonlight tomorrow. The got up to the mics and the first thing they did was thank the city of Encinitas for "all your support". SAY WHAT?!!! The damn city should have been demanding that this ship be found immediately and whomever is responsible should get a big fine. The whole damn coast is off limits from Ponto beach to "D" Street!!! Also, if you bring kids to the beach they can't play in the wet sand. This is a disaster and these rock and roll morons are THANKING the city?!? Then they used the moment for a nice PR opportunity to talk about all the charities they help and some other nonsense.
My friend and I left, disgusted, and you should be, too.
Is my face red...deisel is LIGHTER than water. That's why it's sticking to the kelp bed. D'oh!
ReplyDeleteWe think it was probably a Navy ship, too. We hear there were "war games" going on off the coast, out of Camp Pendleton.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's so ironic that Environmental Day is tomorrow, right? Council will all be there, according to the word we hear.
Our Council should do everything in its power to find out what ship could have done this. Some of them are acting so worried about "side smoke," but this is devastation to the kelp, the grunion, and to a lot of other living things, like you and me.
Our Mayors voice mail says he is out of town for three weeks. City Manager is unavailable. City Hall was closed today. Dirty biz, as usual.
Well, I don't think Council will be there tomorrow, at least not those on vacation. The mayor is, and he's not the only one.
ReplyDeleteSo much publicity on that band that's showing up, tho. It's more about them than the environment, from the "bites" on KUSI, Channel 9.
mfleener,
ReplyDeleteNo worries about diesel being lighter or heavier than water. I dozed off three lines into your novel.
Cheers!
Whether diesel oil is lighter or heavier than water is less important than the fact that they don't mix. Diesel oil floats on the water and then coats everything it comes into contact with, like marine plants and animals or any surfers or swimmmers who enter the water
ReplyDeleteFolks, it ain't healthy for any livin' critter. Why do you think the beaches are closed? Sure, the diesel oil eventually decomposes. So does radioactivity. But I wouldn't want to be living anywhere near Chernobyl in the old USSR.
Maybe we should send the RSPB down to the beach for his yearly bath. Last time I saw him his skin looked dry and crusty and in need of a little moisturizing.
Save the kelp.
anon-blow me
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@mfleener
ReplyDeletedon't take it out on Switchfoot. your "rock n roll morons" statement is disgusting, because you don't even know these guys or what they do for others. imagine you've planned a surf competition and concert (with 10 bands playing) for months, put thousands of dollars into it only to raise thousands more for an orphanage, and people are coming for it from across the country, some from other countries, and an oil-spill the day before threatens the event---and damn straight you'd be thankful to the city that something is still allowed to take place, to salvage the situation, to do justice to all those people that came, and the sweat you put into it. major props to switchfoot for turning the surf competition into a dodgeball competition and going ahead with the event. you accuse them of using the moment on the mic as a PR opportunity, maybe you don't know that the surf competition and concert they organised IS non-profit - to raise money for Care House? what's so bad in letting more people know they can come out and have a great time supporting a great cause? ...that we can't let an oil-spill make our spirits sink?
you have a reason to be mad, but don't go around taking it out on the wrong people. we love to take it out on rock stars, our bias towards them, our secret wishing we were them. well, honey, it's not their fault we don't have that stage. at least when there's a band that's using that stage responsibly and with a conscience, let's not be too quick to pile shit on them, because they're a rare breed.
-phil
To Phil:
ReplyDeleteSorry, but I have to disagree with you a little bit. I don't know the terms of the deal Switchfoot made or whether all their work and services were donated. Regardless there is always some self-promotion in this kind of charity event.
Remember the Concert for Bangladesh? People are still living in misery and dying there. The events usually turn out to be small blips on the radar with little or no lasting impacts in charitible works. But boy, it sure can be good for one's career.
Does Switchfoot have any commitment over the next 20 or 30 years for their cause? I sure hope so.
phil is a spokesman for Switchfoot.
ReplyDeleteThat's fine, but if he's going to post here, he could identify himself.
How much money goes to the organizers of these events, and how much to the charities? Just wondering . . .
Doing something is better than doing nothing; that's true. But too many public servants are getting paid to "keep up with the Joneses," and for purposes of "keeping up appearances," in our community. Most people who are involved are probably well intentioned.
We think the authorities already know who the "culprit" is, re the spill.
I like mfleener, and I'm glad for her informative post. Phil, you are new to this blog, and you don't understand the frustration many have with the local "powers that be."
Switchfoot is from Encinitas. They are young guys who could be living the rock star life but they take time to do charity stuff and stoke out the home crowd. Haven't you ever heard, the show must go on? How many thousands of dollars did they spend setting that concert up? Should they have canceled it? I'm not sure why anyone is mad at Switchfoot. The news used one small sound bite from Jon Foreman who is a surfer. You don't think as a surfer he was bummed about the spill?
ReplyDelete@anonymous
ReplyDelete@save the kelp
yes, I'm a Switchfoot fan who started a fanblog at switchfeed.com. the guys loved what I did, so they contacted me about 6 months later, and asked me if I would like to run the blog on their homepage as well. so yes, I provide updates on their homepage, and if that makes me their spokesman, then yes.
i would like to thank you guys for the civil responses. I understand that I don't know half of where you guys are coming from, and I won't claim to entirely see where your frustrations come from (I've never even been to San Diego), but i'll just leave you some facts, answers to your questions:
40k was raised from the event, for Care House. (that's net - after expenses!)
the orphans from Care House were very much a part of the event. they were originally gonna be given surfing lessons, etc., that didn't work out. the goal has been to not just benefit the org financially, but to give the kids the best day of their year.
having had the pleasure of knowing these guys on a personal level, rather than on a professional level, I felt (a little too passionately, maybe), that labeling them as the morons in all of this was very unfair. also, I wouldn't like my words to be taken as representing them (which is why I didn't get into a more detailed introduction of myself), because this is coming from my heart. I highly doubt they have any idea about this page or the conversation I'm having here.
they have another organisation called lowercase people (lowercasepeople.com), and they don't do any self-promotion through it. if you go on the e-zine's site, you wouldn't know switchfoot's behind it all. as for Bro-Am, if it seems like there's any self-promotion going on, I believe it's only because calling it "Switchfoot Bro-Am" would bring in a whole lot more people than calling it "something-else Bro-Am", i.e. more money raised, hence I don't see the problem with it - using celebrity power for the right reason. There are many other things I'm cynical about, it's just that this isn't one. I know that not all celebrity charity endeavors are sincere (and I'm often critical about that too), but I can vouch that this one is.
as for their long-term committment, they have repeatedly said that the Bro-Am is the achievement of their dream of giving back to the community that brought them to where they are. they've been doing the Bro-Am on those beaches for 3 years now. They've always been committed to change, not just in their local community, but in the larger world. their lyrics, too, often deal with social justice issues, the power of love to change, etc.
and I'm sincerely sorry to hear about what happened to your shores, it's really no fun, I can imagine. :( I'm sorry if I came across as cold towards that. I like mfleener too, her post was great except for the end bit - I was just a little irked that some of my well-intentioned friends were being unfairly accused. It's just that them thanking the community was misconstrued, as if they aren't sad about what happened to the beach, which isn't true. have a good one, and if you've managed to get to the end of this longass comment, thanks for reading.
-phil
Anonymous - I don't understand why you would say "Does Switchfoot have any commitment over the next 20 or 30 years for their cause?"
ReplyDeleteDoes it matter? Isn't three years of helping someone, and changing lives better then none? If that's the rule of thumb, and people can only do something good if they dedicate 20 to 30 years to the cause...well then nothing will ever get done.
The fact that Switchfoot is doing SOMETHING should be enough.
Ok, my use of the word "moron" was harsh, so my apologies to Switchfoot. Phil, you bring up some good points. It just seemed like everyone was taking this spill in stride.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile it's Day 5 and where is the ship and those responsible?