Oil weaves through Chandeleur Islands – Boom failure widespread
By MARY PEREZ – meperez@sunherald.com GULFPORT — Long ribbons of oil from the Deepwater spill now wind through the Chandeleur Islands between 35 miles and 55 miles south of Gulfport. On a 90-minute flight from Apollo Aviation in Gulfport Monday afternoon, reporters and photographers from the Sun Herald, New York Times and Los Angles Times spotted what appeared to be patches of the reddish-brown oil much closer to shore. In the channel between Ship Island and Cat Island, about 11 miles from the Mississippi coastline, were two blotches that looked similar to what later was seen in an obvious oil slick. State officials reported Monday morning the oil was 60 miles off the Mississippi shoreline. But 35 miles from the coast at the eastern end of the Chandeleurs, the sheen of surface oil, mixed with peanut butter-colored emulsified oil, extended for miles. Only one small airplane was seen in the area and little boat traffic was in the federal waters that begin 3 miles south of Ship Island. An island in the Chandeleurs was surrounded by pink boom and from 3,200 feet, it was clear the oil had permeated the barrier. Stan Flint, a representative of the Mississippi Sierra Club, said they were told all the barrier islands were protected by booms. From the air only three barriers were seen at the southwest side of Ship Island. Several of the other islands were partially boomed.
