Boom No Longer Booming

Eventually all the boom that’s become such a common sight will be taken away.

“We believe there's greater environmental risk with keeping the boom in place now that we approach the height of hurricane season,” says Incident Commander Captain Steven Poulin. He says a powerful storm could drag boom and anchors through sensitive marshes--causing more environmental harm than the dwindling oil.

“We are not seeing much oil on the water,” says Poulin. “We're going to do as much as we can as soon as we can but we're going to do it an environmentally sensitive manner.” With less oil there's less demand for BP and other companies to buy boom. That leaves folks like Jay Graddick in a bind. His Loxley company, SG&S, produced nearly 300,000 feet of boom this summer. While not having a contract, Graddick says BP asked them to make as much as they could but now they aren’t buying.

“They indicated to us that unless a hurricane or something happens to the cap that they're currently assessing their boom needs,” says Graddick. BP is working to find other buyers so there is a chance his efforts won't go to waste.

“I just feel like they need to step up to the plate, do the right thing and so that we can have a long relationship making boom for them and other potential customers,” says Graddick. A BP spokesman says they did ask for prices but never put in a purchase order or contract with SG&S.
The spokesman says hopefully other buyers will be able to help get rid of the inventory.