Orange Beach Tests Water, Soil, Air

The water here at Cotton Bayou may look fine but according to independent tests done by the city of Orange Beach that may not be the case according to Vince Lucido with Krebs Engineering. "We found levels of contamination, this was back the 15th of July, this was in the water and the sand on Cotton Bayou access but its at levels that are of concern but for short term exposure it shouldn't be a problem."

Chemicals of concern: benzene, ethylbenzene and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. Just some of the chemicals being tested for in the water, sand and in the air of Orange Beach.

Away from the beach there was also some cause for concern. On Walker Avenue between Sportsman's Marina and Mess About Marina soil and water samples came back with elevated levels.

Soil results here were above EPA health screening levels. The reason why might be just across the water. Sportsman's Marina is home to the vessels of opportunity boats.

"We'll pick the sites that are hot and we'll revisit them over the summer and during remediation to make sure the levels don't increase and we hope they decrease" says Lucido.