Lessons Learned -- and Now Forgotten

From the description of Island Authority Buck Lee's actions and Dr. John Lanza's rationalizations over the past two weeks which appears in today's Christian Science Monitor ["After Gulf Swimmers Report Illness, Questions about Opening a Beach"] the county and Santa Rosa Island Authority have forgotten the hard lessons once learned on Pensacola Beach. (HT to Rick Outzen for pointing to the CSM.)

Santa Rosa Island officials flew the double-red flag – no swimming – over Pensacola Beach in Florida after a swath of thick oil washed ashore from the Gulf oil spill June 23.

Two days later, against the warnings of federal health officials and based on a visual survey of the beach, the local island authority director, Buck Lee, reopened the beaches for swimming, urging residents and tourists to come back to the beach. Officials left the ultimate decision on whether it was safe to swim to beachgoers.

Several hundred beach visitors took him at his word, and this is what happened:

This week, health officials in Escambia County, Fla., which includes Pensacola Beach, reported that about 400 people claimed they felt sick after visiting the beach and swimming in the Gulf.

What Buck Lee has done since the BP oil catastrophe reached Northwest Florida threatens to wipe out nearly a decade of laudable progress by the governing board in restoring the reputation of Pensacola Beach -- and the agency itself. What Dr. Lanza has offered as an excuse Lee could use ('the situation changes from one hour to the next") is equally contemptible.

Over a decade ago, beginning in the late 1990's and through the early years of the present decade, Pensacola Beach became known around the nation as "Death Beach." This wasn't because of oil. It was because of a series of tragic drownings of local and visiting swimmers over many years in the tricky rip-currents along the beach.

As the U.S. Life Guard Association notes in an older annual report, in those days Pensacola was known as a destination where "the hazards are many and lifeguards are few." There was a different head administrator of the Island Authority, then, and mostly a different board than we have today. But the lessons the agency came to learn are just as applicable to the oil catastrophe of today.

Beginning in the year 2000, thanks largely to the intrepid efforts of former SRIA board members Don Ayres and Chuck Emling, and now current board member Thomas Campanella, the SRIA agency was pushed, pulled, and dragged into budgeting substantial funds for a comprehensive public safety program on Pensacola Beach. Permanent life guard stations were built at all the major beaches. A professional, certified staff of skilled lifeguards was hired. State of the art life-saving equipment was purchased. Mobile beach vehicles for patrolling less frequently used beaches were put in service. And, equally important, an easy-to-understand and reliable public alert system candidly describing the daily swimming conditions was implemented.

It is no exaggeration to say that these efforts by those former board members not only saved countless lives, they also rescued the reputation of Pensacola Beach. And that kind of reputation is the best "tourist promotion" money can buy.

Over the past several weeks, however, Buck Lee has been throwing that restored good reputation away. We are now in danger of being known as Prevarication Beach -- the vacation destination that won't tell you the truth about current oil conditions affecting your health.

The danger of oil is different than the danger of rip currents, of course. But there are striking parallels, too. Both involve hidden dangers not readily recognizable by temporary tourists, as well as obvious ones. For some particularly vulnerable visitors, each of the hazards can be life-threatening. And, with both kinds of hazards the risk can be mitigated only if the authorities are honest and forthright in warning the public of the danger -- even to the point, when necessary, of closing the beach.

The lame excuses not to take any particular action, once offered by the former SRIA general manager and now offered by the present one, also are strikingly similar. Back then, now-retired general manager Monte Blews often was quoted as saying about the dangerous rip currents some of the very same things Buck Lee and his comrades-in-promotion are saying today about the oil on the beach. Things like:

• swimmers should use common sense;
• water hazards of the Gulf change from day to day and hour to hour;
• every person is unique and reacts to the hazard in unpredictable ways;
• we can't anticipate every dumb move some tourist might make;
• many more people aren't being injured;
• Y'all come on down and have some fun, ya' hear?

We like to think that ultimately the old SRIA board and Mr. Blews did the right thing for ethical reasons and they were justly rewarded with a restored -- even enhanced -- beach reputation. But a couple of board members, we suspect, never were much impressed by the argument that the agency had a moral responsibility to do everything reasonably possible to protect the lives and health of people whom they had encouraged to visit Pensacola Beach.

Even those heart-hardened ones eventually went along, however, for the sufficient reason that they came to realize all the advertising money in the world isn't worth a damn if a beach destination earns a reputation for being cavalier about the safety of its visitors or if it lies to the public about the condition of the beach.

That's a lesson Buck Lee and quite a few Escambia County officials need to re-learn, whatever their moral or political compass may direct. If they don't, you can be sure there will be more articles like today's in the Christian Science Monitor.

Public Health Friday: July 2 BP Oil Spill Update

1. Fourth of July Weekend Oilcast.

Hurricane Alex is ashore and weakening, but the oil sheets it pushed toward Northwest Florida beaches will remain too close over the coming weekend. Continued cleaning is likely to be necessary. Local beaches will be open for business, technically. But mainly for spending your money, only.

Public health warnings (see below) apply. Shorter advice: Only the foolhardy or delusional would venture into Northwest Florida Gulf waters.

Local weather forecasters say the chance of some scattered summer showers will range from 30 to 40 percent through the weekend.

2. Biggest Oil Spill.

This week the BP oil spill made history as the largest oil spill ever on Earth in peacetime. USA TODAY calculates that about 164 million gallons will have entered the Gulf by Monday.

The largest previous peacetime spill occurred in the Gulf in 1979 when the Ixtoc I well off Mexico blew out and leaked for nine months. An estimated 140 million gallons leaked from that disaster.

The largest oil spill in war time occurred in 1991 during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. USA claims 460 million gallons deliberately were spilled or burned. Others say of the total an estimated 6-8 million barrels (252 - 336 million gallons) of that oil was dumped into the waters of the Arabian Gulf.

Compare the BP oil spill to ten other infamous oil disasters.

3. Permanent Health Warnings.

Dr. John Lanza, director of Escambia County's public health department, finally grew a pair and metaphorically hung up on Pensacola Beach administrator Buck Lee . PNJ reporter Jamie Page writes today that Lanza has "decided to replace future health warnings with a new 'oil impact notice.'"

The new oil notice will mean posting signs on all Gulf beaches in Escambia County to serve as a continuous advisory that the beach has been impacted by oil, warning beachgoers to avoid walking in oily areas, wading or swimming.

It's Day No. 73 since the BP platform blew up, beginning the largest continuous peacetime oil disaster in world history, and Dr. Lanza at last has awakened to a reality the rest of the world saw two and a half months ago:

"As we continue to have greater impacts from the oil, it has become evident that we are going to have impacts from this for many weeks to come," health department spokeswoman Molly Payne-Hardin said, "whereas with health advisories, we had to put those up and then rescind them each time."

4. Navarre Beach Non-Warnings.

Next door in Santa Rosa County, however, county health department Director Sandy Park continues to live in high denial. The "nurse practitioner" who's acting head of the county's health department told reporter Paige that oil "impacts do not warrant" a health advisory for Navarre Beach.

Tarballs are washing up in Walton County to the east. "More tar and oily foam" washed up this week on Ft. Walton and Okaloosa County beaches, next door to the east. On the west -- well, that's us, now with permanent public health warnings. Right in between is Santa Rose County.

Look, there's nothing wrong with a nurse heading a public health department. Having a medical degree is no guarantee that you have a quick mind, as Dr. Lanza has proven.

But a nurse who ignores oil to the left, oil to the right, and oil right in her face covering "twenty percent" of Navarre Beach? That's someone who needs supervisory help from the Florida State Department of Health.

5. Florida's State Surgeon General - M.I.A..

So where is state surgeon general Dr. Ana M. Viamonte Ros, anyway? Better check your milk cartons. She seems to be missing.

And, why is the state's "Environmental Public Health Tracking" web site so out of date that it says nothing -- absolutely nothing -- about the public health dangers of the BP oil spill?

Just for fun, we went to the department's Contamination Locator Map and checked "petroleum" within two miles of the SRIA's address at 1 Via DeLuna, Pensacola Beach. All that shows up are some old storm run-off issues mostly along Pensacola Beach Boulevard that were identified in the late 1990's.

Try it by zip code 32561 and what you get is more antiquated data, including one for "Dippin' Dots," a Gulf Breeze business that closed its doors years ago. There's not a single data point -- not one word -- about sheets of oil polluting Pensacola Beach.

Right there may be the root of the public health confusion that has plagued Northwest Florida since the oil spill began. We have a state "surgeon general" in Tallahassee directing 20,000 state public health employees. The department's mission is "preparing the state for natural and man-made disasters, reducing health disparities, and leading Floridians to better health by example."

What has the state surgeon general been doing while all the "health disparities" arise in Northwest Florida as this 'man-made disaster' unfolds? Someone in Tallahassee has some explaining to do, and it had better be convincing before Election Day.

6. Unlimited Liability.

Yesterday, the House of Representatives approved the SPILL Act (HR 5503) by voice vote. The legislation reforms "inadequate and outdated maritime liability laws to ensure that the families of those killed or injured in the BP Oil Spill and other such tragedies are justly compensated for their losses." The full text is here.

The Act was opposed by the right-wing, hair-brained U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the cruise line industry, and Republicans who "argued that the bill was too broad, though they did not act to block its passage." In the Senate, a competing bill co-sponsored by Florida Senator Bill Nelson would raise the limit to $10 Billion, but it would not be retroactive.

Without much question, there are legal issues a-plenty in the House bill. Not the least of them is the constitutionality of a retroactive clause eliminating the ridiculously low liability cap enacted by Congress years ago. Let's hope dolphins and pelicans survive long enough to see those issues resolved.

7. Fireworks on Oil.

The weekly Gulf Breeze News reports the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce is planning to blow things up on the 4th of July. But the organization no longer has a barge available -- it will be busy skimming -- so the fireworks will have to be shot off into the Gulf of Mexico from the fishing pier.

With all the oil sloshing around out there, what could wrong?

8. Blue Fin Tuna and New England.

Massachusetts fish and wildlife authorities are worried the BP oil spill will endanger blue fin tuna, a local staple for the New England economy and the palettes of gourmands. The Blue Fin Tuna --

spawn in the Gulf not far from the spill site and then make their way to New England.

"It could take a year before we know the impact on the tuna. And that is something we are keeping a very close eye on," says Paul Diodati, Massachusetts Director of Marine Fisheries.

9. Oily Food Chain.

Mobile TV station WALA reports that "scientists at the University of Southern Mississippi say oil has entered the Gulf food chain."

Droplets of oil have been found in baby blue crabs and fiddler crabs. A laboratory has been analyzing "larvae found throughout the Gulf, and they're finding oil trapped between the outer shell and the inner skin."

Scientists have found oil covered larvae from Louisiana to Florida.

"Because a host of species that inhabit the marsh eat and prey on blue crabs, it would be very easy for the oil to get into the food chain," [Harriet] Perry said.

Perry is Director of Fisheries and Research at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Lab.

We're looking forward to Governor Haley Barbour reassuring everyone Mississippi crabmeat is safe to eat by downing a couple of dozen crabs infected with oil.

Surreal Thursday July 1 BP Oil Spill Update

1. Beach Report.

Escambia DisasterResponse acknowledged in this morning's Beach Report # 28 (not yet online as this is written) that "Pensacola Beach is seeing coverage of up to 50 percent in some areas in tar balls and tar patties today." Also:

• Cleanup crews were on the beach last night and crews working today as weather permits.

• Heavy equipment is being utilized on Pensacola Beach. Work will continue as weather permits.

Natch', county and beach officials claim the beach "remains open" for swimming except for the area west of the fishing pier.

The open area is exactly the one we visited yesterday, a popular 6-mile stretch of beach from the County East Beach to popular Casino Beach in the commercial core. All of it, although officially "open," has been inundated by BP's tarballs and disgusting orange oil mousse for days on end.

2. Surreal Surf Presser.

Island Authority administrator Buck Lee yesterday held a joint press conference at the fishing pier. He was joined by county neighborhood services chief Keith Wilkins. Conspicuously missing in action was county public health director John J. Lanza.

The presser must have been, by all accounts, a surreal experience. The Pensacola News Journal carried two versions about it. One makes the two county officials sound like idiots. The other paints them as shameless shirkers, blaming everyone else for not stopping them from endangering the public.

The first PNJ dispatch was filed by Mike Greear ["Is It Safe to Swim in Gulf?"]. Greear is a new guy on the block, formerly opinions editor for the University of West Florida's student newspaper.

His on-line report didn't make it into today's print edition. But Travis Griggs sewed a few threads of it together with other hair-raising facts of his own to make it today's above-the-fold top story in the dead-tree News Journal. ["Oil Spill: Water Safe? You'll have to Wing It"]

Griggs' report of the 'news' from the two county officials can be quickly summarized:

• Yes, County and SRIA officials "have the authority to close the beach waters to swimming."
• But no, they haven't closed the beach except for one brief two-day period last week "after the heaviest waves of oil yet washed ashore on Pensacola Beach."
• Yes, county officials will close swimming "when there is no way beachgoers can reasonably avoid the oil washing ashore."
• But no, they didn't close it yesterday even though there were tarballs and orange mousse in the surf all the way along the 7 1/2-mile stretch of beach we trekked both east of the fishing pier and west to Ft. Pickens Gate.
• Yes, county official Williams would no longer let his own children swim in the Gulf.
• But no, he won't close any more beach to swimming until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issues new guidelines specifically "determining the maximum safe levels of oil in swimming water."

Reporter Griggs also contacted Molly Payne-Hardin, a "spokeswoman for the Escambia County Department of Health." She told him the county health department "does not have the authority to close Gulf waters to swimming. " It can only issue "public advisories... based on the amount of visible oil present." (And, as we know, Dr. Lanza relies on Buck Lee's eyesight for what oil is visible.)

Let's hope an infectious viral epidemic never strikes Pensacola Beach. The county public health office might be limited to posting personal appeals on Craig's List to be cautious about spreading disease.

Buck Lee, no doubt realizing someone should look like they're in charge, reassured the press yesterday that he monitors beach conditions daily. "I went swimming Saturday afternoon. It was fine," he said. Let's hope he slept in a Holiday Inn, too.

On Pensacola Beach it comes down to this: the health of tourists and beach visitors now depends on a broken-down county pol's impressionistic view of the state of the water whenever he happens to take a dip in it.

Lee also said, according to cub reporter Greear, that "health advisories refer only to water." Only water!? Rather than boasting about that, Buck Lee ought to be apologizing to the sand. Rick Outzen reports "at least one sand dune has been leveled to provide access to the beach" for heavy bulldozers.

After blowing all this sand in the eyes of reporters Lee does admit, "Even if you can't see tar balls or mousse, there may be oil residue in the water."

3. False Message of an 'Open Beach.'

What is Buck Lee doing to warn beach-goers of tar, mousse, or "oil residue?" We happened into three members of a large church group from Texas yesterday. They told us they checked "on the internet" and the 'city' said the beach was open. From that, like most out-of-towners we suppose, they assumed the water was 'clean enough' for swimming.

Essentially, Lee and Wilkins are preying on the uninformed and naive, hoping the 'open beach' message will convince them it's safe to come to Pensacola Beach to spend their money. But it is not safe. Not unless, like the Texas group, you want to spend your time indoors, staring at a beach you cannot reach without wading through tarballs.

4. What Locals Know.

All of this is known to most locals, of course. At Casino Beach yesterday we met a retired haz-mat worker now living in Pensacola. He's got it figured out:

5. Happy Birthday, No. 412.

Progressive Pensacola the other day passed along "belated birthday wishes" to the congressman ranked No. 412 out of 435 in the House of Representatives. Hey! That's a generous ranking for "Mr. Oil Spill."

6. Grasping at Straws.

A friend on the beach calls to our attention a new and even more desperate straw for everyone to grasp: Taiwan's giant oil skimmer, now said to be on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. It's called the "A Whale."

We're partial to a more nature-friendly solution -- another whale, actually. This one is the giant whale just discovered to have inhabited the oceans some 12 or 13 million years ago.

Leviathan melvillei was up to fifty long and its mouth "was about 9 feet long and up to 7 feet wide."

The upper and lower teeth interlocked when the mouth closed — good for securing prey and ripping through flesh... . Leviathan probably ate anything it wanted to."

First, we'd have it eat all the oil sloshing around in the Gulf, then what's left of the Deepwater Horizon rig, and finally BP itself.

Now and then it's nice to dream.

Brian Williams - Advance Report from Pensacola Beach

NBC News' Brian Williams will be broadcasting tonight's NBC News program from Pensacola Beach. On the network news department's web site, he filed a video report from the beach this morning:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

And in case you're wondering, that oil Brian finds on the beach is well east of the Fishing Pier. Are you watching, Dr. Lanza?

Biden' Time: Tuesday June 29 BP Oil Spill Update

1. Alex.

The National Hurricane Center still is predicting tropical storm Alex will make landfall considerably to the west of Pensacola Beach, somewhere along the Texas-Mexico border. It likely will arrive there at the start of the Fourth of July weekend. The storm reached near hurricane strength, as of 10 am EDT Tuesday.

2. Buffett Concert Delayed.

Jimmy Buffett's free Alabama beach concert has been postponed to Sunday, July 11. The expressed concern is that soon-to-be Hurricane Alex may cause "large and destructive waves" which might swamp the temporary beach stage planned for Orange Beach.

Although the storm likely will make landfall well to the West of Orange Beach, Alabama, it has a large and growing wind field which also could dump a fair amount of rain as far east as the central Gulf Coast. Country Music Television, which had planned to cable-cast and net-cast a 90-minute portion of the event, says it is still working on a revised schedule.

3. Joe Biden in Pensacola today.

Vice-president Joe Biden will be in Pensacola today. He is scheduled to "speak to the media" at Pensacola Naval Air Station (NAS).

Accompanying the vice-president, the Mobile Register reports, will be Biden will be joined by NationalIncident Commander Admiral Thad Allen and NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco. Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who is now running as an Independent for the vacant U.S. Senate seat, changed his plans yesterday and will accompany the vice-president, the St. Petersburg Times "Buzz" blog reports.

A personal visit to Pensacola Beach is not precluded, but for now such a thing isn't on the announced schedule.

Current weather conditions may govern whether he makes any other local stops. It's overcast this morning and chances of rain in Pensacola are pegged at 60% today.

According to the original White House announcement, Biden is here to "assess efforts to counter the BP oil spill." The most recent issue of GOSPORT, the local Navy base newspaper, reported "little new oil" was found near N.A.S. last week and "the oil has been kept away from the delicate ecosystem around the base."

[O]il operations within sight of the base continue. BP has hired hundreds of contract workers in response to the April 20 drilling rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 people.

For the past week some of those BP workers have been seen around the base, either skimming out in the waters or picking up pieces of oil from the shore.

The oil recovery process around the base has been going as good as can be expected, Fenters said. During a recent three to four-day period, BP contract skimmers were able to pick up only about two barrels of oil after skimming an area three miles out from the base [Emergency Manager Burt] Fenters said. There was not a lot of the thick oil out there or closer to the base, but tar balls can still be found, Fenters said.

4. Pensacola Beach Health Warning.

Dr. John Lanza's county health department at long last yesterday issued a health advisory that warns beach goers "immediately" not enter the water along an eight mile stretch from "the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier west to Pensacola Pass," including all of Ft. Pickens.

The warning came "in response to a report by the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center of extensive oil sheen, oil mousse and tar balls." Click here for the full advisory.

There's no telling how they got that one by "Dr." Buck Lee. But, as another quack doctor, Moliere's woodcutter, says:

The dead always keep a civil tongue, they are very decent, indeed. You will never hear them make a complaint against the doctor who killed them.

What's peculiar about this is that the county health department warning is not based on any water quality testing of its own. Instead, the health department says it is relying on visual reports from the local Emergency Operations Center. So, what's the human health basis for stopping at the Fishing Pier?

It is true that surfboards are confined to an area west of the fishing bridge. But it's not at all clear the water there is qualitatively any different than on the east side. Certainly, the county health department has not yet publicly released any reliable water sampling that would demonstrate a substantial difference.

If you're going to have a county health department, wouldn't it be better to have one that bases its decisions on what is revealed by medical and environmental science rather than a game of "telephone" with other agencies?

5.Volunteering.

While we were gone, Peter Greenberg published a useful, clear-eyed article for those who feel the urge to volunteer to clean up the oil mess along the Gulf Coast. Some highlights:

• Don’t plan a trip to the Gulf Coast solely to volunteer.
• Volunteer positions with local non-profit organizations "tend to be administrative, like data entry and research." And, we might add, they're mostly clerical and gopher, unless you bring special skills to the Gulf Coast.
• The BP oil catastrophe is "evolving" so there will be plenty of opportunities later. Indeed, unless we miss our guess today's ten year olds may well be filling volunteer needs when they're twenty-five.
• Volunteers assigned to clean-up or animal sanctuary work will face serious health hazards Consult a physician before putting yourself into situations your body will hate you for.
  
• Locally, "The Gulf Islands National Seashore Visitor Information Center is accepting volunteers who can make a three-hour commitment once a week for three months:

Volunteers work in four different locations, including three beaches: Johnson Beach, Langdon Beach, and Opal Beach, and around the piers in the Fort Pickens area. Prospective volunteers attend a training session with the park service to learn how to communicate with visitors.

• Never, ever "pay for so-called 'spill training' of any kind -- scammers will charge a fee for non-existent training on how to clean wildlife.
• Avoid solicitations for donations to purchase items such as liquid soap, towels and money; BP is picking up that tab.

Greenberg also provides some useful phone numbers and addresses for those who simply can't bide their time and insist on volunteering.

Pensacola's Petroleum Politics

1. When it oils, it pours.

As if the Gulf Coast isn't facing enough trouble, the National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Alex strengthened while over Belize last night. This morning, it "looks more like a hurricane than a than a low-end tropical storm."

The NHC adds, "There is at least a moderate likelihood that Alex could become a major hurricane" in the coming week.

Current computer model forecasts do not agree on the storm's ultimate destination now that it is emerging over Gulf waters again. Some have it veering west toward the Mexico-U.S. border, others have it slowing growing stronger for a few days before striking somewhere near the Louisiana-Texas border -- on a path that just about certainly would shut down everything except the oil gusher at the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site.

Above is the sunny side forecast. You don't want to see the other one.

2. Oil over troubled waters.

The PNJ's Travis Griggs articulates the question on everyone's mind:

Would a hurricane dilute the oil and speed its breakdown? Or would it pollute bays and the surrounding land and cause health problems for area residents?

It's worth while to read the whole article. What you'll find, as with so many other questions raised by BP's criminal negligence, is that no one knows for sure what the answers are, but it sure seems like none of them is good.

3. Destination near.

We're still on the road, but nearing our destination. Altogether, so far we've logged 1300 miles of endless Interstate highways. The relative we're helping is so anxious to reach his new home that we aren't allowed to stop for any sites of interest.

We only slow down, it seems, to refuel the vehicle. Consequently, the only photos we're able to take have to be snapped at 75 mph through the windshield.

4. Public Health Alerter Mystery.

The boring road trip has given us some time to contemplate this from yesterday's PNJ:

Dr. John Lanza, director of the Escambia County Health Department, said he lifted the health advisory on Pensacola Beach today, at the direction of Santa Rosa Island Authority W. A. “Buck” Lee.

“Today, when I got the call from Buck Lee, he and his staff evaluated beaches and gave me information, and I rescinded the health advisory,” Lanza said.

There was no inspection from Health Department employees. No water testing.

Wait just a minute, here. Who's on first? Is Dr. John Lanza really the director of the county health department? Or, is he just the office stenographer, paid to transcribe messages from high school grad Buck Lee?

Locals will recognize what's going, although potential visitors to Pensacola Beach may not. This has absolutely nothing to do with public health. It's a game of "Pass the Petroleum Political Problem."

Buck Lee's knowledge about human medicine and public health is so scant you could stuff it in an olive. He isn't even an "executive" director, as he likes to be called. He's just an ol' pol at the end of a long career whose hallmark was to avoid taking responsibility for anything bad that happens.

The last thing Buck Lee wants to do is get blamed by beach businesses for discouraging visitors to Pensacola Beach because the water, surf, and what may lie beneath the sand represent a health hazard to swimmers. Being the wily old Panhandle pol that he is, he knows if the oil really represents a health hazard, somebody somewhere else will eventually have to step in and do the responsible thing.

Lee might well have figured that 'somebody' would be Dr. John Lanza. But Lanza fooled him. He decided not to conduct any public health testing of the beach sand or water. After all, he had Buck Lee 's word for it, "the beach looks clean to me."

That's good enough for medical science, right?

Now, both Lee and Lanza are ducking responsibility. In effect, they're waiting for someone else to do the right thing.

What do you bet it will have to be the feds? And when they shut the beach down because of unhealthy conditions, who will be the first to scream about "federal interference?"

It's a predictable but dangerous strategy Lee and Lanza are playing. What you don't know about public heath could kill you. And these two are doing their best to make sure you don't know anything.

-------------------------

Looks like we'll be back home just about the time Hurricane Alex starts flexing his muscles.