"Gulf of Mexico Has Long Been a Sink of Pollution"

"HOUMA, La. — Loulan Pitre Sr. was born on the Gulf Coast in 1921, the son of an oysterman. Nearly all his life, he worked on the water, abiding by the widely shared faith that the resources of the Gulf of Mexico were limitless. ...

As a young Marine staff sergeant, back home after fighting in the South Pacific, he stood on barges in the gulf and watched as surplus mines, bombs and ammunition were pushed over the side.

He helped build the gulf’s very first offshore oil drilling platforms in the late 1940s, installing bolts on perilously high perches over the water. He worked on a shrimp boat, and later as the captain of a service boat for drilling platforms.

The gulf has changed, Mr. Pitre said: 'I think it’s too far gone to salvage.'"

Campbell Robertson reports for the New York Times July 29, 2010.

SEE ALSO:

"How the Gulf of Mexico Became the Nation's 'Toilet Bowl'" (CNN)