Letter: Environmental Concern

By The Malibu Times · Fri Apr 28 2017

I am writing this letter as a resident in a treatment center here in Malibu. This isn’t my first rodeo in treatment. I was here in November 2014. We lived close to Zuma Beach and took frequent beach walks as part of recovery therapy. The beach was pristine then. [April 6], I returned to Zuma Beach. I love to beachcomb here. I took my shoes off and walked approximately three miles down the beach. I was very disturbed to see this most beautiful beach in the world covered in oil. I tried to avoid it. When I returned to our vehicle I looked at my feet and they were coated in smelly, sticky oil. Oh my gosh, what has happened? I’m from Alaska and have gone through an oil spill. I googled how to get this nasty stuff adhered to my feet like super glue. I read to use ice. I spent one-and-a-half hours working desperately to remove this muck. I still have some spots I keep finding. The oil is now smeared in my sink and on my sheets. It’s been nearly impossible to remove. My heart is broken. Our ocean is sick. I just read there has been a record number of trout, and whales counted this spring. Is this the water they are ingesting? Can someone please explain to me what’s going on?

Tracy J.