Salesmen Descend on Polluted Beaches with Novel Clean-Up Plans

GRAND ISLE, La. June 15, 2010— -- Darryl Carpenter and Christian Delano are a study in persistence.

They have been working their way along the oil-menaced coast trying to get someone to listen to their pitch that their big rig filled with hay would clean up the oil more effectively and in a more environmentally friendly way than oil booms.

But Carpenter and Delano -- like a cadre of other salesmen who have descended on town officials promising a solution to their gunked up beaches -- are quickly finding that those in charge on the island have neither the time nor the resources to let them try out their business pitches.

The two businessmen separately selling clean-up solutions involving hay, gave up on Grand Isle less than 24 hours after arriving here to give the mayor a demonstration of why hay is better than booms and workers toiling in 100-plus degree heat.

Carpenter, of the well-distributed CWRoberts YouTube video, and Christian Delano, of Gulf Coast Preservation and Reclamation, had joined forces after Grand Isle officials agreed to hear them out and give them a space on the beach to demonstrate.

But were turned away by the mayor at the last minute with a curt, "We have too much going on here."

Mayor David Camardelle said today that he's been forced to turn away dozens of salesmen, some whom even followed him out of town as he tried to find a quiet place to celebrate his teenage son's birthday.

"I'd love to let everyone experiment on the beach," he said.

But with BP footing the bill and the approval process for clean-up options long and arduous, "I don't really have time to stay with the salesmen."

Camardelle said many of the salesmen have good ideas, but he has no authority to sign off on their proposals and BP is tied up with other matters. Camardelle said he'd like to see BP dedicate workers to meet with the salesmen, but that doesn't seem to be a priority.

Carpenter and Delano said their plans -- Carpenter sprays hay on the oil in the ocean, Delano puts up bales along the beach -- would not only clean up the waters and the beaches more effectively than the booms, it is environmentally friendly and the soaked hay can be broken down into energy efficient pellets or burned.

The two left first thing in the morning today after complaining to the mayor's office when they got a ticket for parking in the police chief's parking spot. They took their pitch to Orange Beach, Ala.