"While Media Is Sandbagged, Is Sand Dumped Over Oil on Grand Isle?"

"On Grand Isle Monday with a NewOrleans.com crew, we were treated to a view of a relatively pristine beach. You can't actually walk on the beach without an escort, and the available escort said she was too busy to walk us to the shore, but we zoomed in on the dump truck above and noticed the well-groomed nature of the surrounding sand. There was barely a tarball to be seen. What a difference a few days and the outer bands of Hurricane Alex make.

The question of whether or not sand is being dumped on the beaches of Grand Isle to cover up the oil rather than clean it is lighting up the internet. It's a question raised in a video by Judson Parker of Save our Shores. Reporter C.S. Muncy was there for still photography and was interviewed by Allison Kilkenny on HuffPost Green. He and Parker made it onto the beach, and this may be the last video of its kind since the Coast Guard has instituted a 65-foot rule between observers and cleanup efforts. It's punishable with a $40,000 fine, and if you know anything about journalists you know that very few of us have $40,000 on hand."

Karen Dalton-Beninato reports for Huffington Post July 1, 2010.

SEE ALSO:

"Allegations Emerge BP Is Dumping Sand To Cover Oil" (Huffington Post)