Biography
MERLE'S STORY-ONE WOMAN'S EXPERIENCE AGAINST ALL ODDS
SILENCE IN THE SOUND Revised Edition: Paper Back 237 pages; ISBN#9781453827994
On March 24, 1989, a stunned nation watched in horror as the Exxon Valdez oil tanker unleashed over one million barrels of crude oil in Prince William Sound, Alaska. This incident will always be regarded as the most devastating and controversial oil spill in history. Although most are aware of the environmental issues stemming from that event, nothing has ever been printed about the unimaginable living and working conditions that were placed on the employees during the attempted oil recovery, until now.
Merle had the unusual experience as being a general foreman on Task Force One, during the beach cleanup. The decision to record her experiences in a journal proved to be an interesting and unbelievable documentation of the circumstances that occurred between supervisors and workers. Her working relationship with supervisors, beach crews and the entire cleanup operation gave insight to some of the underlying predicaments brought on by the inconsistency of orders and demands from mendacious officials. To include the hardships placed on some women to perform sexual duties from their commanding supervisors.
Merle's story not only gives clear perception of the unusual working conditions of the cleanup, but it is also a first-hand account of what really occurred in the hastily assembled work force, where unskilled people were thrust together to perform the impossible task of oil recovery. This was a job that proved fatal for some workers, and a life of health issues for others, from the breathing the toxic crude oil. Also revealed is how the workers overcame a myriad of obstacles; environmental, political, and sexual on a daily basis, to complete a 12-16 hour work day on the oily beaches.
Each chapter combines her unusual personal experiences with a wide gamut of emotions in demanding circumstances faced with challenging situations. This is a fascinating real-life adventure that raises compelling questions which cannot be ignored.