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Oil penetrated as deep as three miles down current from the pass and into the inland waterways of resort town Orange Beach, Alabama news site al.com reported. That's the eastern-most point of Alabama where oil has washed up, according to the state's Department of Environmental Management.
Alabama, Florida and Louisiana all have seen their environmental and tourist treasures tainted by crude oil from the broken rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
Dave Martin, AP
Workers try to secure oil containment booms Wednesday in the Perdido Pass in Orange Beach, Ala. Oil is fouling beaches and boats along the inland waters.
The crude oil entered the Alabama waterways despite the presence of a heavy boom that had been placed there weeks ago, al.com reported. A BP representative said at a public forum that there is a plan for a mechanical system that will keep oil out of the pass, but that it won't be operational for another three weeks.
"It was a very discombobulated and discoordinated effort," Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon told al.com. "They've had five weeks to plan this."
The oil disaster is taking its toll on Orange Beach tourism, too, with visitors staying away from the beaches at a time of year when business is normally booming, CNN reported.
"It's definitely on the decline," restaurant owner Chris Ybarra told CNN. "People are canceling their reservations, and it's definitely beginning to hurt more than it did a month ago."
BP said today that it may be able to boost the amount of oil it captures from the spill as soon as next week. The company plans to move a semisubmersible drilling rig to the area to divert and burn off about 420,000 gallons of oil a day. The drill ship on the scene can handle a maximum of 756,000 gallons of oil a day, The Associated Press reported.
The oil giant also announced plans to speed up compensation to individuals who have lost their livelihood as a result of the disaster. The company agreed to end its practice of only paying out for losses once companies have closed out their books for the month, the AP reported.
