Prisoners hired in oil relief efforts, trained for hazardous materials work

[highplainsdem]

Source: Mobile Press-Register

Breaking News
Prisoners hired in oil relief efforts, trained for hazardous materials work
By David Ferrara
May 29, 2010, 6:15AM

MOBILE, Ala. -- More than 200 prisoners are among the people hired for work related to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.

All are working for SG & S Oil Recovery Product LLC, which is based in Baldwin County, according to Brian Corbett, a spokesman with the corrections department.

At least 75 of the inmates were trained in Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, also known as HAZWOPER, on Dauphin Island between May 13 and 16, while another 73 are being trained this week, Corbett said. Another 59 inmates in Loxley are making boom, he said.

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Bayou La Batre Mayor Stan Wright was critical of a contractor that would hire inmates "when you have people who don't even have a traffic ticket on their record" looking for work.

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Read more: http://blog.al.com/live/2010/05/prisoners_hired_in_oil_relief.html

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Th SG & S owner said he'd advertised in this Mobile paper weeks ago for oil relief workers, and got no response. He's paying only $8-10 an hour for hazmat work.