June 14th, 2010 7:20 AM

Oil spill threatens, but Dauphin Island ferry keeps running

Published: Monday, June 14, 2010, 5:00 AM     Updated: Sunday, June 13, 2010, 8:51 PM

The oil spill has changed a lot of things about Alabama's coast.

But the ferry between Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan still runs its hour-and-a-half loop. People still line up to get on.

And there is often more vehicles than fit, meaning a long, hot wait until the next trip.

Still, people on a westbound trip Sunday afternoon did have the oil on their minds.

Megan Miller and her mother, who came from Boone, N.C., to Mobile for a wedding, had planned to spend a whole day at the beach. Instead they made only a brief visit to Gulf Shores, where they smelled oil.

"It was too hot, and the oil made me sad, so we left," Miller said.

Scott Bowers, his wife and toddler daughter were recrossing to Dauphin Island after spending a day shopping at the Tanger Outlet Center in Foley.

Bowers said his family had visited the public beach on Dauphin Island but hadn't dipped into the water. He felt like their caution may have been overblown, though, despite advisories against swimming.

"I think it's probably fine," Bowers said.

Others who gathered at the rail wondered about the water too. Was there oil in that scummy green-brown trail in the middle of the bay? Everyone wanted to know, but no one could tell for sure.

Some people aboard the boat were contractors doing spill-related work, including two trucks from Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc., based near Boston.

Another contractor, Leland Meadows, set up two electronic instruments atop his maroon Chevy Tahoe. He was sampling the air for oil-related gases and particulates, he said.

"They had a couple of complaints about air quality in the bay and a couple more on Dauphin Island, and I had to figure out how to get out here," Meadows said. "So I'm going for a boat ride.

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