"What's Under Elmer's Island?"

"Grand Isle, Louisiana -- The gate was wide open, so I just drove down the dirt road without stopping. A few hundred feet past the gate, a dust cloud kicked up. I slowed down, veered right, and stopped. A white Ford truck blocked the road to Elmer's Island.

A short black haired security guard sat behind the wheel. He stepped out of the car, and told me to turn around. I ask him 'Why?'

'You can't be on this beach without clearance,' he says coldly. 'What if I make a run for it on foot?' I joke. 'It would be trespassing,' he says. 'Who do you work for?' I ask. 'BP,' he says. 'BP doesn't own this island,' I tell him. 'The state does. It seems they should be the ones telling me to leave.'

It turns out that while Elmer's Island belongs to Louisiana, for all intents and purposes it's managed by BP."

John Sepulvado reports for CNN Radio April 15, 2011.

SEE ALSO:

E-Mails Expose BP's Attempts To Control Gulf Spill Impact Research (Guardian)

"BP Still Doesn't Want You to See Its Tarballs" (Mother Jones)

"Oil Is Washing Up in Louisiana -- Again" (Mother Jones)