More Limits on Photo Access to Oil Spill, Violators Face Fines and Felony Charges

There’s an increasingly overwhelming sense of frustration coming from the Gulf region, but this time, it’s coming from photographers and journalists. Media access has been tough since the beginning of the oil spill, whether on land, on beaches, or in the air

According to a new safety zone rule passed down from the US government, reporters and photographers are not allowed within 20 meters of booms, boom operations, and other cleanup activities, except with the express permission of the US Coast Guard. CNN’s Anderson Cooper reports that the limit was originally 300 feet, but it was reduced to 65 feet.

But to complicate matters, under the new rule, anyone found “willfully” in violation of the rule would be fined $40,000 and charged with a Class D felony. Class D felonies typically carry a jail sentence. The law especially affects photographers in the area who need to be on site in order to properly cover the events.

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