AFTER ATTEMPTING TO START THE L ENG WITH THE INLET COVER IN PLACE; MD80 FLT CREW GETS MAINT OK TO CONTINUE. CABIN FILLS WITH FUMES ON CLB AND AGAIN ON DSCNT.

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STARTED R ENG NORMALLY. L ENG LIT OFF AFTER FUEL LEVER ON; BUT EGT STARTED DECREASING AFTER REACHING APPROX 200 DEGS C. START WAS ABORTED AND CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHED FOR NO EGT LIGHT OFF. GND CREW TOLD ME THAT CATERING HAD LEFT ENG INTAKE COVER IN THE L ENG. CLRING ENG PROC WAS PERFORMED AFTER INTAKE COVER WAS REMOVED. WE TOWED BACK TO GATE AND HAD MAINT DO AN ENG INSPECTION. THE ACFT WAS SIGNED OFF WITH NO DAMAGE NOTED. WE PUSHED BACK AND AFTER TKOF THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED TO SAY THERE WAS A STRONG FUEL SMELL IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE AFT CABIN WENT ON OXYGEN; BUT THE FORWARD FLT ATTENDANT SAID SHE WAS NOT AFFECTED. THE PAX WERE APPARENTLY NOT AFFECTED BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL SITTING IN THE FORWARD PART OF THE ACFT DUE TO A VERY LIGHT LOAD OF APPROX 30 PEOPLE. CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT; THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THE SMELL SUBSIDED AND THEY WERE OK TO CONTINUE ON. DISPATCH AND OPS WERE CONTACTED TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE AFFECTED BUT SAID THEY WERE OK TO CONTINUE AS THE CABIN AIR HAD CLRED. DSNDING THROUGH 10000 FT INTO OAK; FLT ATTENDANTS IN BACK AGAIN RPTED STRONG FUEL SMELL AND AGAIN WENT ON OXYGEN. ONCE ON THE GND IN OAK; THE 2 AFT FLT ATTENDANTS DESCRIBED HAVING HAD BURNING EYES; NAUSEA AND TROUBLE BREATHING WHEN THE SMELL WAS STRONGEST. ON THE GND IN OAK; THE ACFT WAS WRITTEN UP FOR THE STRONG ODOR AND COMPANY MEDICAL WAS CALLED TO SEE IF MEDICAL ATTN WAS NEEDED FOR THE AFFECTED FLT ATTENDANTS. COMPANY MEDICAL DID NOT RECOMMEND ANY FURTHER OBSERVATION OR TREATMENT AS THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THEY WERE FEELING OK ONCE THEY GOT OFF THE ACFT.