Jindal on the BP Leak
As the oil continues to leak in the Gulf, we're certainly hopeful that BP can cap the leak as quickly as possible, but we've always prepared for a worst-case scenario and that's why we're continuing to do everything we can to mitigate the impact of the spill on our fragile coastline. As I write, around 100 miles of our coastline has been impacted by oil – which is more than the total sea coastline of Alabama and Mississippi combined.
This past week, I met with leaders from across the coast to announce new strategies that would fill the void we are currently seeing in response efforts. We met with coastal leaders after seeing first-hand significant oil impact on Cat Island, a bird sanctuary that includes Louisiana's state bird, the Brown Pelican, which recently came off the Endangered Species List. It was clear from this visit and our meeting with local officials that the resources needed to fight this spill are still not here. As Politico reported, we have been frustrated with the disjointed effort to date that has often meant to little too late to stop the oil from hitting our coast.
That's why we announced new, additional strategies in coordination with coastal leaders to have better situational awareness of the oil slick's movement to better protect our coast. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is surveying sectors of the coast continuously so containment and clean-up operations can happen quickly. They will be supported by the National Guard and local officials. We'll issue these findings daily to the press and the public so BP is held accountable for their efforts.
We also asked the Coast Guard to change the focus of their operations in order to have more command and control on the ground so action can be taken quickly to protect our coastline. In fact, we asked the Coast Guard to put personnel with decision-making authority in every area of the coast so they can work alongside local officials and have eyes directly on the ground to respond quickly. The reality is that BP is the Responsible Party for this spill, but we need the federal government to ensure they are held accountable and they are indeed responsible. Our Louisiana way of life depends on it and the actions taken to respond to this spill determine the future of our state.
Because we cannot simply wait for action though, we continue to be aggressive in our efforts to protect the coast. We worked with coastal leaders to identify additional resources within parishes, state agencies and levee districts that will help us keep oil out of the marshes. These resources will be used to complement efforts by the National Guard to close gaps in coastal areas. As the Wall Street Journal reported, we have "taken matters into our own hands" to better protect our coastline.
We have also repeatedly called for the Army Corps of Engineers to quickly approve our sand-booming/dredging plan so we can stop the oil from hitting our coast. We've even highlighted pictures of sand-booming in the Fourchon area completed by the National Guard that is actively holding oil back from traveling into the marsh. It's a no-brainer. We know this strategy clearly works and it's critical that the Corps approve a plan right away to mitigate the impact of the spill. We're not letting bureaucracy get in the way of protecting our coast though and that's why we have already redirected a dredge conducting restoration work in the Grand Isle area to immediately begin constructing a sand boom that will help keep more oil out of our marshes.
This week the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a commercial fisheries failure at the request of our administration. According to the Houma Courier, this declaration "will free up millions" of dollars to help fishermen who are impacted by the spill. These funds are critical to help restore our fisheries and ensure that fishermen and their families get back on their feet as quickly as possible.
We will continue to be aggressive in our efforts to protect the coast and our people. This is a fight to protect our way of life and we will not rest until our coast is 100 percent restored.
This past week, I met with leaders from across the coast to announce new strategies that would fill the void we are currently seeing in response efforts. We met with coastal leaders after seeing first-hand significant oil impact on Cat Island, a bird sanctuary that includes Louisiana's state bird, the Brown Pelican, which recently came off the Endangered Species List. It was clear from this visit and our meeting with local officials that the resources needed to fight this spill are still not here. As Politico reported, we have been frustrated with the disjointed effort to date that has often meant to little too late to stop the oil from hitting our coast.
That's why we announced new, additional strategies in coordination with coastal leaders to have better situational awareness of the oil slick's movement to better protect our coast. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is surveying sectors of the coast continuously so containment and clean-up operations can happen quickly. They will be supported by the National Guard and local officials. We'll issue these findings daily to the press and the public so BP is held accountable for their efforts.
We also asked the Coast Guard to change the focus of their operations in order to have more command and control on the ground so action can be taken quickly to protect our coastline. In fact, we asked the Coast Guard to put personnel with decision-making authority in every area of the coast so they can work alongside local officials and have eyes directly on the ground to respond quickly. The reality is that BP is the Responsible Party for this spill, but we need the federal government to ensure they are held accountable and they are indeed responsible. Our Louisiana way of life depends on it and the actions taken to respond to this spill determine the future of our state.
Because we cannot simply wait for action though, we continue to be aggressive in our efforts to protect the coast. We worked with coastal leaders to identify additional resources within parishes, state agencies and levee districts that will help us keep oil out of the marshes. These resources will be used to complement efforts by the National Guard to close gaps in coastal areas. As the Wall Street Journal reported, we have "taken matters into our own hands" to better protect our coastline.
We have also repeatedly called for the Army Corps of Engineers to quickly approve our sand-booming/dredging plan so we can stop the oil from hitting our coast. We've even highlighted pictures of sand-booming in the Fourchon area completed by the National Guard that is actively holding oil back from traveling into the marsh. It's a no-brainer. We know this strategy clearly works and it's critical that the Corps approve a plan right away to mitigate the impact of the spill. We're not letting bureaucracy get in the way of protecting our coast though and that's why we have already redirected a dredge conducting restoration work in the Grand Isle area to immediately begin constructing a sand boom that will help keep more oil out of our marshes.
This week the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a commercial fisheries failure at the request of our administration. According to the Houma Courier, this declaration "will free up millions" of dollars to help fishermen who are impacted by the spill. These funds are critical to help restore our fisheries and ensure that fishermen and their families get back on their feet as quickly as possible.
We will continue to be aggressive in our efforts to protect the coast and our people. This is a fight to protect our way of life and we will not rest until our coast is 100 percent restored.
Tags: bp
Views: 26
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kat Bloomfield on
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His sarcasm in the face of this disaster is childishly inappropriate.
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Permalink Reply by Keith Mauck (Site Publisher) on
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GoshDarn, out of your post, I think "But La. does have some regulatory oversight on pollution in state waters coming ashore" is an interesting thought. Just what authority would Louisiana have and how does a state respond in a situation like this? Is he bluffing when he says the feds are slow in issuing permits so the state can launch its own efforts? ...Salazar was standing to his right at one of the press conferences and I didn't see him put up much of a fight.
I would be interested in hearing opinions on how Jindal is doing with onshore regulation, an area he has complete jurisdiction over? Thoughts?
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Permalink Reply by Keith Mauck (Site Publisher) on
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No doubt political positioning at varying degrees has been occuring from Obama to Jindal to Salazar.
I tend to agree that at a certain point you forget the feds. Sometimes it's best to just do it and apologize later. I would like to to see the Feds sue LA for violating Federal law in attempting to protect their shoreline. Not sure about blaming the "Drill Baby Drill" crowd seeing how "Drill Baby Drill" hasn't really been realized...
I see more of a pay to play environment that has encompassed government as a whole...
Sounds like a dereliction of duties at multiple levels, primarily with BP.
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Permalink Reply by P.G. on
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Who would you say the "Drill Baby Drill" folks were?
Weren't they the ones basically in opposition to those who didn't want any or very little drilling at all?
Should Louisiana now take Florida's stance on drilling offshore?
A well certainly couldn't leak if it were not drilled in the first place, right?
If it were only BP being punished, BP would personally have to take the financial hit. If the whole oil industry ends up taking the hit for this, it will be passed along to the consumer through higher prices and the industry will profit from it.
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You are right. Performance and liability bonds in the tens of millions if not more will be required.
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Permalink Reply by Jack Blake on
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The whole domestic offshore oil industry will take the hit. All the majors each pay millions a year to keep the skimmers and spill cleanup equipment and cleanup infrastructure ready to go. Obviously a failure for a spill this big. They will have to do better in ther future.
Jack Blake has spoken
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It's interesting to see how everyone wants a federal GOVERNMENT response to a corporate created calamity. Isn't that conduct that fits the "dirty" word, socialism? Shouldn't we, in the words of those who are anti-government involvement, let the MARKET fix this? I for one believe and always have believed that government involvement is a necessary thing to maintain civilization, as we know it. The only truth in the phrase "trickle down" is what we're looking at in the gulf and along our shores.
The actors involved, meaning BP et al, did a bad bad thing in the name of lower costs, higher profits. This resulted in a threat to our waters, our land, our nation. Can anyone say, National Security? So, if there is a clear and present danger to our security, and I submit that the integrity of our waters, marshes, and land come within the securitization of our nation, why can't the executive branch, i.e., Obama et al, act via executive order? But, even if they can, what resources do the Feds have to use against the leak and spill? Aren't all the resources within the oil and gas industry (the MOST profitable industry EVER iin the history of the world) ? Can the Feds SEIZE those resources? Can the Feds SEIZE all of BP's assets? Do we declare WAR on the disaster? And, if we did, what resources are the Feds armed with that can address the leak? the spill? the containment problems? Is the conduct criminal? If so, why not use "civil forfeiture laws" to seize resources and assets? The Feds do it all the time in run of the mill crimes and can do so EVEN WITHOUT AN INDICTMENT EVER ISSUING.
The Russians suggested blowing it all up. Is that a bad idea? Don't we have lasars? We have one helluva military, and I believe it capable of almost anything--it can build hospitals, runways, cities, in a matter of days. Does it have what it needs to contain the spill? What?
It is astounding to me to hear those who abhor government involvement, cry for government involvement. These are the same folks, who garishly opposed regulation, even if you explained to them how the iindustry, as reflected in corporate congressional testimony, the transcripts of which are available online, testified repeatedly that the E&P industry should suffer little to no regulation. And, Congress bought it and ensured that EPA regulations greased the skids of the road to profit for the industry. From 2000 to 2006 or 2007, the "unregulating" of E&P became the mantra, and the result now threatens the existence of coastlines. Disgusting.
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Permalink Reply by P.G. on
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By now it should be obvious to all that too many were asleep at the wheel. The checks and balances between the greedy and the supposedly most ecologically cautious are turning out to have been non-existent.
The "Drill Baby Drill" folks did not have their hands on this one.
When they were crying "Drill Baby Drill" during their campaigns, I was never under the impression that they were projecting that drilling be done irresponsibly. (I must have not been tuned to MSNBC that day, huh?)
To say one area is more sensitive than an other such as Florida versus the coast of Louisiana or Alaska? Is there really such a thing? Seem to me that all areas are equally sensitive, Especially Louisiana. There is no room for irresponsible drilling anywhere and we citizens were under the impression that responsible drilling was exactly how they were doing it.
I don't know what all could have been done to stop that leak but it didn't seem unreasonable, as some have suggested, that our military could have used their technologies to have shut it down it with explosives or other. One thing for sure is that nothing was done that would have taken BP's hands off that oil. Even now that they've temporarily stopped the flow, they will have to drill relief well/s meaning they will still get to benefit from that oil in that well.
I hope it turns out that what has been done was the best way to have fixed this problem and not turn out that the coast of Louisiana was sacrificed for BP's best interest..
I also hope this accident doesn't become the Federal Government's green light to micro manage all drilling including our Haynesville shale. I don't see how that could have a happy outcome for royalty interests.
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