[StBernard] Governor Blanco's statement regarding her letter to U.S. Minerals Management Service

[Westley Annis]

Governor Blanco's statement regarding her letter to U.S. Minerals Management Service 

Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco's statement to the press regarding her decision to declare the western gulf oil and gas lease sale inconsistent with the Louisiana Coastal Zone Management Program in a letter to the Minerals Management Service of the U.S. Department of Interior. 

<http://www.gov.state.la.us/assets/docs/PDFs/MMS%20LETTER%20OF%20DENIAL%20-%20JUNE%2014%20-%20EXCERPTS.pdf> 

"The failure of the Federal Government to take action to protect the precious coastal resources of Louisiana continues to endanger the lives of our people, the future of our economy and the stability of our nation's oil supply. I cannot and will not stand by idly while we continue to lose an entire football field of coastal wetlands every 38 minutes. 

"The government's inaction has forced me today to declare Lease Sale 200---the upcoming August offshore oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico--- inconsistent with Louisiana's coastal zone management program. I have outlined the reasons behind my decision in a letter to the Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the U.S. Department of Interior. 
 
"I am also prepared to take legal action to block the lease sale, unless and until, Federal policy is put in place that would either a.) share OCS revenues with the state of Louisiana so we can take steps to protect our coastal environment ourselves, or b.) would take the steps acceptable to the state to protect and restore our environment and the nation's energy assets in coastal Louisiana. 

"For decades, Louisiana has warned the nation that the loss of coastal land put our people, our infrastructure and our way of life at risk. We warned further that with one-third of our nation's oil and gas flowing through Louisiana, and as the host of pipelines, supplies and the OCS workforce- any disruption in supply would have far-reaching long-term impact here in Louisiana and across the nation. 

"Our warnings tragically became reality last year when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita tore through our communities and changed our coastal landscape forever. In addition to the effects on the lives of countless residents of the Gulf Coast, the storms sent shock waves through the nation's economy and energy markets. 

"The American people have responded with an outpouring of generosity and support, and through their representatives in Congress, have committed billions of dollars to the recovery and rebuilding efforts in Louisiana and throughout the Gulf coast. The reconstruction and armoring of the levees that protect southeast Louisiana are critical steps that will help us get back on our feet. We are enormously grateful.

"However, a critical piece of protection for our region remains missing - the restoration and protection of the coastal wetlands that help buffer Southern Louisiana from the devastating impact of another hurricane.

"This protection is a human imperative that will save lives. And it is an economic imperative that will protect our energy supply, our energy infrastructure and help Louisiana maintain our status as the heart of America's Energy coast.

"The state of Louisiana can no longer accept new OCS leasing or development activities off its coast, without sufficient assurance from the Federal government that it has adequately studied and considered the potential impact of such activities to the state's coastal resources and communities in the post-Katrina and post-Rita environment. 

"I am using legal powers afforded me to protect the coast of Louisiana and will challenge Lease Sale 200 and future OCS lease sales until the federal government makes such a commitment. 

"It is important to note that this action is a challenge to Federal OCS policy and is not a challenge to the current oil and gas production off our coast. Any possible disruption to the state's economic activity associated with this lease sale would not occur for eight to 10 years, the normal timeline between leasing and the actual exploration and production on lease sites. 

"My action today is directed to the future of protecting our coast. I have stated clearly to the Federal Government that the cumulative impacts of years of federal activity have placed our national economic and ecological resources in peril. Nothing can change the inaction of the past, but true leadership and stewardship can change the direction of the future. 

"My action today is a call to leaders in Washington, who so graciously responded in our time of need, to now make the wise and necessary investment in the future of our nation's economy and energy security, to reinvest in what is perhaps our country's most significant asset. 

"In the event future Federal policy would share with Louisiana the more than $5 billion in OCS revenues produced off our coast each year, the state has taken steps to ensure these revenues would be dedicated to protecting and restoring our coast so that we can continue to serve as the heart of America's Energy Coast and as an ecological treasure for the nation." 




To view the Excerpts from the letter from Governor Kathleen Blanco to Minerals Management Service please click http://www.gov.state.la.us/assets/docs/newsrelated/MMS%20OCS%20Lease%20Sale%20Letter%2006-14-2006.pdf <http://www.gov.state.la.us/assets/docs/newsrelated/MMS%20OCS%20Lease%20Sale%20Letter%2006-14-2006.pdf> 

To view the entire text of the letter from Governor Kathleen Blanco to Minerals Management Service please click http://www.gov.state.la.us/assets/docs/PDFs/MMS%20LETTER%20OF%20DENIAL%20-%20JUNE%2014%20-%20EXCERPTS.pdf 

<http://www.gov.state.la.us/assets/docs/PDFs/MMS%20LETTER%20OF%20DENIAL%20-%20JUNE%2014%20-%20EXCERPTS.pdf> 




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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People www.louisianahelp.org