[StBernard] Thoughts and information regarding the Gulf oil accident

[Westley Annis]

Dear Friend, 

	

Since the first news of this tragic accident, Wendy and I have kept the
victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers.  Our first
priorities are to help them in any way we can and to figure out what went
wrong so we can keep other offshore workers out of harm's way. 

	

I've been monitoring the progress of the cleanup efforts through constant
updates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and
recently I met with representatives from the Coast Guard and BP to discuss
the next steps in this process.  I've also contacted local officials in
south Louisiana to offer any help they need from the federal level.  

	

In addition, members of my staff and myself are in contact with
representatives from the Louisiana fishing industry so we can work together
to do our best to protect and preserve our wildlife and fisheries. 

	

Below are some links to additional helpful resources: 

	

NOAA <http://www.noaa.gov>  

	

Current Location of Oil Sheen
<http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/532815/>  

	

NASA images of the spill: Gallery 1
<http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=43768&src=imgrss>
Gallery 2
<http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1649.html>  

	

Incident Fact Sheets and General Oil Spill Background
<http://www.d8externalaffairs.com/go/doctype/2931/53023>  

	

Information and a support page dedicated to honoring the 11 lives lost to
the Deepwater Horizon explosion can be found here
<http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113646605334497> . 

	

An informational site on tarballs and their effects on local ecosystems can
be found here
<http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/posted/425/tarballs.140880.pdf> . 

	

For more information regarding the Deepwater Horizon incident, contact the
joint information center at (985) 902-5231/5240. 

	

A toll free number has been established to report oiled or injured wildlife.
To report affected wildlife, call (866) 557-1401. 

Sincerely,
David Vitter
U.S. Senator