[StBernard] Vitter Release: Calls on Coast Guard to Increase Boom Quantities for Louisiana Coastal Parishes

[Westley Annis]

Vitter Calls on Coast Guard to Increase Boom Quantities for Louisiana
Coastal Parishes

Current figures show other coastal states receiving higher concentrations of
boom

 

 (Washington, D.C.) - U.S. Sen. David Vitter today sent a letter to Coast
Guard Commandant Thad Allen calling for an immediate increase in oil
containment barriers, known as boom, along Louisiana's coast.

The text of Vitter's letter is below.

 

May 7, 2010

 

 

IMMEDIATE ATTENTION REQUESTED

 

Admiral Thad W. Allen 

Commandant of the United States Coast Guard

Coast Guard Headquarters

2100 Second Street, SW Stop 7101

Washington, DC 20593-7101

 

 

Dear Admiral Allen:

 

I write to express my very strong concern regarding the positioning and
deployment of boom along the Gulf Coast and the apparent huge disparity that
presently exists and disadvantages Louisiana.  

 

According to the latest Coast Guard figures available, and based on rough
estimates, one mile of boom has been deployed to Louisiana for every 13.4
miles of coastline within 200 miles of the ongoing oil discharge.  This
1/13.4 ratio compares to 1/1.32 for Mississippi and 1/1.76 for Alabama.
Like Louisiana, Florida has a similarly low ratio.

            

Because this calculation only accounts for coastline within 200 miles of the
spill site, it does not include Louisiana's entire coast.  It does, however,
include the entire coastlines of Mississippi and Alabama, so the calculation
is plainly very fair and conservative.  

 

Please look into this apparent disparity.   I look forward to hearing from
you regarding any updated figures and how this situation will be corrected
quickly.  

 

Of course, a big part of the solution is procuring much more boom overall.
Already, lack of available boom is slowing efforts in St Bernard Parish,
which I visited this morning.  I have had a telephone conference about this
with Admiral Watson, but he did not identify an adequate plan for ramping up
procurement in those meetings.  I am aware that 876,936 feet of boom has
been deployed.  With significantly more available and with Louisiana's coast
being the closest to the spill site, I urge you to direct as much boom as
possible as soon as you can.

 

Thank you for your leadership and your immediate attention to this crucial
challenge.  

 

 

 

                                                            Sincerely,  

 

 

 


 
David Vitter

 
United States Senate

 

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