[StBernard] Shell Beach Command Center started operations today as St. Bernard Parish continues efforts to protect its coastline

[Westley Annis]

Shell Beach Command Center started operations today as St. Bernard Parish
continues efforts to protect its coastline

 

The Shell Beach Command Center has started operations today as efforts
continue in St. Bernard Parish to protect the parish's coastline from the
oil spill. Vessels have been deploying from the Shell Beach and Breton Sound
Marina Command Centers to locate boom already placed to ensure it is
functioning to keep oil out of the surrounding waters and marshes. The
intention is to do everything possible to block openings into St. Bernard's
bayous and marshes with both hard and soft absorbent boom received by St.
Bernard.

 

Surface burning of the oil couldn't continue today because of high winds and
waves. Dispersant flights were successful, releasing an additional 56,000
gallons of dispersant today. Every gallon of dispersant breaks up 20 gallons
of oil. There are reports of tar balls found near Southwest Pass. 

 

As previously released today, the U.S. Small Business Administration has
established two Claims Centers in St. Bernard Parish. Senator Mary Landrieu
and Congressman Charlie Melancon visited the Breton Sound Claims Center
today with SBA representatives to ensure St. Bernard Parish officials and
citizens they are doing everything they can to assist businesses directly
affected by the oil disaster. Even affected residents who have an active SBA
loan should visit the centers because they may be able to get their loan
payments deferred and receive additional funds from the SBA. It is possible
the loan payments for any additional SBA loans may be deferred until there
is a settlement with BP. In other words, BP IS THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY. St.
Bernard citizens should not be made to suffer financially or otherwise if
their livelihoods have been directly affected by this event. Please take
advantage of these Claims Centers, which are staffed with SBA
representatives to quickly and painlessly get the funds to those who are
affected. For business owners who are unable to visit a center, they may
obtain loan information and application forms by calling SBA's Customer
Service Center at (800) 659-2955, or (800) 877-8339 for the hearing
impaired, e-mailing disastercustomerservice at sba.gov
<mailto:disastercustomerservice at sba.gov> This e-mail address is being
protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or by
visiting SBA's web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. They may
also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA's
secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela
<https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela> .

 

BP has set up a claims hotline which commercial fishermen can call to make a
claim. The claim hotline is 1-800-440-0858. There is also a St. Bernard
Parish Deepwater Claims Center established at 1345 Bayou Road at the Rosa
Ducros Tennant Museum in St. Bernard Village. It will be open seven days a
week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. However, anyone who has not called the
1-800-440-0858 claims hotline will not be able to see an adjuster at the
Claims Center. Residents must first obtain a claims number through the
Claims Hotline. The following documents must be brought when reporting to
the Claims Center at Ducros Museum: a legible copy of a valid driver's
license; a valid fishing license; any financial information, such as W-2
forms, trip tickets, receipts, or a letter of income from the ship's captain
with the name of the captain. All fishermen who attempt to access this
program are requested to please call the St. Bernard Parish Emergency
Operations Center at 1-504-278-4268 to report the program's effectiveness.
Additionally, Senator David Vitter's office has set up a toll-free number
for assistance with the BP claims process. That number is 1-866-345-0931.

 

All registered fishermen have been designated into teams and put to work in
their assigned rotations. To become hired by St. Bernard Parish in this
effort, fishermen must be able to prove they are a St. Bernard Parish
resident. There will be no exceptions. Fishermen can sign up to be hired at
the Breton Sound Marina Command Center. All volunteering fishermen must
include the Vessel Name, Owner/Captain Name, Contact phone, email and
address, Vessel Length, Horsepower and Draft. 

 

A list has been published on the St. Bernard Parish Government website
detailing which fishermen will be working on a day to day basis. Please
refer to this list before reporting to work at the Command Center in the
morning. 

 

Fishermen will be personally contacted to attend training sessions. No one
may attend if they have not been contacted. Additionally, access has been
restricted at Shell Beach and Breton Sound. Fishermen are asked to not
report to the launch points without proper authorization. Because St.
Bernard commercial fishermen have been financially impacted by the spill,
St. Bernard is focusing on linking the fishermen with BP's Vessel of
Opportunity program so they will be compensated for their efforts.

 

Press who want to access to any Command Center should call ahead and receive
prior approval from Jennifer Belsom. Belsom can be reached at 504-444-6249
or jbelsom at sbpg.net.

 

Please monitor the news for additional information. Updates also will be
posted on the parish website at www.sbpg.net.

 

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