[StBernard] Holding BP Accountable

[Westley Annis]

Dear Friends -

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
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c037%7c9390&digest
=U54ASuDVB7A8KsGKL62bLw>  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
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c038%7c9390&digest
=JP46U9Lj%2brMt9cQ4G5j9%2bg> 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
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c039%7c9390&digest
=KXEpqXetIdLxCkrQn2UfHA> , 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. 

Sincerely,

Governor Bobby Jindal