[StBernard] St. Bernard President Craig Taffaro and affected parish officials speak out with Governor Jindal to ask for dredging to resume

Westley Annis Westley at da-parish.com
Thu Jun 24 08:29:33 EDT 2010


St. Bernard President Craig Taffaro and affected parish officials speak out
with Governor Jindal to ask for dredging to resume



The federal government is shutting down the dredging that is being done to
create protective sand berms in the Gulf of Mexico, which would protect 20
miles of St. Bernard coastline. The dredge, located off the Chandeleur
Islands, has pumped more than 50,000 cubic yards of material daily to create
the sand berm. Approximately 1 mile of the sand berm is complete near the
Chandeleur Islands.



The U.S. Interior Department says one area where sand is being dredged is a
sensitive section of the Chandeleur Islands, and the state failed to meet an
extended deadline to install pipe that would draw sand from a
less-endangered area. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal wants the dredging to
resume while the pipe is being put in place. The government has asked crews
to move the dredging site two more miles farther off the coastline. Governor
Jindal and other affected parish officials have asked for the dredging to
continue for the next seven days, the amount of time it would take to move
the dredging operations.


St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro and other affected parish
officials joined Jindal today to see the berm site in the Chandeleur
Islands. "Where has our federal government been?" Jindal said in his press
conference following his visit with local officials to the berm site. "We've
agreed to replace the sand that we're borrowing from those closer in sites.
All we're saying is, allow us to continue dredging in the meantime. It makes
no sense to shut down dredging for seven days."

"Seeing the sand berms in person today confirms for me that there can be no
hindrances to following through with this plan," St. Bernard Parish
President Craig Taffaro said after his visit to the berm today. "St. Bernard
Parish has a great deal at stake here, and the federal government needs to
step up and let the dredging continue immediately."

St. Bernard oil spill operations concentrated on boom repair today, due to
the recent inclement weather. Additionally, overflights of the area
identified and located by GPS areas of damaged boom which will be repaired
as needed. As an ongoing plan of action for boom reconnaissance, a Boom
Maintenance Plan is being implemented which will include repairing and
replacing all boom as needed that has been deployed so far in St. Bernard
waters.



St. Bernard Parish is in the final processes of finalizing its Branch
Hurricane Plan, that will detail local hurricane preparedness actions in
regards to oil spill operations. This plan will direct where vital resources
and equipment will be relocated and protected in the event of a hurricane.



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