The Associated Press. June 9, 2010.
By SONIA SMITH, Associated Press Writer
BATON ROUGE La.—Coastal parish leaders echoed concerns of state lawmakers about the devastating effect President Barack Obama’s six-month drilling moratorium could have on Louisiana’s economy, already battered by the oil spill.
These comments came at a two-hour briefing for lawmakers Wednesday on the state’s efforts to protect Louisiana’s coastline and help those hit hard by the offshore spill.
Obama recently imposed the moratorium for offshore deepwater drilling and new requirements for shallow water oil drilling. But South Louisiana residents rely heavily on oil industry paychecks and many worry about their economic futures.
“This moratorium has added insult to injury and it must be lifted now,” said Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph.
Randolph said she pleaded with Obama on his visit last Friday to lift the moratorium, noting more than 150,000 jobs could be at stake if it continues.
Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet said he worries the moratorium will decimate the economy of his parish, where 60 percent of jobs are oil and gas related.
State Attorney General Buddy Caldwell echoed concerns that the moratorium would hurt Louisiana.
“For god’s sake, don’t finish us off with a moratorium,” Caldwell said of the “oil and gas state.”
Caldwell’s office said Louisiana has hired “the best oil and gas” expert in the world as lead counsel for spill litigation: Allan Kanner of the New Orleans-based firm Kanner and Whiteley.
Garret Graves, Gov. Bobby Jindal’s coastal czar, showed legislators a photograph of an oil-drenched pelican and called it heartbreaking.
“You simply could not put more oil on this pelican,” Graves said, adding Louisiana is home to 5 million waterfowl potentially at risk.
Graves, head of the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, said protecting Louisiana’s almost 400 miles of fragmented coastline is a daunting task. By comparison, Alabama and Mississippi combined have just 107 miles of coast.
He said the state is laying boom, bolstering sandbag defenses and building dams to keep oil out of coastal marshes. But he said the state has received only a quarter of the total boomed requested from BP and the U.S. Coast Guard in early May.
St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro Jr. feared problems would arise for a lack of resources. “What we fear is that the best laid plans will fall short.”
Maj. Gen. Bennett Landreneau said the Louisiana National Guard has 1,100 members working to protect the coast. He displayed large photographs of work on building new barrier islands out of sand and laying water-filled dams.
The Lousiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has 215 people working out in the field, department secretary Robert Barham said.
Barham voiced concerns that undersea dispersants will leave Louisiana spending years instead of months in disaster recovery: “This won’t be over the day BP turns off the oil.”
Robert Fryar, a BP vice president, reiterated the oil giant’s commitment to cleaning up and paying all legitimate claims.
“BP will not rest until the well is under control and the oil spill is contained,” said Fryar, who grew up in Louisiana and noted “the importance of its water” to its way of life.
Legislators weren’t given the opportunity to question the speakers.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said despite the crisis having no end in sight, Louisiana should show the world “what American resilience really looks like.”
Caldwell remarked on Louisiana’s ability to bounce back.
“We are Louisiana. We are the happiest people in the world. If you don’t believe it, throw some oil on us and see if we can’t shake it off.”