Louisiana- Office of the Governor Bobby Jindal - Oil Spill Press Releases

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Apr 30, 2010

Governor Jindal Requests U.S. Commerce Secretary Declare a Commercial Fisheries Failure in Louisiana & Requests SBA Administrator Activate Federal Disaster Declaration to Help Small Businesses Impacted by the Oil Spill

BATON ROUGE ? Today, Governor Bobby Jindal sent the following letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke requesting the declaration of a commercial fisheries failure as well as support from the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration for commercial and recreational fishing businesses. This declaration will provide financial assistance to individual fishermen, assistance for the restoration of fisheries and assistance for commercial and recreational fishing businesses.
</FORM>The Governor also sent a letter to U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Karen Mills requesting the activation of all appropriate federal disaster declaration clauses that would enable the SBA to assist the small businesses in the state that will be impacted by the oil spill. Specifically, the Governor requested that the SBA consider temporarily suspending loan repayments for coastal businesses that are impacted by the oil spill and also those who have 2005 and 2008 SBA disaster and economic injury loans as a result of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike and Gustav.

Full Letters Below:
April 29, 2010

The Honorable Gary Locke
Secretary of Commerce
U.S. Department of Commerce
14th and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20230

Dear Mr. Secretary:

As Louisiana continues to address the impact of the April 20th Deepwater Horizon rig explosion, I am writing to request your consideration of activating the appropriate Federal disaster declaration clauses in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act as well as relevant clauses to trigger support from the Economic Development Administration (EDA). This action by your office will result in the declaration of a commercial fisheries failure for Louisiana and provide other economic recovery options via EDA.

In coastal Louisiana our communities are driven by three primary industries that provide great benefit to the nation?s commerce ? ports/maritime, energy and fishing ? all vital employers, important components of our state?s coastal economy and national economic output. The waters offshore Louisiana?s coast supply nearly one-third of all commercial seafood harvested in the lower 48 states, with values in excess of $2.85 billion annually. As the largest provider of domestic seafood in the continental United States, protection of Louisiana?s fisheries, habitats and catch are critical to our nation?s economy and food supply. In addition to the potential biologic and ecologic impacts in these coastal communities, we must not overlook the crippling effect that this event will have on the commercial and sport fisheries in Louisiana. The seafood industry is not only a large economic driver, but a defining element of the unique culture, and a crucial tourist draw to the state.

The declaration of a fisheries disaster and the providing of fisheries disaster assistance and EDA support will ensure that our small businesses and families who make a living in the fishing and maritime industries will be sustained through this disaster. The EDA assistance will also ensure that businesses associated with our marinas, bait shops, and other recreational fishing facilities that generate billions of dollars in economic activity annually will be able to sustain this disaster.

The State will also need assistance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) not only with helping individual fishermen but to ensure that this productive ecosystem is cleaned and restored, that these products are of high quality, and that our small businesses can compete and maintain markets that are under significant pressure from foreign growers. We look forward to working with you on the biologic and ecologic impacts that this event has had and will have, but ask that you declare a commercial fisheries failure and provide associated fisheries and EDA support so that we can begin the process of assuring the fishing community, impacted coastal residents and businesses that economic and financial assistance that are needed can be counted on to help get Louisiana fishermen back on the water once this crisis has passed.

Sincerely,

Governor Bobby Jindal
_________________________________________________________________
April 29, 2010

The Honorable Karen G. Mills
Administrator Small Business Administration
US Small Business Administration
409 3rd Street, SW
Washington, DC 20416

Dear Administrator Mills:

As Louisiana continues to address the impact of the April 20th Deepwater Horizon oil spill, I am writing to request your consideration of activating all appropriate Federal disaster declaration clauses within the Small Business Administration that would allow SBA to assist the many small businesses in Louisiana that are going to be impacted by this tragic event both on land and on the water. One specific request is that SBA consider temporarily suspending loan repayments for Louisiana coastal businesses that are impacted by the oil spill and those who have 2005 and 2008 SBA disaster and economic injury loans as a result of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike and Gustav.

Your early commitment to assistance by enacting these provisions will greatly aid our maritime related industries and provide assurances to our small businesses that economic recovery options are forthcoming while the clean-up work begins.

In coastal Louisiana our communities are driven by two primary industries that provide great benefit to the nation?s commerce; oil and gas and commercial and recreational fishing. Both sectors are vital employers and important components of our parishes? economies and many are small businesses. As the 120-mile oil slick bears down on Louisiana and moves into State waters, we are working with our fisherman and local community leaders to quickly address the economic impact of the oil spill?s effects.

The state is therefore requesting assistance via SBA to assist coastal businesses and communities that will have to address both the immediate and long-term financial impacts of this event. We look forward to working with you and ask that you enact the appropriate provisions within SBA so that we can begin the process of assuring businesses in our impacted coastal communities that economic and financial assistance that are needed can be counted on to help keep or return Louisiana businesses to commerce.

Sincerely,
Bobby Jindal
Governor

http://www.gov.la.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=2142

 

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Re: Louisiana- Office of the Governor Bobby Jindal - Oil Spill Press Releases

Apr 30, 2010
Governor Jindal Meets with Federal Officials, Stresses Need for Requested Federal Support in Oil Response Efforts

ROBERT, LA ? Governor Jindal today met with DHS Sec. Napolitano, Dept. of Interior Sec. Salazar, EPA Administrator Jackson, White House Energy Dir. Browner, Coast Guard's Admiral Landry, and BP officials at the Shell Robert Training & Conference Center in Robert, LA. The Governor received an update on the efforts to respond to the oil spilling into the Gulf and stressed the need for federal support resources that have already been requested by the state from federal agencies.

Governor Jindal said, ?I appreciate Secretary Salazar, Secretary Napolitano and Secretary Jackson for coming down to Louisiana and seeing first-hand the response efforts. As I told the President yesterday, we?re urging the federal government and BP to deploy more resources to help mitigate the impact of the oil spill that is threatening the coast of our state.

?We must do everything we can to contain the oil spill that threatens our wildlife and vast natural resources. And I am worried that the booms as currently deployed are not effective. The areas that will be impacted first by this oil spill are critical and fragile coastal sites. These next few days are critical and that?s why we must do everything necessary to protect our coasts.

?I do have concerns that BP?s current resources are not adequate to meet the three challenges we face and I have urged them to seek more help.

The three challenges we face are stopping the leak, protecting our coasts and preparation for a swift clean up of the impacted areas. We?ve been working with local officials to access their needs and help them request resources from BP and the Coast Guard. It?s critical that the Coast Guard and BP uphold their commitment and responsibility to provide resources to the coastal areas that could be affected by this spill. On the state side, we?re taking every step we can to help protect our coasts, wildlife, environment and our people.?

State Requests for Federal Support

Specifically, Governor Jindal outlined the specific federal support the state has formally requested from its federal partners.

Governor Jindal said, ?Last night I sent letters to Secretary Gates and Secretary Napolitano requesting that the Louisiana National Guard be placed under federal Title 32 status so that we can mobilize the resources of the Louisiana National Guard. This will provide support for at least 90 days of military duty from up to 6,000 soldiers and airmen serving on active duty in support of our response to the threat of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

?The National Guard will provide security, medical capabilities, engineers, clean-up efforts and communication support in response to this threat. After helping our state respond and recover from four storms in three years, the Guard is ready to help us respond to this oil spill. If the Department of Defense approves the request, the Louisiana National Guard is prepared to have 600 guardsmen on the ground as part of the first deployment.

?We?re also working to make sure that our fisheries and small businesses are protected from the oil spill. We have written the U.S. Secretary of Commerce requesting the declaration of a commercial fisheries failure as well as support from the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration for commercial and recreational fishing businesses.

?This declaration will provide financial assistance to individual fishermen, assistance for the restoration of fisheries and assistance for commercial and recreational fishing businesses. Louisiana is the top producer of commercial fisheries in the lower 48 states and one of the top recreational fishing destinations in the nation. The oil spill will adversely affect the productivity of this ecosystem and fishing families across our state. It?s critical that our fishermen and their families have the type of support they need to get through this event.

?We have also asked the U.S. Small Business Administration to activate all appropriate federal disaster declaration clauses that would enable the SBA to assist the small businesses in the state that will be impacted by the oil spill. Specifically, we?re asking the SBA to consider temporarily suspending loan repayments for coastal businesses that are impacted by the oil spill and also those who have 2005 and 2008 SBA disaster and economic injury loans as a result of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike and Gustav.?

State Action ? Emergency Declaration

The Governor also stressed the state action taken to respond to the oil spilling into the Gulf, including his proclamation of a state of emergency to support local and state response efforts to the incident.
Governor Jindal said, ?I declared a state of emergency yesterday to ready the deployment of state assets.

?Our Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority officials are opening the Caernarvon Diversion in Plaquemines Parish and the Davis Pond Diversion in St. Charles Parish to try to help prevent any oil from penetrating deep into coastal marshes.

?CPRA is also working on a second line of defense in the wetlands where you would anchor the booms in place.

?The Department of Corrections is also working with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to train inmates in oil spill clean-up efforts so they can assist the federal lead agencies.

?LDWF is also training National Guard trainers so they can train the guardsmen, and the Guard is in the process of ordering 1,500 suits so their soldiers can handle material affected by oil.
?We have offered these resources repeatedly to BP and we are still waiting for a response from them.

In a precautionary move, the Department of Health and Hospitals is working with Wildlife and Fisheries to close oyster beds along the eastern Louisiana coast. Specifically, they will be closing harvesting Areas 2 through 7 at sunset tonight, which are east of the Mississippi River in the coastal parishes of Plaquemines and St. Bernard.

?We?ve been told by BP they have 20 rapid response teams. Ten have been mobilized and there will be 50 in place. We have offered BP personnel to help clean-up wetlands from State Police, DEQ and DNR among other agencies

?Today, our office of Homeland Security is reaching out to other states through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to identify oil spill coordinators.

?The Office of Homeland Security is also deploying staff to Plaquemines Parish and St. Bernard Parish to assist their emergency responders with the oil spill effort. We have also set up a mobile command center here in Robert and today we are also sending a mobile command center to the Coast Guard?s site in Houma.

?The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has closed the Lower Breton Sound area to shrimpers and they plan to close the upper Breton sound area at 6PM tonight. Additionally, LDWF has deployed 40 field biologists and they have 160 additional biologists staged for wildlife rescues.?

Air Quality Monitoring

The Governor also spoke about air quality monitoring efforts the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Health and Hospitals are conducting with the support of the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Governor Jindal said, ?The Department of Environmental Quality has 40 regional staff members with oil spill and hazard experience deployed. DEQ and the Department of Health and Hospitals have reported that residents of coastal areas of southeast Louisiana, including New Orleans, may be detecting an odor possibly resulting from the oil spill approaching the Louisiana coast.

?DHH and DEQ have requested continuous air quality testing and monitoring from the EPA, and DEQ will be assisting the EPA by increasing the frequency of air sampling at its Kenner and Chalmette monitors.

These samples will receive expedited turnaround by EPA labs.

?The EPA is also deploying mobile air quality units that can travel throughout coastal parishes to quickly check air quality information and ensure the safety of residents. At this time, they are reporting there are no harmful levels of contaminants in the air.?

State Preparing Plans for Special Needs Shelters

Governor Jindal also announced today that the state is beginning to preparing their plans to open special needs shelters in the event that the air quality deteriorates to harmful levels, which would be especially harmful to those with preexisting medical conditions.

Governor Jindal said, ?Out of an abundance of caution, I have activated the joint Department of Transportation-Dept of Social Services shelter team in case special needs sheltering becomes necessary due to deteriorating air quality.?

Governor Meeting with Coastal Leaders

Governor Jindal also announced that later today he would meet with the presidents of Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes and tour the spill area by helicopter.

Governor Jindal said, ?Later this afternoon, I will be traveling to Venice and other impacted areas along with Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser and St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro to assess the needs of our local officials and see first-hand the response efforts that are taking place. We will continue to take every step we can to help protect our coasts, wildlife, environment and our people.?

http://www.gov.la.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=2143

 

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Re: Louisiana- Office of the Governor Bobby Jindal - Oil Spill Press Releases

Apr 30, 2010
Governor Jindal Announces the Activation of the Louisiana National Guard to Support Oil Spill Response Efforts

BATON ROUGE ? Today, following the approval of the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to grant Title 32 status for the Louisiana National Guard, Governor Bobby Jindal announced the activation of the Guard to support the oil spill response efforts in the Gulf.

The Louisiana National Guard began pre-positioning soldiers and resources today on the coast and by tomorrow, 600 Guardsmen will begin assisting with oil spill response efforts.

The National Guard will provide support for at least 90 days of military duty from up to 6,000 soldiers and airmen serving on active duty. The Guardsmen will provide security, medical capabilities, engineers, clean-up efforts and communication support.

On Thursday, Governor Jindal sent letters to Secretaries of the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security requesting that the Louisiana National Guard be utilized to support the oil spill response efforts under federal Title 32 status.

http://www.gov.la.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=2144

 

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Re: Louisiana- Office of the Governor Bobby Jindal - Oil Spill Press Releases

May 01, 2010
Governor Jindal Requests Employment Benefit Services from the U.S. Dept. of Labor

BATON ROUGE ? Today, Governor Bobby Jindal sent a letter to Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis of the U.S. Department of Labor requesting through the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990 for disaster related workforce training and job placement services and unemployment benefit services for workers displaced as a result of the oil spill.

May 1, 2010
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20210
Dear Secretary Solis:

Louisiana is currently contending with a tragic environmental disaster, and we are preparing for a worst case scenario. The controlling law for an oil discharge into or upon the navigable waters and adjoining shorelines is the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990, 33 U.S.C. ? 2701 et seq. OPA allows for the recovery of removal costs and damages, which includes damages for loss of subsistence use of natural resources, for loss of profits and impairment of earning capacity, and for the net costs of providing increased or additional public services.

The declaration that this discharge is a spill of national significance should allow federal authorities, within the parameters of the OPA, to approve programs and resources the state needs to adequately respond to this incident. Louisiana, in responding to previous emergencies and disasters, has used federal programs such as the Workforce Investment Act, Social Security Act, Federal Unemployment Insurance Tax Act and others to provide necessary services to our citizens.

We need your approval to provide the most expeditious and cost efficient means of administering those necessary services for the affected areas and citizens of Louisiana. Therefore, we are requesting for you to approve providing funding through OPA for such disaster related workforce training and job placement services and unemployment benefit services for workers displaced as a result of the oil spill.

We realize that under OPA, the responsible party (RP) is liable to provide for all needs in this instance. In an abundance of caution, we are seeking this preliminary approval should the RP?s plans fall short of meeting the needs of our people.

Due to the ever growing impact resulting from the continuing oil discharge, we would ask that you respond to this request by close of business on Monday, May 3, 2010.
Thank you,
Governor Bobby Jindal

http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&catID=2&articleID=2145

 

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Re: Louisiana- Office of the Governor Bobby Jindal - Oil Spill Press Releases

May 01, 2010
Governor Jindal: Oil Spill is Threatening Our Way of Life & We are Fighting to Protect Our Coast

BATON ROUGE ? Today, Governor Bobby Jindal said he remains concerned about BP?s ability to respond to the oil spill in the Gulf and the state is developing contingency plans in order to protect Louisiana?s way of life.

The Governor stressed that it is critical for BP and the Incident Commander to provide funding approval and authorization quickly for these contingency plans in order to protect the state?s coast.

Governor Jindal said, ?We continue to be concerned about BP?s ability to respond to this incident. As we continue to work with local leaders on the ground, we are focused on forward-leaning and proactive action. I want to be very clear on this point ? this incident is not just about our coast. It is fundamentally about our way of life in Louisiana.

?Our shrimpers, our fishermen, the coasts that make Louisiana Sportsmen?s Paradise ? this all makes up Louisiana and this is our way of life. We have to do absolutely everything we can to protect our land, our businesses and our communities.

?We are past the point of waiting for any clean up plans from BP or the Incident Commander. We have already begun developing contingency plans for parishes ? meaning we are preparing detailed secondary response capabilities to protect our land and our people. We are developing those plans ourselves and we need two things to implement these plans ? funding approval from BP and authorization from the Incident Commander.

?We are asking that for these contingency plans to be approved so we are no longer in the position of requesting boom by the foot for one particular place or another. We want to empower local officials on the ground with the knowledge and the know-how to best protect their communities.?

Empowering Coastal Officials to Support Response Effort

Today, BP approved Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser?s plan to protect his parish in the absence of an effective plan from BP or the Coast Guard. We asked Secretary Napolitano and BP directly to get this done. Plaquemines Parish is going to set up what are known as jack up barges inside the barrier islands that can serve as staging areas for workers to place containment and absorbent booms.

Governor Jindal said, ?These barges can be moved quickly if weather is a problem or another area is identified that needs equipment. These jack up barges can house up to 11 workers. By staging these barges, it will save hours of travel time to get equipment to areas that need to be protected right away. They will also provide five Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Teams, or SCAT teams, to be operated out of the jack up barges. The SCAT teams will install and maintain the booms in the areas most in need.?
In St. Tammany Parish, Parish President Kevin Davis is finalizing a plan with the Coast Guard to mitigate the impact of the spill on Lake Pontchartrain and the parish. The plan includes contracting out a vendor to place around 7,000 feet of boom or a similar containment structure around Lake Pontchartrain.

Governor Jindal said, ?Billy Nungesser and Kevin Davis are the types of Louisiana leaders that BP and the Coast Guard need to be tapping. These Louisianians are leading the effort to protect our way of life. They?ve grown up on the coast and they know the waters like the back of their hands. They are taking steps to protect their parishes, their people and their way of life.?

State Coastal Office Completing Plans to Provide Protection for Critical Coastal Resources


The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) is completing plans for the protection of critical coastal resources in the following parishes:

• St. Tammany
• St. John
• St. Charles
• Orleans
• Tangipahoa
• Jefferson
• Lafourche
• Terrebonne
• St. Mary
• Iberia
• Vermilion
• Cameron
• Calcasieu
• St. Bernard
• Plaquemines

To date ? plans for all areas east of Bayou Lafourche have been completed. These plans include primary protection alignments including the use of booms and secondary protection measures farther into the coastal area ? which can include the use of rocks and caged debris and other materials. In some cases, a third line of defense may be recommended as well. Plans for the remaining coastal areas will be completed and submitted to BP for implementation over the next few days.

Governor Jindal said, ?Again ? BP will need to fund these plans and we will need approval from the Coast Guard?s Incident Commander. These multiple lines of defense are designed to provide protection under variable conditions such as high winds, waves and tidal flows. These efforts will operate in concert with ongoing freshwater diversions to help prevent oil from getting higher up into our coastal areas and fragmented coastal wetlands. We will meet with the coastal Parish Presidents about these contingency plans here at GOHSEP at 6PM today.?

President Obama Visits Louisiana on Sunday

Governor Jindal will join President Obama for his visit to Louisiana tomorrow.

Governor Jindal said, ?I talked to the White House Chief of Staff yesterday and reiterated that we haven?t seen the plans we have asked for from BP and that responding to this disaster might be beyond their capabilities. I will be joining the President for his visit to Louisiana and we will continue to urge the federal government to work with BP to deploy more resources to help mitigate the impact of the oil spill.

?We are still waiting to hear back on our request to the U.S. Commerce Department for a declaration of a commercial fisheries failure as well as support from the Economic Development Administration for commercial and recreational fishing businesses. This will provide financial assistance to individual fishermen, help for the restoration of fisheries and assistance for our commercial and recreational fishing businesses.

?We also have an outstanding request into the U.S. Small Business Administration for them to activate all appropriate federal disaster declaration clauses that would enable the SBA to assist the small businesses impacted by the oil spill. We asked the SBA to temporarily suspend loan repayments for coastal businesses that are impacted by the oil spill ? including those who have 2005 and 2008 SBA disaster and economic injury loans as a result of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike and Gustav.

?After four storms in three years, this oil spill incident has the potential to directly affect many Louisiana businesses that are continuing to work to get back on their feet ? and we need to do everything we can to help them.?
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http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&catID=2&articleID=2146