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Rep. Melancon Calls on President to Listen to Louisianians and End Moratorium |
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July 21, 2010
WASHINGTON, DC —U.S Rep. Charlie Melancon (LA-03) issued the following statement in support of the “Rally for Economic Survival” held today at the Lafayette Cajundome. The rally was organized to protest the current moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico imposed by the Obama Administration.
“I stand with the people of Louisiana in opposing this moratorium and call on the President to listen to the workers, small business owners, and communities who are suffering from the current freeze on offshore drilling,” said Rep. Melancon. “The thousands of Louisianians gathered today at the Cajundome represent just a small percentage of the millions along the Gulf Coast who are reeling from the impact of the moratorium, on top of the initial pummeling from the oil leak catastrophe.
“The loss of life on the Deepwater Horizon is tragic, and the devastation caused by over four million barrels of oil leaking into our Gulf will take years for us to recover from. Louisianians want more than anyone to prevent another disaster from happening in our waters. But the irresponsible decisions and dangerous actions of one company shouldn’t shut down an entire sector of our economy, sending thousands of workers to the unemployment line. We need to fix the problems that led to this disaster in the Gulf, without paralyzing America’s domestic energy industry in the process.”
Congressman Melancon represents in Congress the areas of coastal Louisiana most directly affected by the oil leak, including Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary and southern Jefferson Parishes. The Deepwater Horizon platform was located 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana’s Third Congressional District.
The BP oil disaster has impacted three major sectors of Louisiana’s economy – fishing, offshore energy production, and tourism – affecting thousands of workers. Congressman Melancon has been pressing the federal government to end the moratorium on deep-water drilling and clarify new regulations for shallow-water drilling that have created a “de facto” moratorium in the Gulf. The offshore energy industry is a major economic engine for south Louisiana, providing thousands of jobs and supporting numerous locally-based service companies in Congressman Melancon’s Congressional district.
Congressman Melancon has also called on BP to suspend bonus payments to top-ranking executives and apply the money toward helping Louisianians impacted by the oil spill in the Gulf. In a letter to BP’s Chairman, Congressman Melancon noted that BP CEO Tony Hayward’s 2009 bonus of $3 million would cover the cost of salaries for 50 offshore workers who have lost their jobs due to the moratorium imposed because of the oil spill.
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