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Rep. Melancon Asks President for Military Assistance in Transporting Protective Boom to Coast |
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Sends Letter Requesting Military Aircraft be Used to Transport Boom to Coast
May 7, 2010
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S Congressman Charlie Melancon (LA-03) sent a letter to President Barack Obama today requesting military aircraft be used to help bring protective boom to the Gulf Coast. Millions of feet of protective boom have been deployed since the April 20th Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster to protect Louisiana’s fragile coastal marshes from the oil slick. In his conversations with local fishermen and parish officials involved in laying the boom, Congressman Melancon has been told they face a severe shortage in boom material, hindering their ability to protect the coast.
In his letter, Congressman Melancon wrote, “Local fishermen have been contracted by BP to lay lengths of boom to guard the most sensitive areas of the Louisiana coast. The fishermen working to deploy the boom are doing a tremendous job—they know the Louisiana coast better than anyone—but we’re running into roadblocks. There simply isn’t enough protective boom in Louisiana currently available to match the speed with which it is being deployed.”
Congressman Melancon continued, “You have pledged the full support of the US military to help fight the spill, and one task military resources can be used in is helping with the mammoth task of transporting boom to the Louisiana coast…. Countless Louisiana jobs and the ecology of the Louisiana marshes depend on the success of our response to this oil leak. Please do not delay in assisting with efforts to locate additional sources of boom.”
The text of Congressman Melancon’s letter is copied below. A signed final copy can be viewed online here.
May 7, 2010
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
As I am sure you are aware, the state of Louisiana and numerous local communities on the Louisiana coast are engaged in ongoing operations to safeguard coastal marshes from the oil leak that began with the Deepwater Horizon disaster two weeks ago.
While the most important priority in minimizing the impact of this massive oil leak is to stop the continuing flow of oil from the Deepwater Horizon well, we must also ensure that the government is doing all it can to support the ongoing efforts of local fishermen and authorities laying protective boom along the coast. The boom-laying operation represents the last line of defense between the sensitive shoreline and the oil slick.
Local fishermen have been contracted by BP to lay lengths of boom to guard the most sensitive areas of the Louisiana coast. The fishermen working to deploy the boom are doing a tremendous job—they know the Louisiana coast better than anyone—but we’re running into roadblocks. There simply isn’t enough protective boom in Louisiana currently available to match the speed with which it is being deployed.
Reports indicate that shortages of boom have been widespread in the Gulf region, and that local officials are now looking internationally to find enough boom. Manufacturers are swamped with orders, and can’t produce boom fast enough. Yet boom stockpiles exist in the US and internationally.
You have pledged the full support of the US military to help fight the spill, and one task military resources can be used in is helping with the mammoth task of transporting boom to the Louisiana coast.
That’s why I’m requesting that you deploy military transport aircraft to pick up boom that the Horizon Deepwater Spill Unified Command locates in order to bring it to the Gulf Coast as quickly as possible.
Countless Louisiana jobs and the ecology of the Louisiana marshes depend on the success of our response to this oil leak. Please do not delay in assisting with efforts to locate additional sources of boom.
Sincerely,
Rep. Charlie Melancon
CC:
Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense
Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security
Ken Salazar, Secretary of Interior
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