Scalise Leads Delegation in Urging Immediate Approval of Sand Barrier Oil Defense Plan
Washington, DC -- Congressman Steve Scalise led the Louisiana delegation in calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard to quickly approve Governor Bobby Jindal’s plan to build barriers to prevent oil from entering Louisiana’s fragile marshes and wetlands.
“Heavy oil from the BP oil spill is inundating our marshes and wetlands, and oil continues to flow from the well,” Scalise said. “The Corps and U.S. Coast Guard must act swiftly and approve this emergency authorization request to allow for the building of sand barriers to defend against this oil and protect our fragile marsh and seafood beds. If we fail to stop the oil from hitting our marsh, it could take decades for our fragile ecosystem to fully recover, and Louisianans will not sit idle and watch as their livelihoods are destroyed. I urge the Corps and the Coast Guard to cut through this bureaucratic red tape and finally help construct barrier sand islands to stop this oil from doing further damage to our marsh.”
In a letter, signed by all nine members of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation, Scalise calls for the immediate construction of a sand barrier along Louisiana’s barrier islands to prevent the oil from contaminating vital ecosystems.
The full text of the letter follows below.
Col. Al Lee, New Orleans District Commander
Army Corps of Engineers
7400 Leake Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70118
Adm. Thad Allen, Commandant
United States Coast Guard
2100 Second St. SW Stop 7101
Washington, DC 20593
Dear Col. Lee and Adm. Allen,
We write today to urge you to quickly approve the emergency authorization request submitted by Governor Bobby Jindal on May 11, 2010, and to incorporate these plans into the Incident Action Plan.
Approving the authorization and including this work as part of the Incident Action Plan will allow the State to immediately begin constructing a sand barrier along our barrier islands. This work will provide a critical barrier against the oil that continues to leak in the Gulf of Mexico.
As heavy oil is now coating our marshes, it is imperative that the Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard work with the State of Louisiana to ensure we are pursuing every avenue possible to protect our marshlands. Our coastal wetlands not only provide critical hurricane protection to South Louisiana but also serve as home to over 400 species that live in the spill area and 26 percent of the fisheries catch in the lower 48 states.
We implore you to immediately approve the emergency authorization request submitted by Governor Jindal. If the Louisiana Congressional delegation can be of any assistance as we work together to protect these vital resources, do not hesitate to let us know.
Sincerely,
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Contact: Stephen Bell
202-226-9113