Reports from the ground in La.

[IassaFTots]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8610561

Billy Nungesser of Plaquemines Parish in La. Belle Chase ( where all the oil is landing onshore) is on Cspan right now,
along with Patricia Clarkson the actress, and public officials of the area.
They are meeting in Nungesser's office, Cspan camera.
Here is what they are saying: ( remember I am typing what is being said)

BP contractors are capturing oiled pelicans ( remember these are endangered ) and putting them in pens,where they sit, covered in oil. The excuse is BP wants the birds to "calm down" for a week.

Thad Allen doesn't know what he is doing. ( that is a quote)
Local officials are being ignored.
Local clean up efforts are being resisted, but those are the only ones that are getting anything accomplished.
Nungesser has a background in boats, emergency services, and is being ignored by the Feds, BP, Coast Guard.
Nungesser says his only contact with the WH is they listen to him and then they say " We will take that under consideration".
The barges were stopped from cleaning up because "they needed to be checked for life preservers," but instead of having someone go TO the barge, board, look around to count the safety items, the barges were ordered to return to dock.

Essentially what is happening is the locals who know the area and have the boats, manpower, etc to protect the marshlands, are being prevented from doing so, while BP hires contractors who make money for doing nothing.
Here is link to the video:
http://cspan.org/Watch/Media/2010/06/20/HP/A/34464/Plaq...
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The only thing that makes sense to me is if you want to avoid
environmental issues, destroying the environment solves that problem.

dixiegrrrrl  (1000+ posts)      Tue Jun-22-10 10:52 AM
Response to Original message
6. I am impressed with Nungesser. And he is a Republican!
 People who are not from the South do not get how closely tied to the land the average Southerner is.
And by average, I do not mean the professional politician type.

People around here are ON the land a lot. They hunt, they fish, they boat, they know their woods and beaches and farms in a way that city dwellers do not.
Their sense of place is strong and deep.

Handling a problem like this from the top down is effective and insane.

cwydro  (1000+ posts)      Tue Jun-22-10 11:04 AM
Response to Original message
8. This is horrendous.
 As angry as I am down here, I cannot imagine the anger of those people dealing with it right now.

Why doesn't our government step in and make things happen with this massive cleanup that is so needed?

Scuba (1000+ posts)      Tue Jun-22-10 11:43 AM
Response to Reply #8
11. Because they don't really give a damn about you?

cwydro  (1000+ posts)      Tue Jun-22-10 12:09 PM
Response to Reply #11
12. Hmmm,
 I think you nailed it.

That is it so far.  I am sure there will be more down the pike.....

...edited for clean up. 

[ConservativeMobster]

hmmm...looks as if some of those posters are testing Skinner's new behavior posting rules.

[IassaFTots]

hmmm...looks as if some of those posters are testing Skinner's new behavior posting rules.

A-yup.  Not too much on the huggy feely positive vibes, huh?