It has now been more than 12 weeks since the oil began gushing from the sea and flowing towards our fragile coastal wetlands. During my time on the coast during this disaster the questions I am asked are often the same: Will Louisiana ever be the same? Will our communities and our families triumph over this catastrophe? Will we still be Sportsmen’s Paradise? The answer is simply - Yes.
There is not a doubt in my mind that the resilience of our people will allow us to recover and restore our coast and wetlands to be more plentiful than ever before. I am convinced of this because I know Louisiana. Together we rebuilt after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and again after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. In the face of adversity our people have always risen to the challenge and we will do so again.
Our work is far from over and as I told WAFB, it doesn’t end when BP caps the leak. It doesn’t end when the oil is gone from the surface. We won’t stop fighting for our coast until every drop of oil is removed and our way of life is restored to the way it was before this spill. Let there be no doubt - we will be restored and we will be revitalized.
I recently outlined an Agenda for Revitalizing Louisiana, which as the New Orleans Times-Picayune wrote, calls for the “implementation of a compressive coastal restoration plan, a certification process to reopen waters for commercial and recreations fishing, an end to the deepwater drilling moratorium and accountability on the part of BP in paying the full restoration of Louisiana’s affected ecosystem.”
The Heritage Foundation noted that our “wide-ranging” and “ambitious” plan comes at a “critical time,” and sends a clear message that “Louisiana isn’t going to rest until the coast is fully restored and its citizens are back to work.” They’re absolutely right. Each of these measures is crucial to winning the war against the oil that threatens our way of life in Louisiana and our bountiful natural resources.
It seems like just a few months ago when Louisianians rejoiced at the New Orleans Saints‘ victory. We were all inspired by the struggles and devotion of Who Dat Nation as the Saints emerged victorious from the Super Bowl. Just as the Saints bounced back with a comprehensive recipe for success, so too will our state recover from this oil spill by achieving many of the goals outlined in our Agenda for Revitalizing Louisiana. Our success is riding on a team effort from everyone involved in our recovery from the spill and every Louisianian’s unwavering dedication to maintaining our unique and wonderful Louisiana Way of Life.
Sincerely,
Governor Bobby Jindal
Tags: BP Oil Spill
