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Video: Melancon says Oil Spill is Overplayed
May 28, 2010
The following are excerpts from Melancon’s interview with CNN on 5/22/10. The above video clip was one day after on 5/23/10.
DON LEMON, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: They’re trying to — you said they’re trying to — they’re trying to keep it away. They’re trying to keep more of it away because it’s already reached that area. We’ve already seen dead animals. We’ve already heard that possibly, through the Associated Press, they may have to burn some of the wetlands area there or overflow the areas so that it can float away. That’s going to cause huge problems, especially in this recycling or recovery year when it comes to the oysters and the fish and all of that.
MELANCON: You know, you just gave a perfect example of not total correct information about what’s there. Yes, there is going to be — if it continues to get into the marshland, and right now, it is in a small sector of the marshland, at the mouth of Southwest Pass. It is not a major intrusion into the areas that we’re really concerned about. Cleaning the beaches are a lot easier. It is not good for Grand Isle to have it on their beaches because it hurts their economy. I just flew over. There aren’t a lot of people on the beaches. I see a lot of camps where there aren’t cars at, the isles and stuff. It tells me they’re suffering because of the oil on the beach.
And I’m not saying it is a good scenario. But what I’m saying is, what the — And I liken it to, say, a treatment for cancer. The chemo and the radiation sometimes are more detrimental to the patient. The cure sometimes is worse than the actual disease that you have. But in the end, if we clean it up, we can hopefully get the other things cleaned up too, which are lesser problems. If oil wasn’t a problem, we wouldn’t be worried about it. Dispersant may be a problem. There is (ph) questions about the best dispersants. Hopefully, they’re addressing all those.
LEMON: Congressman –
MELANCON: The main thing is to keep the oil out of the marshes and the wetlands as much as we can.
LEMON: I want to understand what you said there. There is incorrect information about it reaching the wetlands. How is that incorrect?
MELANCON: We burn marshes every year in the spring after the freezes. So burning marshes is not a new process.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I understand that, but the question is that whether or not burning the marshes, is it necessary at this point? Would you have to burn marshes as much as you’re burning –
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Hang on, let me finish. Would you have to burn marshes as much as you’re burning them now if it were not for the oil? I get your point where you’re saying that maybe burning it or maybe doing whatever, you may just want to let it go, because of the dispersants and the burning may cause more of a problem. But I want to understand what is incorrect about the information that the A.P. is reporting about burning and torching the wetlands and flooding it?
MELANCON: Well, you’re getting into speculation of what’s going to occur possibly in the future, of how you’re going to do it. We haven’t gotten to that. At this point, you have a small amount of land that has oil on it. and god help us if that’s all that happens, this is going — this will be a victory from keeping it from getting into the estuaries and the inland marshes. What I saw out there, in volumes of oil around the site, and what I’ve seen in the marsh area and in the beach area, so far it is a small amount. I couldn’t tell you what that amount is, but a very small amount.
They’re going to be doing — going for the kill shot, I understand, on Tuesday. I would think that if the Richter scale is hooked up, you will hear — it will be a vibration coming from south Louisiana, equal to what happened at the Super Bowl when the Saints won it. So we’re just praying that they shut that well down. Then that gives us the ability to focus on dispersing the oil, taking the oil out, booming the oil, burning the oil, and doing whatever we can to keep it out of those marshes and those wetlands. So –
LEMON: To keep more of it out of those marshes and wetlands.
MELANCON: To keep –
LEMON: And I want to get that straight. To keep more of it out of the marshes and wetlands.
MELANCON: To keep any of it out, if we can.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Yes, to keep any. All right, I got you. I think I have your point.
MELANCON: We don’t like any of it.
LEMON: OK. Just want to make sure because it sounds like you’re saying it is not that bad, and I don’t want the viewers to think that’s –
MELANCON: Right now, what is being affected as far as wetland area is a small area right at the mouth of the river.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Congressman, I think we all get that. I think we all get that. It is not completely overflowing with oil, but the concern is that it could be if this keeps gushing and there is not a fix. That’s the point we’re trying to get across here.
MELANCON: That’s correct. That’s correct.
LEMON: Thank you very much, Congressman. And keep us updated on your efforts.
MELANCON: Thank you, Don. Appreciate it.
LEMON: We appreciate it.
Comments OffNews of Top Kill and President Obama
May 27, 2010
The news of the top kill working is certainly encouraging. However, for President Obama to only approve 2% of our plan to dredge barrier islands is outrageous. It shows that he doesn’t have a clue.
Comments OffQuestions for President Obama
President Obama is holding a press conference in the White House this morning. He has also announced he’s visiting Louisiana tomorrow. I plan to ask him why the Corps has yet to approve the emergency barrier island plan, why we still don’t have our fair share of boom, and why the White House hasn’t set up the loan program for fisherman who are out of work. Post the questions you would like to ask President Obama on my Facebook page.
Comments OffMy legislation to make sure BP is held accountable
May 26, 2010
Yesterday I introduced legislation that would make sure BP is held accountable for the liability of this spill. Instead of some other bills that set liability caps for future spills, it’s important that we expedite the liability claims now, which my bill would have done. Unfortunately Sen. Menendez (D-NJ) blocked my proposal on the Senate floor yesterday.
Comments OffSpoke with DHS Sec. Janet Napolitano
Spoke with DHS Sec. Janet Napolitano last night as a follow up to my conversation with President Obama about the emergency barrier island plan. I stressed the inadequate federal response and that this federal foot-dragging has to stop. The administration can’t put everything on BP. She gave me the same old answer we’ve heard before, that the Coast Guard and Corps will have a decision made on barrier islands soon.
Comments OffArizona’s New Immigration Law
Illegal immigration is a huge problem in our country today. As the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Border Security Caucus I support the new Arizona law to crack down on illegal immigration and will continue opposing amnesty at all costs.
The new Arizona law was necessary because Washington D.C. has ignored the illegal alien problem for decades. The new Arizona law actually mirrors federal law which already requires non-citizens to register and carry their documents with them. The new Arizona law simply says that if you violate federal immigration law, it’s now a state crime and gives their local law enforcement the ability to enforce the federal laws already on the books.
This is very similar to the spirit of my sanctuary cities bill that I have been fighting to pass into law for years. My bill holds those cities that purposely don’t enforce current immigration laws on the books accountable by withholding federal funding until they do so.
I’ve read the Arizona law and support it for its merit, but two top White House officials condemned the law before reading it. Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano both admitted they had not read the law.
Take Our Short Survey on Arizona’s Illegal Immigration Law
Last week Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon spoke to a Joint Session of Congress. He used the address to criticize the Arizona law as a “terrible idea,” which gained standing applause from the entire Democratic caucus.
You can be certain that I will continue to stand with the vast majority of Louisianians who want tougher laws to crack down on the illegal immigration problem. I’ve been leading the fight in the Senate to ban sanctuary cities and I’ll continue fighting to stop any form of amnesty or taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal aliens as we work toward finally securing our borders.
President Obama and the liberals in Congress are out of touch. Help me send them a message in November that we are tired of being demonized for protecting our southern border from the rising drug problem and violent crimes. It is time to put an end to government handouts to illegal aliens.
Luncheon with President Obama
May 25, 2010
Just had luncheon with Pres. Obama and Republican Senators. I led off questions after Minority Leader Sen. McConnell and asked Obama why the Corps has not yet approved the emergency barrier island plan. Obama said he will personally look into this.
Comments OffOil Spill Response
May 24, 2010
I’m with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and several of my Senate colleagues in south Louisiana today to make sure they are up to date with the ongoing response — or lack of response –to the BP oil spill. I’m reiterating my request to the Cabinet Secretaries that President Obama demand the Corps’ expedite approval of an emergency barrier island dredging plan.
Comments OffDavid Vitter Facebook Page
May 14, 2010
Thanks for helping me communicate with as many people as possible. Your feedback is very important to me. To suggest my page to your Facebook friends just click on the “Suggest to Friends” link underneath my profile picture. Together we can fight for Louisiana.
Commercial Fishing Disaster
While Louisiana fishermen are figuring out how they’re going to make ends meet, I’m working to get the U.S. Dept. of Commerce to declare a commercial fishery disaster so we can get immediate assistance to the Gulf Coast. Louisiana seafood producers play a vital role in our nation’s economy as well as our entire state.
