Waterkeeper Alliance Calls For Smarter Response To BP Disaster

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mobile Bay, AL; Baton Rouge and Barataria, LA; Apalachicola and Pensacola, FL – May 12, 2010 – Waterkeeper Alliance, the global environmental organization, today demands a smarter integration of response effort and better support for the clean-up being conducted in communities across the Gulf Coast. Local Waterkeepers are participating in the effort firsthand and have been able to assess the effectiveness of some measures and identify areas where alternative approaches should be adopted. Based on their input, Waterkeeper Alliance is calling for remedial action that includes:

• Acceleration of the deployment of booms of all kinds, the use of absorbent booms and technologies that actually collect oil in appropriate areas, and better application of diverting techniques to maximize protection of fragile ecosystems.
• Making better federal and local maps of the Gulf coastline – which show oyster beds and fish and shrimp habitats – available to Waterkeepers and other responders for review to determine if sensitive areas are being overlooked.
• Urging the local Incident Commanders to immediately call in as many trained wildlife rescue teams as are available; oiled birds and other wildlife should be captured as early as possible to ensure their survival.

"Our Gulf Coast Waterkeepers are on the front lines of this disaster, which is the fruit of lax government oversight and corporate greed," says Waterkeeper Alliance President Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "Waterkeepers speak for their communities; they know what needs to be done, and federal and state authorities must hear what they have to say and quickly act upon it."

Gulf Coast Waterkeepers – Louisiana’s Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper and Louisiana Bayoukeeper; Alabama’s Mobile Baykeeper; and Florida’s Emerald Coastkeeper and Apalachicola Riverkeeper – have been reporting on the effectiveness of natural resource protection and clean up efforts and some are beginning to take part in meetings with the local and federal authorities. Their firsthand information is providing invaluable perspective.

"Our Gulf Coast Waterkeepers are the front line in the evolving BP disaster,” said Kristine Stratton, Executive Director of Waterkeeper Alliance. "These engaged and informed community advocates are showing how important local knowledge is in responding to a spill of this magnitude."

In addition, Waterkeeper Alliance today urges the federal government, Coast Guard, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the coastal states’ natural resource agencies to take the lead on decisive steps to prevent future oil disasters. The global environmental organization makes this appeal in light of BP’s fractured response to contain the spill.

"Over the course of this on-going disaster it has become apparent that BP’s business interests, at times, take precedence to protecting the Gulf and Gulf Coast communities," said Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper Paul Orr. "Federal regulations put BP squarely in charge of cleaning up the oil spill for which it is responsible. Since federal and state agencies exist to protect the interests of all American citizens, we believe they should use their authority to protect the Gulf environment and communities in partnership with local organizations and volunteers."

The Gulf Coast Waterkeepers are identifying areas of effort where a smarter, more fully integrated effort could yield better results. They are seeing that training, equipment and supplies may not be getting to the people and places that need it.

"We are not just working with fishermen – Louisiana Bayoukeeper is local fishermen, who are working to monitor oil, lay booms and assist in clean-up," said Louisiana Bayoukeeper Tracy Kuhns. "It is vital that we get the training and equipment we need to do this work: if we do not stem the tide of crude oil flowing toward our vast and delicate ecosystem, soon, our local fishermen and communities could face environmental, cultural and economic collapse."

"Gulf Coast Waterkeepers have been informing authorities about environmentally and culturally sensitive areas that may have been missed on the Coast Guard and NOAA’s maps that are in need of more protective booming," said Emerald Coastkeeper Chasidy Fisher Hobbs. "The need for more volunteer training remains critical, as is the lack of protective equipment and potential health issues caused by under-equipped first responders. We are only just now getting training for local vessel owners and have yet to have any hazardous materials training, which allows locals to aid in clean-up activities."

However, the Waterkeepers note that there are signs that authorities are beginning to act based on local input. "We’re seeing that federal authorities are beginning to value our intimate knowledge of the inlets, bays and rivers of the Gulf Coast region," says Mobile Baykeeper Casi Callaway. "These clean-up response and damage prevention efforts can’t work unless federal, state, and local authorities work together and take input and expertise from the people who make their living on the water and who care for our coasts."

To see what Gulf Coast Waterkeepers are doing to fight the disaster and to find out how you can help, visit www.saveourgulf.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

John Bianchi for Waterkeeper Alliance: 212-576-2700, ext 228 Click here to e-mail.

Sakura Amend for Waterkeeper Alliance: 212-576-2700, ext 237 Click to e-mail.

Casi Callaway, Mobile Baykeeper: 251-209-4253 Click here to e-mail.

Paul Orr, Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper: 225-802-9255 Click here to e-mail.

Chasidy Hobbs, Emerald Coastkeeper: 850-429-8422 Click here to e-mail.

Tracy Kuhns, Louisiana Bayoukeeper: Click here to e-mail.

Dan Tonsmeire, Apalachicola Riverkeeeper: 850-653-8936 Click here to e-mail.

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Waterkeeper Alliance is a global environmental organization uniting more than 190 Waterkeeper programs around the world and focusing citizen advocacy on the issues that affect our waterways, from pollution to climate change. More information can be found at www.Waterkeeper.org.