BP Oil Spill and Louisiana

As a resident of Houma, Louisiana, and a native of the Texas coast, the oil spill in the Gulf has been a particularly upsetting. I came to Louisiana after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to help rebuild the state and have made it my home. I have seen progress and felt as though things were starting to get back to normal before the spill. Yet the shifting opinions of the American public may well stop the progress of the state and put off recovery indefinitely.

I am a sportsman and have made my living off the Gulf of Mexico as a fishing guide in younger years. I am also a surfer for the past 25 years and clean beaches and water are of paramount importance. Louisiana is the crown jewel of fishing and water fowling in the United States and I have seen no place better in my lifetime. The consequences of the spill could have long reaching effects that could be devastating for fish and wildlife.

That said, the emotional rants of journalists, politicians, radicals and upset citizens have done little to help. The demonizing of oil will be the final nail in the coffin of a state that is still trying to recover. Local media is much more sensitive to the issue as they know the importance of the oil and gas industry to the Gulf. The pressure is on BP to do whatever possible to remedy the situation and this is a goal for everyone who calls our part of the world home. BP has a huge bill that gets larger by the day and the citizens of the Gulf Coast will hold them to it.

The individuals that are putting pressure on the Congress to stop this evil oil industry are not in the areas immediately affected and have probably never even been there. Yet these people jump on the bandwagon of the crisis of the moment without examining the consequences of their actions. A lot of these people are probably the same ones that wanted to bring New Orleans back.

The shrimpers and fishermen who are distressed in the wake of this tragedy have strong feelings for those at fault. Yet I live here and do not see these feelings directed at the industry in general the way the rest of the country seems to. This is because fishermen and the oil industry peacefully coexist and are often neighbors and relatives. The industry has been responsible and often supports wildlife as is the case with offshore platforms.

As a fishing guide the platforms were an integral part of fishing success, these oil rigs provide structure that has helped the Gulf fishery flourish in comparison to the east and west coasts. Often customers of charter captains are people who work in and around the oil industry. Oilfield workers are often sportsmen who spend their days off in the Gulf fishing and the marshes hunting.

Local business success depends on the oilfield industry and capital has been invested in the future of deepwater drilling and production. As we wonder what is under the surface of the gulf please consider what is under the surface for our people. Take away the industry that drives our economy and Louisiana will be a welfare state and New Orleans will dry up and suffer consequences worse than Katrina. It would be like stopping banking because of the thieves on Wall Street and condemning New York. It is also a fact that tankers are more prone to oil spills so stopping domestic drilling will only bring undue risk. As upsetting as this spill is, please don't make the people of the Gulf suffer any more than we already have. At least BP can pay for it's mistake which can't be said for our government.