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The lawsuit by the Authority is aimed at forcing dozens of Oil and Gas companies to repair damage to a buffer zone of wet lands and ridges as reported in the Times Picayune of July 24. The lawsuit was filed in state court because the on shore operations of those oil companies comes under state regulations. The
destruction of Louisiana's environment by the industry's operations for the past 40 plus years has been given lip service by past governers and state elected officials that make up the legislature and they have failed to hold the industry accountable for the massive damage done to the environment.
Louisiana's officials get an F for their failure to act and now they want BP to pay for the damages caused by the industry over the years. And of course Louisiana's elected officials are still receiving big bucks in campaign contributions from the industry and they still fail to hold the industry accountable as of this very writing. President Obama stood tall after the BP well blow out that took the lives of 11 rig workers. A moratorium was instituted against Gulf drilling until some answers could be found as to the cause and his administration has held BP accountable for their actions. Many of Louisiana's representatives opposed the moratorium just like they opposed to enforce Louisiana's regulations concerning the destruction of the environment because of drilling, production, pipe line and dredging operations.
The federal government stepped up to the plate concerning the BP situation. Louisiana's elected officials have been AWOL for the past 40 plus years on the environmental rape of Louisiana's wet lands and marshes. Former governor David Treen had the answer with his proposal called CWEL (Coastal Wetlands Environmental Levy) which he spoke about many times over and was the subject of a letter to the editors to the editors of the Times Picayune published on 3/9/09. The Times Picayune also ran an article dated 9/19/09 concerning a Pipeline Volume Tax. Those ideas went no where in the state legislature because of the industry's financial clout.
So now, the Authority who filed the suit has done what Louisiana's elected officials should have done long ago to bring the industry to justice. This writer has written several past commentaries here in PolitiDose concerning the subject matter and CWEL. Governor Treen saw the problem and had a valid answer that should have been given serious thought and debate over the years especially since the damage continues to take place. But our state officials have a better idea and answer, let BP pay for it all. That really says it all.
This commentary written by John Lucia
