In the past few months there has been a lot of talk about the subject matter, how much it will cost to prevent more damage and a 50 year plan to do so, including the rebuilding of some areas. The federal government will provide some major funding for the long range problem. But the alarm has been sounded, Louisiana needs to start now and can not afford to delay.
But what is missing from the plans and the conversation is a disregard to hold the oil industry responsible for their portion of the damage. In fact our elected officials who are responsible to see the program through have let the industry out of the loop and off the hook. It is past time for the industry to be a party to any such plan to repair the environmental damage they helped create. The idea that they should be given a free pass because they impact the economy is a cop out. Louisiana should not be in the business of cuddling an industry that proves every day they care nothing for Louisiana's environment, only their own profits.
The governor, the legislature and all involved in this project should demand the oil industry join in the plan and pay their fair share of the damage they caused or take them to court immediately. The state could also suspend any new drilling permits or leases unless they do. Bob Marshall, former outdoors editor for the Times Picayune and former environmental reporter for the Lens wrote an opinion column in Sunday's Times Picayune of May 14 and listed approximately 16 proposals that had to do with the environment that Louisiana's republican elected officials opposed any attempt by congress to regulate emissions and other regulations that would be helpful to the environment on a consistent basis. It was not the first commentary by Marshall concerning the relationship of Louisiana's republicans and the industry working together to kill proposed legislation to protect Louisiana's environment.
Former Louisiana Republican Governor David Treen had a plan he called CWEL (Coastal Wetlands Environmental Levy) to deal with the problem of coastal erosion and the loss of wetlands caused by the Oil industry's operation. That was the subject of this writers commentary in 2010 and several other commentaries here in PolitiDose. If the state legislature would have acted on CWEL when Treen proposed it Louisiana would be years ahead in collecting revenue for the restoration and actual work but Louisiana's elected officials in the legislature supported the oil industry's position of opposition and the issue died.
Governor Treen was a conservative and understood the problem many years ago and proposed a common sense solution. He was not a believer of ideology. Louisiana's elected officials should be ashamed of their neglect concerning the environment and their alliance with the oil industry on such an important issue. The news media in Louisiana has forgotten all about CWEL but PolitiDose has been on the subject matter for a long time. Yes CWEL was and still is a good proposal and would have put the burden of funding where it should have been all along.
Note: See commentary dated 5/10/10 titled, IT IS TIME FOR THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE TO ACT ON CWEL. Governor Treen's letter on CWEL that was published in the Times on 3/9/09 was re-produced in the commentary and can be read along.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
