Louisiana Environmental Action Network

Press Conference Highlights April 30, 2010

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals will be opening shelters to provide for the special needs of people impacted by air emissions coming from the spilling oil.

Continuous Air Monitoring will be conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from the air monitoring stations at Kenner and Chalmette.(l-r) US Coast Guard District Commander

The EPA will be expediting the testing and results of collected environmental samples.

The oyster beds in areas 2-7 east of the Mississippi River in Plaquemine and St. Bernard parishes will be closed to harvest.

Lower Breton Sound was closed to harvesting at 6 am today, Upper Breton
Sound will be closed to harvesting at 6 PM today (April 30, 2010).

BP is the responsible party and will be covering the cost of the response and cleanup.

The president has ordered the administration to use every single resource available.

On April 29, 2010 Governor Jindal designated the spill to be of national significance.

There has been a substantial release of oil and hazardous materials.

Comments from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson:

Air sampling began yesterday (April 29, 2010).

At the 6 existing permanent air sampling stations in the area there has been an increase in frequency of samples taken.

The data and results of the air sampling will be available on the EPA
web site http://www.epa.gov/bpspill.

Two mobile labs will be employed to monitor the air quality.

The oily odors experienced in the New Orleans area are due to the large oil sheen being dispersed into the air by the high winds and rough seas and forming aerosols of oil particles.

Water sampling began today (April 30, 2010).

Administrator Jackson had planned on staying two days but vowed to stay as long as needed.

Comments From BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles:

Three on-the-water control burns of oil have been conducted as of the conference.

This has been the largest oil spill response ever.

The sub sea application of dispersants will begin in 2 hours (time was 2:40 PM when this statement was made).

The relief well will begin to be drilled tomorrow (May 1, 2010).

A second drill ship will be in place tomorrow and will be used to deploy the subsurface application of dispersant.

There is a need to protect the coast, wetlands and the economy.

The quantity of oil being released has not changed.  Initially BP estimated 1,000 barrels per day. Based on aerial flights and satellite images the estimate was changed
to 5,000 barrels per day.  There was a change in estimate not in quantity of oil being released.  "This process is highly imprecise."

The weather has been a challenge. The skimming of surface oil was not being performed during the time of the press conference due to adverse weather conditions.

Comments from Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar:

One third of the domestic oil and gas production of the United States comes from the Gulf of Mexico area.

President Obama has requested, within 30 days, a detailed report of safety measures within the oil and gas production industry that should be addressed.

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LEAN is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN) is a non-profit organization working to foster communication and cooperation among citizens and groups to address Louisiana's environmental problems.