If Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal comes across as near hysterical in his rants against BP in the three months since its crippled well began gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico, it’s with good reason. The southern part of his state is still suffering from the devastating effects of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina and, because Louisiana encompasses the mouth of the Mississippi River and its associated marshes and wildlife habitats, the BP oil spill could well become the state’s “ecological Katrina.”
One thing’s certain: Jindal isn’t afraid to stand up to the oil giant. Last month, he urged BP for a $457 million seafood testing and certification program. This week, he held a press conference to complain that the testing wasn’t being carried out fast enough.
His sense of urgency is understandable. In fact, we’d like to see the leadership of all Gulf states, including Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, speak with one voice on this matter.
The commercial seafood industry contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to the Alabama economy, with about $100 million generated in Bayou La Batre alone. The ban on commercial fishing because of the oil spill has created an economic disaster in the seafood communities that has resonated across the region. The sooner fishing can resume, the better.
However, the public must be assured that seafood pulled from the Gulf of Mexico is safe for consumption. That will require something with far more authority than the word of the president; it must be tested and certified through an ongoing program to ensure that public health will not be endangered.
In that position, Gov. Jindal should be flanked by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and our own Gov. Riley.
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