Collection:LPB

Genre: Public Affairs, News

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 2011-07-01

Duration: 00:05:44

Subjects: Environment | BP Deepwater Horizon Explosion and Oil Spill, 2010 | COASTAL RESTORATION | Damage Assessment and Restoration Program (U.S.) | Vitter, David | Graves, Garret | CASSIDY, BILL

Contributors:

• Whinham, Charlie Host
• Sanford, Shauna Host
• Alford, Jeremy Producer
• Crews, Keith Photographer
• Macaluso, Chris Interviewee
• Vitter, David Speaker
• Graves, Garret Speaker
• Cassidy, Bill Interviewee

This segment from the July 1, 2011, episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” features producer Jeremy Alford’s report on the efforts to speed up the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process for the damages caused by the 2010 BP Oil Spill. Alford reports that United States Senators David Vitter and Mary Landrieu are sponsoring legislation to force BP to pre-pay a portion of the expected NRDA damages in order to fund preapproved coastal restoration projects. This report includes: an interview with Chris Macaluso of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation on the complexity of the NRDA process and the coastal restoration projects that have been approved; United States Senator David Vitter and Garret Graves of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority speaking at a hearing of the United States Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works; and an interview with Congressman Bill Cassidy on the existing precedent for speeding up the NRDA process and the need to persuade members of Congress of the importance of the legislation to the Gulf Coast states. Hosts: Charlie Whinham and Shauna Sanford