SLU Lions head coach Mike Lucas prays with Buras native and SLU defensive tackle Devin Boutwell, and Mona Boutwell.

Southeastern Louisiana University football team, which has dedicated its season to the “Children of the Gulf,” visited Buras last Sunday attending church services in the morning before having lunch and holding an autograph session for the local youth.

Head coach Mike Lucas, his staff and the Lions attended services with Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser at Trinity United Methodist Church before departing for lunch and the autograph session at nearby Buras Auditorium. The Lions were able to look at photos depicting the damage to the marshes by the BP oil spill.

Over 60 players on the 2010 Southeastern roster, including three from Plaquemines Parish, Devin Boutwell of Buras, David Durden of Port Sulphur, and Raphael Garrison of Belle Chasse.

“The fact these young men got together and had such an interest in our parish was heartwarming, it really showed their passion,” said Nungesser.  “We wish the Lions great success this football season.”

During the season, the football team will be selling “Children of the Gulf” T-Shirts for $10 with all proceeds going to a charity in Plaquemines Parish. To order or for more information, contact the Southeastern Athletic Department at 985.549.2395.

–SLU Staff Story

Plaquemines Parish residents gathered Saturday at the Buras Auditorium to ask a group of experts, including LSU professor emeritus Ed Overton and Parish President Billy Nungesser, questions regarding the BP oil spill and its aftermath.

With the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico choked off for more than a month now, many questions remain in the public square concerning the long-term impacts of the BP oil spill.

Is seafood safe to eat? What are the long-term environmental impacts? When will the deepwater drilling moratorium be lifted? How will local fishermen and business owners be made whole?

Residents of Plaquemines Parish had the opportunity to ask those very questions to a panel of experts Saturday at the Buras Auditorium. Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) hosted the event, titled “Crisis in the Gulf: Louisiana & the Oil Spill.”

Panelists included LSU professor emeritus and environmental expert Ed Overton, BP Mobile Incident Commander Keith Seilhan, Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser, Secretary of Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Robert Barham and Gulf Restoration Network Executive Director Cynthia Sarthou.
Charter Captain Shane Mayfield, who operates Adventure South Guide Service out of Plaquemines Parish, jump started the question-and-answer session with a question about BP’s long-term commitment to the region and its recovery.

“What happens three to five years down the road if the fisheries start to decline or my business starts to decline?” Mayfield asked.

Sarthou affirmed Mayfield’s concern, saying, “There is a significant potential that the damage from the oil and dispersant may not be seen for three to five years.”

In response, Seilhan reassured the panel and the crowd that BP has no plans to abandon the region anytime soon.

“We’re not going to do this as a side business. This will be a core business for BP for years to come,” he said.

Barham, though, juxtaposed Seilhan’s promise of a long-term commitment from BP with the state’s so-far unanswered request for a BP-funded, 20-year seafood testing and marketing plan. Barham emphasized that test after test has indicated that Louisiana seafood is 100 percent safe to eat. But, as Barham put it, “consumability” is not the same as “viability.” Barham pointed to the Exxon Valdez oil spill as an example of what Louisiana needs from BP.
“Exxon funded Alaska for a 20 year study. We’ve got to have a comparable study,” he said.

Talk over a long-term seafood testing and marketing plan for Louisiana seafood has gone on for more than two months. Under the state’s proposed plan, which would total close to $500 million, aggressive seafood testing would result in an official Louisiana seafood certification in the hopes of boosting consumer confidence in the product. The plan would also fund an extensive advertising campaign to help restore the Louisiana seafood brand.
So far, BP has agreed to fund a three year monitoring plan worth $13 million. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal thanked BP for that commitment but said it was only a start.

“This is only a first step and we need the next step to happen in the next days or the next week, not next month or next year,” Jindal said last week. “We have been asking for approval of our comprehensive seafood safety and testing plan for months now and the time to act is now. This is one of the most critical issues facing our state as we work to recover from the effects of this spill.”
In addition to the fishing industry, the current drilling moratorium was a topic of conversation at the Buras forum.

“My concern is that the moratorium is going to have a long term effect on domestic drilling. What’s being done to express urgency to President Obama for lifting the moratorium?” asked Tony Frickey with Venice Port Complex.
Conversation over the moratorium, though, centered on whether oil companies are any more ready now to respond to a massive spill than before April 20, when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded. Seilhan indicated that much has been learned.

“BP feels we’ve learned a lot about coastal protection during an oil spill,” Seilhan said, adding, “We want to get back to work here.”

Seilhan admitted BP has a vested interest in continued oil exploration in the Gulf. BP is the largest investor in Gulf oil exploration and boasts almost double the investment of the next largest company, he said.

Sarthou, though, said she believes resuming drilling now would only confirm for her that the Gulf Coast region is being sacrificed for the energy needs of the country.

“I think we need to take a second look at this. All of their [oil spill response] plans are false. They have not been able to meet any of their promises,” she said.

The crowd answered with resounding applause.

Kindra Arnesen, wife of a commercial fisherman and a local hero of the oil spill response, shifted focus to the environmental damages wrought by the spill.
Arnesen asked Seilhan to explain why more is not being done to retrieve oiled boom that has been pushed into the area’s delicate marshes.

“It’s as simple as a hook and a pole. Drag it out and get it out of my marsh,” she demanded.

Seilhan said he too had noticed the boom in the marsh during a recent aerial tour. He said BP is working to jump start a program that would use helicopters to gently lift boom out of the marsh instead responders in boats dragging it out by hand.

“Our intent is to expedite and get that program moving very quickly,” he said.
Although the forum lasted over an hour, panelists were swarmed afterward with additional questions from the crowd.

Plaquemines elected officials, community members and the Buras fire department gathered to officially celebrate the completion of the Buras firehouse.

Plaquemines Parish officials and Firefighters cut the ribbon on the brand new Buras Fire Department.  The station was completely rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina and is the third of six newly built fire stations to open since 2009.
Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser credited the volunteer firefighters, Fire Coordinator Roy Robichaux, Parish employees, directors, and all those involved for their hard work.

“These fire stations are something we can all be proud of. They are the product of hard work and the determination of many people,” said President Nungesser.

“The ribbon cutting played a major role in the recovery of District 8,” said District 8 Councilwoman Lynda Banta. “With the paid firefighters in place and our dedicated volunteers we will look forward to lower fire insurance and full time fire protection. Thanks to all who attended and all who served and provided refreshments.”

President Nungesser also recognized Herman Schoenberger, who was instrumental in getting the first station built.  A marble plaque, dedicating the original building to him, was salvaged after Katrina and it will be placed on the new building.  Herman’s son Herman “Barney” Schoenberger Jr. and wife JoAnn attended the ribbon cutting.

“Although I didn’t know Herman Schoenberger, it’s a great pleasure to know Barney, who has dedicated his life to Plaquemines Parish as Assessor, State Representative, and Sheriff,” said President Nungesser. “And I thank him for his knowledge, insight, and continued support to rebuild our Parish.” “Barney and his family have been a great asset to us as we move Plaquemines Parish forward.”

Plaquemines Parish also recently received four brand new fire vehicles.  Earlier this year the Parish ordered nine new fire vehicles, paid for by FEMA.  Seven of the nine have been delivered.

Fourth grade students at Belle Chasse Primary School are studying the genre of fairy tales this week. Teachers Marybeth Newchurch, Mona Ragusa, Melissa Andrews and Erin Cossé are helping to bring fairy tales to life for their students. These enthusiastic teachers are building excitement and participation in their reading lessons by dressing as fairy tale characters. The students can’t wait to see what happens when they study fables.

Bishop Wilfret Johnson, pastor of Oakville Missionary Baptist Church and a native of Plaquemines Parish, is one such local hero.  His father was also a pastor of the same church.  In fact, Bishop Johnson’s great-grandfather was the founder of the Oakville community.  Bishop Johnson has always been an advocate for the community and Plaquemines Parish, but he felt a greater calling after Hurricane Katrina.

Bishop Johnson was determined to not only assist his community, but to reach out to the other ministers whose churches, homes and congregations had been destroyed.  He began his mission by developing Churches Helping Churches, an outreach ministry which assists faith based organizations to apply for grants and other funding to rebuild their churches.  He began attending recover meetings throughout the Greater New Orleans area, networking with government officials and meeting with federal government agencies to learn more about the recovery process and the resources available.

This path led him to the Committee for Plaquemines Recovery (CPR), a non-profit organization whose membership includes local community leaders, non-profit agencies and faith based organizations.  Bishop Johnson was drawn to its mission of assisting the residents whose needs could not be met with other resources.  In 2006, he became extremely active as a member of CPR and was quickly voted president of the organization.
During his tenure, Bishop Johnson assisted in the development of the CPR rebuilding initiative, which rebuilds and repairs homes on the east and west banks of the parish.  This program assisted over 150 families and included the purchase of mobile homes.  He coordinated the “Plaquemines Parish Gives Thanks: Thanksgiving Dinner” at Pointe Celeste in 2006, which fed over 600 Plaquemines Parish residents.  He assisted in the “Plaquemines Business is Rising on the River Egg-stravaganza”, which showcased locally owned businesses.  He was called upon by the FEMA’s Voluntary Agencies Department to encourage residents of the Diamond FEMA Trailer Park to evacuate for Hurricanes Gustav and Ike- even giving money to those who needed assistance with evacuating.

Bishop Johnson’s services extend beyond Plaquemines Parish into Cameroon, Africa.  He has been a missionary to that country for 14 years.  He is the co-organizer of the Harvest Children Home, an orphanage built in 2004.  Known to the Kom Tribe as Wain Bobe Aboh, Bishop Johnson was donated land by the tribe’s chief in which he built a medical facility in 2007.  This facility is known as the Yuh Johnson Medical facility.

On June 8, CPR honored Bishop Johnson at their monthly meeting.  He was presented an appreciation plaque by CPR’s new president Benny Puckett and CPR’s vice president Steve Bledsoe.  He remains active as an at large member of the executive board and continues his outreach to other ministers during this oil spill crisis.

The early sunrise departure on July 25, marked the beginning of the annual summer excursion for Our Lady Of Perpetual Help’s Catholic Youth Organization.  Thirty-five CYO members left Belle Chasse at 5 a.m. with their nine adult supervisors, including the church pastor, Fr. Billy O’Riordan. Their destination was set for San Antonio, Texas.

Upon arrival at their hotel, the travelers enjoyed pizza, swimming and games.  In the days to follow, they visited Seaworld, Schlitterbahn Water Park, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas.  One evening found the group testing their skills at putt-putt golf and on the ice skating rink. All who met these young parishioners commented on how well-behaved they were, a tribute to their parents and devoted leaders. As they headed back to Belle Chasse on July 29, memories were shared and friendships were bonded.

The CYO is open to new members; any high school student is welcome.
Contact CYO Coordinator, Mrs. Donna Smith, through the parish office at 394.0314 for more information.

In Plaquemines Parish, the council giveth and the council taketh away.
In its latest move to shake up the parish’s legal team, the Plaquemines Parish Council voted at its July 22 meeting to impose a 20 percent pay cut on the position of lead parish attorney. The salary reduction would drop the parish attorney’s base pay from about $125,000 to $100,000 per year.

The council voted 6-2 to issue the pay cut, with District 4 Councilman Stuart Guey and District 5 Councilman Anthony Buras voting against the measure. District 2 Council Keith Hinkley was absent.

The pay cut comes a year and a half after the council approved a raise for the position in late 2008 from about $70,000 to $125,000. Steve Braud was hired for the position in January 2009.

And in keeping with the back-and-forth battle between the parish council and administration, Parish President Billy Nungesser vetoed the measure last week. Nungesser said in his veto memo to the council that he believed the pay cut amounted to an attempt by the council to squeeze Braud out of the position.

Council Chairman Don Beshel said the council could attempt to override Nungesser’s veto this week during either a special called meeting or its regularly scheduled meeting Aug. 12.

Battle lines drawn
Before the votes were cast July 22, Guey said the pay cut was part of a larger rift between the council and the adminstration.

“One of the things I’ve noticed sitting on this council is that, when we come to these meetings, we pretty much have a battle line set,” Guey said. “We have an attorney on the throne back here behind us who, by the way, is not authorized by the charter. Then on [the other side] we have the administration and on that throne you have their attorneys – two today.”

Guey said, given the current “us-against-them” relationship between the administration and the council, he believes there ought to be equity in the attorneys’ pay. Considering the proposed pay cut, though, he said he finds very little of that.

According to the parish legal department, parish attorney salaries range from about $55,000 to near $90,000, based on experience. The lead parish attorney’s salary, before the pay cut, was just over $125,000 with an added $30,000 per year in benefits.

In contrast, the previous council attorney had a salary near $98,000, Guey said.

“And that’s making an assumption of 40 hours [per week],” he said.
Now, the current council attorney, Robert Barnett, is paid hourly at a rate of $175 per hour. Barnett’s responsibilities with the parish council have been steadily growing since.

Barnett was first hired in April 2009 to represent the council in its charter change dispute. Then, in June 2009, the council expanded Barnett’s duties to cover “such advices it deems necessary.” And when the previous council attorney, Amos Cormier III, was fired, the council made Barnett the official council attorney.

Based on a 40 hour work week, Barnett would make several times more than the lead parish attorney, Guey said. If Barnett worked a 40 hour work week, 50 weeks a year, his pay would approach $350,000. He, of course, has not billed the parish for near that much.

In fact, according to the finance department, Barnett billed the parish for a total of $46,319 for work in 2009, all in conjunction with the charter change case. Barnett has not yet sent the parish a bill for work done in 2010, though he regularly attends council meetings and has represented the council in at least one lawsuit.

Late last week, Barnett did not have immediate access to the number of hours he logs as council attorney and did not offer an estimate.

“It depends on the week,” he said.

With regard to Guey’s comments on his pay, Barnett added, “The representations by Dr. Guey are inaccurate.”

Still, if Barnett worked just 14 hours a week, for 50 weeks, his pay would surpass that of the lead parish attorney at the current salary. If the parish attorney’s salary is reduced to $100,000, Barnett would have to work just over 11 hours a week to surpass the parish attorney’s pay. As of Aug. 6, there was just over $192,000 in the council’s budget for professional services–legal, with an additional $50,000 in the professional services budget, according to the finance department.

“So it sets up an inequity,” Guey said. “Which set of attorneys has the biggest stick?”

In response, Beshel said he believes the council needs a personal attorney to carry out its business.

“If we want to live in a dictatorship – and that’s about what it is, and I hate to say that but that’s how I feel about it – if we want to live like that and just ask the administration what we can and can’t do all the time, it gets to be disgusting,” he said. “We need an attorney to back us up so that we can move forward on plenty things we want to do.”

Beshel then asked Barnett how other parishes handled legal matters.
“You cannot have one attorney representing two entities,” Barnett said. “That would be a horrible conflict of interest. You have to have two. I know of no parish or governing body that has just one.”

But Guey argued that the charter does not allow for the council to retain a general legal counsel. Guey pointed to Section 5.02 of the charter as evidence that all legal work is to be handled by the parish attorney. That section reads, “All legal services for the Parish, the Parish Council, the President, and all other political subdivisions and districts situated within the Parish … shall be performed by the Parish Attorney.”

With regard to the parish council retaining legal counsel, the charter reads, “The Parish Council may by majority vote of its membership employ special counsel for itself.”

“It’s just that the charter is very specific,” Guey said. “The parish attorney handles the parish business. If it’s wrong, do a charter amendment and put it in front of the people. … Let’s do something to change it instead of doing things that are in direct violation.”

Reasons for pay cut
The ordinance to cut the parish attorney’s pay offered no reason for the decrease other than to say “it is the wishes of the Council to decrease the Parish Attorney’s salary from $125,000 to $100,000.”

During the July 22 meeting, District 6 Councilman Burghart Turner said he’s always had a problem with the pay rate.

“They gave that position a $56,000 pay raise [in 2008],” Turner later said. “The pay has always been an issue for me.”

District 3 Councilman Jerry Hodnett, who said the charter is vague about how much time the parish attorney should log, said, “I thought it was too much for a part time position.”

Hodnett said the council is looking at Jefferson Parish’s job description for parish attorney to craft a better job description for Plaquemines Parish’s lead attorney. Even though he voted for the pay cut, Hodnett said he would support a full time parish attorney who would make $150,000 a year.

When later asked whether Braud puts in full time hours, Nungesser responded in the affirmative.

“For all the people in these departments, we take this as a job to do, and we put in the hours to do it,” he said. “I only ask people to do what I do myself.”

The pay cut issue is just the latest chapter in the dispute between the council and administration over legal counsel.

Though Braud began his work as lead parish attorney in January 2009, he was never formally confirmed via council resolution. Even though a majority of council members have stated they knew in late 2008 that Braud was the leading candidate for the position, the state’s legislative auditor has said the council, without passing a resolution, may not have properly approved his employment. A formal resolution to confirm Braud was considered July 8 but failed.

Since then Braud has remained a parish attorney, pending legal advice and an opinion from the Attorney General.

Across Plaquemines Parish neighborhoods gathered to take a stand against crime during National Night Out Against Crime.  Above, the residents of Bradley Place subdivision along with PPSO deputies are pictured celebrating the National Night Out Against Crime on August 3rd. The outing was hosted at the home of Bob and Cheryl Sokol.

“We are using all the material we are dredging beneficially not only to restore our wetlands, but also to protect our marinas and boat harbors by building berms and elevation to knock down storm surge,” said Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser.  “We must protect all of our infrastructure outside the levee system because if we get hit by a hurricane, we will not be reimbursed for the damage to infrastructure outside the levee protection.”

Plaquemines Parish Beneficial Dredging Projects

Beneficial Material Dredge Projects
Awaiting permit to begin five beneficial dredge projects:
•Buras Boat Harbor
•Jefferson Lake Canal
•Venice Marina
•Pointe A La Hache Boat Harbor
•Empire Boat Harbor
FEMA Funded

Fringe Marsh Projects
Awaiting permit to begin eight projects
•Buras (North of Boat Harbor)
•Pointe A La Hache Marina
(Southeast of Beshel’s)
•Wills Point
(Southeast of Belair Pump Station)
•Port Sulphur (North of Martin Lane)
•Port Sulphur (High Ridge Marina)
•Port Sulphur (Civic Drive Boat Launch)
•Port Sulphur
(West of Gainard Woods Pump Station)
•Port Sulphur (Swift Energy Harbor)
CIAP funded $7-9 million

Governor Bobby Jindal, center, along with Parish leaders Billy Nungesser of Plaquemines, right, and Craig Taffaro of St. Bernard, third from left, gathered in support of the quality of Louisiana seafood last week in Venice.

As well kill nears completion, attention begins to turn to recovery.

Reports began to surface Aug. 4: BP’s static kill procedure, aimed at injecting heavy drilling mud and cement into the top of the blown out well, was working as planned. The news came on day 107 of the disaster.

By Friday, the static kill was complete, with the flow of oil totally sealed off.

National Incident Commander Thad Allen, a retired Coast Guard admiral, though, remained steadfast throughout the week that the static kill, no matter how successful in stopping the flow of oil, was not the final solution. For Allen, the ultimate solution is the relief well.

“The static kill is not the end-all-be-all. It is a diagnostic test that will tell us a lot about the integrity of the casing and the well bore. It will tell us about the tolerance for volume and pressure,” Allen said. “But in the long run, drilling into the annulus and into the casing pipe from below, filling that with mud and then filling that with cement, is the only solution to the end of this.”

The so-called bottom kill by way of the relief well could begin late this week.

Feds release oil capture report
News of the encouraging progress at the wellhead last week came the same day the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) released a new study called the “Oil Budget Calculator,” which offered an estimate as to how much oil is still at sea.

The report estimates that about 4.9 million barrels, or 205 million gallons, of oil has been released into the Gulf of Mexico since the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.

Of that oil, “the vast majority of the oil from the BP spill has either evaporated or been burned, skimmed, recovered from the wellhead or dispersed,” according to the report.

In total, NOAA and DOI found that about 33 percent of the oil released has been captured, burned or dispersed. Additionally, a quarter has naturally evaporated or dissolved, while another 16 percent has naturally dispersed, the report said.

The remaining 26 percent of the oil released by the blown out well – potentially 1.3 million barrels of oil – is “either on or just below the surface as residue and weathered tar balls, has washed ashore or been collected from the shore, or is buried in sand and sediments,” according to the report. Even if that is an accurate figure, the 1.3 million barrels remaining in the Gulf is still 1.7 times the Exxon Valdez spill amount.

“Less oil on the surface does not mean that there isn’t oil still in the water column or that our beaches and marshes aren’t still at risk,” Jane Lubchenco, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator, said last week. “Knowing generally what happened to the oil helps us better understand areas of risk and likely impacts.”

Plaquemines Parish leaders agree “mission accomplished” cannot yet be declared. With an estimated 26 percent of the spilled oil still lurking in the Gulf, and with four months of hurricane season left, leaders must remain watchful, Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said.

“It’s more clear to me now than ever, we can’t let our guard down now,” Nungesser said. “We’re in a fight for survival to retain enough assets.”

Throughout the New Orleans metropolitan area, leaders have feared that, when BP successfully seals the well, the company will begin drastically scaling back cleanup operations. Those same leaders are working to ensure that no cleanup equipment leaves the area without their knowledge.

Coastal Zone Management Director PJ Hahn said he’s not sold on the study’s findings.

“I love how that for three months they couldn’t tell you how much oil was coming out and, all of a sudden, they can tell you how much was collected,” said Hahn, “Do I think they collected 75 percent of the oil on top of the water? Sure, maybe that’s accurate. But it doesn’t begin to accound for what’s below the surface.”

“I think there’s a ton of oil still out there, and I know it’s below the surface,” he said.

Leaders press BP for seafood support
With less oil being reported both onshore and offshore, more fishing grounds are reopening around the state.

Late last month, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, in partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, began restoring recreational and commercial fishing in state waters. July 29 brought a massive reopening of commercial fishing areas, with the exception of commercial harvest of crabs and oysters.

And though that’s a welcome development, it also is presenting some challenges for the industry. Many fishermen remain wary of fishing in waters that were potentially impacted by oil. The reopening of fishing grounds also brings renewed concern over the Louisiana seafood brand, which has received a black eye from the nationwide broadcast of oily waters and marshes.

Local elected leaders met in Venice Aug. 2 to push BP officials to approve a seafood marketing and testing plan designed to difuse those fears. The plan was first pitched to BP in late May. More than two months later, state leaders have received no firm response.

The 20 year, $457 million seafood testing and marketing plan would stringently test seafood caught in Louisiana waters and create a Louisiana seafood certification program. It would also fund a short-term and long-term consumer information campaign designed to reestablish the Louisiana brand.

“Given the size and magnitude of the Louisiana seafood industry, and given the generations of work that has been done to build the Louisiana brand, we believe the investment required is not insignificant,” Secretary of Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Robert Barham wrote then-BP CEO Tony Hayward May 29.

Late last week, BP officials reportedly offered to pay for just two years of seafood testing. Nungesser said that’s not enough.

“That’s not acceptable,” Nungesser said. “We need a long term commitment.”

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal last week praised the reopening of recreational and commercial fishing in much of the state, but he added that, to secure the long term viability of the state’s fisheries, consumer confidence must be restored.

“And I think the key to consumer confidence is the comprehensive testing,” Jindal said.