Letter: Sinkhole problem needs resolving

You know what? As a Bayou Corne resident, I personally am sick of seeing our “no-show” governor and our state of Louisiana just sitting back and laying all of this on Texas Brine. There is no doubt in my mind that the cause of all of this is Texas Brine’s failed cavern, but we must all not forget that our very own Louisiana Department of Natural Resources was well aware of this breached cavern back in January 2011 and did nothing about it but slide it under the rug with no monitoring or consideration of potential problems that we are now facing as a result of that lack of action on the part of LDNR under the direction Joe Ball and James Welsh.

Our state can sit back all day every day and hand out mandates and fines to Texas Brine, but the reality is this situation is not getting resolved, and pointing fingers and flexing LDNR’s muscles is not helping the people of the Bayou Corne community, the residents of Assumption Parish or the environment utilized and enjoyed by many residents of Louisiana in general.

The impact of this disaster is not just a local problem. Folks come here from all over to hunt, fish, boat ride, ski, sightsee, camp, eat and buy seafood. People’s health is being affected, whether physical or mental. Livelihoods are affected. Wildlife is affected. Tourism is affected. Culture is affected. And all of that has a direct effect on the state of Louisiana.

If Texas Brine is, for whatever reason, unable to contain and resolve this problem, then it it time for the state of Louisiana to step up and help get this problem resolved and deal with the finger-pointing and recouping of financial losses later. The problem needs to be corrected, and if the state needs to help Texas Brine correct it, then that is what the state needs to do.

It’s our community, and our community is in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s state. Gov. Jindal has to see that this problem is bigger than Texas Brine. Gov. Jindal and the state of Louisiana need to get involved in the repair, rather than just sit back and direct and levy fines. They need to help Texas Brine resolve this problem!

Teleca Donachricha

registered nurse

Bayou Corne

Comments

1) Comment by Rahab - 14/01/2013

I would like y'all to know that some of us up here in Canada are watching, too. This situation is not only a danger to the good people in LA, but I truly believe this is a National AND International DISASTER with implications far beyond our imagination. Bobby Jindal claims to be a Christian, but he has no love for his neighbours. He treats his State that he claims to love as if it were his enemy. But then, the same goes for Obama, who also doesn't care about this State in the Union. If there is anything I can do to help some of you get out of there, PLEASE respond. Because I personally think, that's the only option left. I can't pretend to know what it's like to have to leave the land generations of your kin have been raised on :( But it's to the point, if you don't leave, you will die. Either of slow poisoning or a sudden BOOM. God bless Acadia!!! <3

2) Comment by DMJ - 14/01/2013

The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources exists to protect the producers of resources. They don't work for us. They work for the oil and gas industry. The Dept. of Environmental Equality should have been a watchdog for this kind of thing as well. Unfortunately, in Louisiana, especially during a Republican administration, the DEQ is staffed, intentionally, with people not concerned about the envrionment. Fox guarding the henhouse kind of thing. What did we expect? We've sacrificed our environment to industry. We'll continue to see environmental disasters for decades to come.

3) Comment by postscript56 - 14/01/2013

In the Jindal administration someone else always has to take the fall. Scott Angelle knew this, so he bailed as soon as the news broke. Jindal, who has never taken resonsibility for anything that can possible be viewed negatively, probably thought he was off the hook with Angelle's resignation. Suprise! The problem didn't just go away and now, of course, it's much too late for Jindal to act like he cares, so he just keeps ignoring it. But guess what? Louisianians elected him twice! So everything's good, right?

4) Comment by Bighug - 14/01/2013

And exactly how will that help Jindal's quest for a federal job?