Lafayette—Lt. Governor Scott Angelle met
with almost 300 attendees Thursday to discuss
the impact of the federal offshore drilling
moratorium at the general membership meeting
of the Acadiana Regional Alliance (ARA) which
was held at the Petroleum Club of Lafayette. 
The lt. governor also reported on his recent
meetings in Washington, D.C. with U.S.
Department of Interior Ken Salazar and other
administration officials regarding the
moratorium.  

He explained, “Yesterday, we brought a
delegation of Louisianans; made up of small
business owners, local officials, economist
Dr. Loren Scott and others; to help make
clear that this six month moratorium will
impact all of Louisiana, not just the oil and
gas industry.  It will hit retailers, car
dealers, local governments—everyone.  The
federal government needs to increase the
resources and expedite the inspection process
to limit the amount of time these rigs are
not operational and to prevent these
companies from leaving the Gulf for good.” 
 

During the meetings, Secretary Salazar did
not indicate if there would be a reduction in
the duration of the moratorium at this time. 
However, the lt. governor knows the meetings
broadened the federal officials’
understanding of the complexities and impact
of the moratorium on the state. 

In responding to the news that BP has
committed funds to assist laid-off offshore
workers, Angelle commented, “That may be
helpful, but our workers don’t want to walk
to the mailbox for a check.  They want to
work for their income.”  

ARA Chair Janet Faulk, of the New Iberia
Chamber of Commerce, commented, “This
moratorium is detrimental to the families and
economy of Acadiana.  We have to follow the
lt. governor’s lead and work together as a
region very aggressively to make sure the
president understands this and reduces the
time of the moratorium.”
   
The Acadiana Regional Alliance is a community
of parishes united to promote the interests
of the Acadiana region on various topics
which affect the business environment.  ARA
identifies issues and develops initiatives to
address the needs of the region while working
closely with local, state and federal
officials in advocating for these
initiatives.  For more information, visit
www.acadianaregionalalliance.com.