Laila Morcos ABC26 News

June 1, 2010
NEW ORLEANS—
Governor Bobby Jindal and an entourage of local leaders want to know why the federal government isn't forcing BP to pay for pre-approved sand berms.

Just last week, Governor Bobby Jindal says his meeting with President Obama was positive. One of the issues they spoke about -- approval for six sand berms to keep oil from the spill off the state's shoreline. "He said we need to look at this. We have a single criterion. He said if they can show that dredging in at least these six areas, then we should require BP to pay for them," he says.

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Today, though, Jindal wants to know why BP is only being forced to pay for one. "Why wouldn't our federal government help us to force BP as a responsible party pay for all six segments?" Governor Jindal says the positives of building those sand berms far outweigh the negatives. And for him, that's what's even more frustrating. "One of the panelists said, 'Well, what happens if you get oil on the sand? How do you clean the oil out of the sand?' and I said, 'I hope I have that problem. That would be the best problem for us to have in this state.' Because the reality is I'd rather fight this oil on sand than on the wetlands," he says.

"The six which is still short of the 24 we need approved, the six, we have to make BP pay for it. We don't understand it. It's very frustrating that they said they would pay for one and not the other six," says Jefferson Parish Councilman Tom Capella.

More boom is coming into the state. But Jindal says boom isn't the answer to stop the oil. Sand berms are.

Jindal says the government will let them know their decision on dredging the berms within 24 hours.