[StBernard] Command Centers for the St. Bernard Parish Oil Response are now operating in Hopedale, Shell Beach & Delacroix

[Westley Annis]

Command Centers for the St. Bernard Parish Oil Response are now operating in
Hopedale, Shell Beach & Delacroix

Oil response training now available to St. Bernard residents only

 

St. Bernard Parish Oil Spill Command Centers responding to the oil spill are
now operating in Shell Beach, Hopedale (Breton Sound Marina) and Delacroix.
A total of 143 vessels deployed from the Command Centers today to locate
boom already placed to ensure it is functioning to keep oil out of the
surrounding waters and marshes. Additionally, three jack-up barges are being
deployed to the areas of Chandeleur Island, Chandeleur Sound and Breton
Sound. These barges will be used as staging areas for oil spill response.
Deepwater boom is being deployed to the area near the Mississippi River-Gulf
Outlet. 6,000 feet of hard boom was received and is being deployed in St.
Bernard.

 

There is a report of sheen at Christmas Gate in St. Bernard waters. The
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will be collecting water samples to
conclude if oil has in fact reached this area.

 

To forward proposals of offers for boom and other products/services, please
forward all information including type of boom, size of boom, availability
of boom, price of boom and any other specifics you have to Jennifer Belsom
at jbelsom at sbpg.net <mailto:jbelsom at sbpg.net> . 

 

FOR ST. BERNARD RESIDENTS ONLY: Oil Spill Response training is now available
to St. Bernard Parish residents ONLY. It is also still available to those
fishermen enrolled in the Vessels of Opportunity Program who have not
finished the training. The fishermen who need to complete their training
will have a priority in seating for these classes. The training is taking
place in the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center Auditorium Grand Ballroom at
8245 W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette. There is limited seating for 200
people in each class, and arrivals to the classes will be accommodated on a
first come, first serve basis. The schedule for this week's classes is: 

 

*         Wednesday May 12: 7:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

*         Thursday May 13: 7:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

*         Friday May 14: There will only be a 7:30 p.m. class

 

The U.S. Small Business Administration has established two Claims Centers in
St. Bernard Parish. They are located at the Breton Sound Marina at 7801
Hopedale Highway and at the Gulf Coast Bank at 1801 East Judge Perez Drive
in Chalmette. Even affected residents who have an active SBA loan should
visit the centers because they may be able to get their loan payments
deferred and receive additional funds from the SBA. It is possible the loan
payments for any additional SBA loans may be deferred until there is a
settlement with BP. For business owners who are unable to visit a center,
they may obtain loan information and application forms by calling SBA's
Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955, or (800) 877-8339 for the hearing
impaired, e-mailing disastercustomerservice at sba.gov
<mailto:disastercustomerservice at sba.gov> , or by visiting SBA's web site at
www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance
<http://www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance> . They may also apply
online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA's secure Web site
at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela <https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela> .

 

BP has set up a claims hotline which commercial fishermen can call to make a
claim. The claim hotline is 1-800-440-0858. There is also a St. Bernard
Parish Deepwater Claims Center established at 1345 Bayou Road at the Rosa
Ducros Tennant Museum in St. Bernard Village. It will be open seven days a
week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. However, anyone who has not called the
1-800-440-0858 claims hotline will not be able to see an adjuster at the
Claims Center. Residents must first obtain a claims number through the
Claims Hotline. The following documents must be brought when reporting to
the Claims Center at Ducros Museum: a legible copy of a valid driver's
license; a valid fishing license; any financial information, such as W-2
forms, trip tickets, receipts, or a letter of income from the ship's captain
with the name of the captain. All fishermen who attempt to access this
program are requested to please call the St. Bernard Parish Emergency
Operations Center at 1-504-278-4268 to report the program's effectiveness. 

 

Additionally, Senator David Vitter's office has set up a toll-free number
for assistance with the BP claims process. That number is 1-866-345-0931.

 

All registered fishermen have been designated into teams and put to work in
their assigned rotations. To become hired by St. Bernard Parish in this
effort, fishermen must be able to prove they are a St. Bernard Parish
resident. There will be no exceptions. Fishermen can sign up to be hired at
the Breton Sound Marina Command Center. All volunteering fishermen must
include the vessel name, owner/captain name, contact phone, email and
address, vessel length, horsepower and draft.

 

Access has been restricted at all three Command Centers. Fishermen are asked
to not report to the launch points without proper authorization. Because St.
Bernard commercial fishermen have been financially impacted by the spill,
St. Bernard is focusing on linking the fishermen with BP's Vessel of
Opportunity program so they will be compensated for their efforts.

 

Members of the press who want to access to any Command Center should call
ahead and receive prior approval from Jennifer Belsom. Belsom can be reached
at 504-444-6249 or jbelsom at sbpg.net <mailto:jbelsom at sbpg.net> .

 

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