Relatedly, on Monday Secretary Salazar and Secretary Napolitano visited Louisiana to inspect the ongoing federal response to the BP oil spill—accompanied by a bipartisan Senate delegation including Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and Senator David Vitter (R-LA).

In Louisiana, Secretary Salazar and Secretary Napolitano met with Governor Bobby Jindal and local community and industry leaders to discuss the latest response efforts in Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast with federal officials leading the effort as well as BP representatives

They also conducted a flyover tour of the Louisiana coastline to view firsthand the spill’s impact on these vital coastlines, and cleanup efforts underway.

The visit was Secretary Salazar’s seventh and Secretary Napolitano’s fourth visit to the Gulf Coast and the affected area since day one.

Fishery Failure is Determined, Balancing Economic and Public Health Needs

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke determined Monday there has been a fishery disaster in the Gulf of Mexico due to the economic impact on commercial and recreational fisheries from the ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The affected area includes the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

This action was taken because of the potentially significant economic hardship this spill may cause fishermen and the businesses and communities that depend on those fisheries. The disaster determination will help ensure that the Federal government is in a position to mobilize the full range of assistance that fishermen and fishing communities may need.

Locke made the determination under Section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The declaration was made in response to requests from Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour based on the loss of access to many commercial fisheries and the existing and anticipated environmental damage from this unprecedented event