Reply #29: Help was offered. LA Times, MSNBC, & CNN - Bush waived the Jones Act [View All]

[Duppers]

Did U.S. reject foreign help on gulf oil spill cleanup?
June 25, 2010|By Kathleen Hennessey, Tribune Washington bureau

A handful of critics, led by Republicans in Congress and conservative commentators, has recently blasted the administration as slow to accept equipment and other assistance from foreign countries offering to help with the gulf oil spill cleanup. They've focused their critique on an offer from the Netherlands of oil-skimming booms. Some contend that the administration initially refused that offer and others out of a resistance to waive the Jones Act of 1920 — a law that bars foreign vessels from carrying cargo between points in the U.S. — as President George W. Bush did briefly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The White House, Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen and the State Department have pushed back against the criticism, saying the Jones Act has not impeded the cleanup and foreign assistance has been accepted when needed.

The State Department says the Dutch government and private businesses offered various types of assistance on April 30, 10 days after the explosion. It included proposals to sell equipment as well as offers of technical advice.

Romania, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Britain made similar offers that same day, according to a summary provided by the State Department. The Netherlands' offer consisted of "state-of-the-art skimming arms made by the Dutch company Koseq," said a statement issued by the Dutch Embassy. The Netherlands also offered to help Louisiana build sand berms intended to keep the oil from washing ashore.
...
The offer of skimmers was accepted on May 23, when BP purchased three Koseq sweeping arms. As of June 21, the other Dutch offers were considered "under consideration," and the response team had also accepted aid from Mexico, Canada and Norway.

more: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/25/nation/la-na-jones-actqa-20100625

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State Department: 17 nations have offered help in oil disaster
June 14, 2010 8:06 p.m. EDT

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/14/oil.disaster.foreign.assistance/index.html

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Foreign help on oil spill comes with a price tag
Nearly two dozen nations offer cleanup aid but want to be reimbursed

updated 6/18/2010

WASHINGTON — At least 22 nations — including Britain, where BP is based — have offered oil-collecting skimmers, boom, technical experts and more to help the U.S. cope with its worst-ever environmental disaster. But their generosity comes with a price tag.

The State Department confirmed that nearly every offer of equipment or expertise from a foreign government since the April 20 oil rig explosion would require the U.S. to reimburse that country.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37785640/

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The OP is right.

Shamefully little has been done by BP and the Obama Administration to clean up and contain this Gusher!

The Jones Act be damned in times of urgent and dire disasters.

If trillions were not being spent in the Middle East, would our government not be more likely to spend the funds necessary to save OUR Gulf?

Whose Gulf is more important to this country?