In Venice, Louisiana President Obama addressed the oil spill situation, but before doing so he discussed the bomb incident in New York.
His remarks in full are as follows:
Good afternoon, everybody. First let me say a few
words about the incident in New York City. I want to commend the work
of the NYPD, the New York Fire Department, and the FBI, which responded
swiftly and aggressively to a dangerous situation. And I also want to
commend the vigilant citizens who noticed this suspicious activity and
reported it to the authorities.
I just got off the phone on the way down here with Mayor Bloomberg
to make sure that state and federal officials are coordinating
effectively. Since last night my national security team has been taking
every step necessary to ensure that our state and local partners have
the full support and cooperation of the federal government. We’re going
to do what’s necessary to protect the American people, to determine who
is behind this potentially deadly act, and to see that justice is done.
And I’m going to continue to monitor the situation closely and do what
it takes at home and abroad to safeguard the security of the American
people.
Now, we just finished a meeting with Admiral Thad Allen, our
National Incident Commander for this spill, as well as Coast Guard
personnel who are leading the response to this crisis. And they gave me
an update on our efforts to stop the BP oil spill and mitigate the
damage.
By the way, I just want to point out, I was told there was
drizzling out here — (laughter) — is this Louisiana drizzle right
here? (Laughter.)
They gave me a sense of how this spill is moving. It is now about
nine miles off the coast of southeastern Louisiana. And by the way, we
had the Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, as well as parish
presidents who were taking part in this meeting, because we want to
emphasize the importance of coordinating between local, state, and
federal officials throughout this process.
Now, I think the American people are now aware, certainly the folks
down in the Gulf are aware, that we’re dealing with a massive and
potentially unprecedented environmental disaster. The oil that is still
leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the
environment of our Gulf states and it could extend for a long time. It
could jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this
place home.
And that’s why the federal government has launched and coordinated an
all-hands-on-deck, relentless response to this crisis from day one.
After the explosion on the drilling rig, it began with an aggressive
search-and-rescue effort to evacuate 115 people, including three badly
injured. And my thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the 11
workers who have not yet
— who have not been found.
When the drill unit sank on Thursday, we immediately and intensely
investigated by remotely operated vehicles the entire 5,000 feet of pipe
that’s on the floor of the ocean. In that process, three leaks were
identified, the most recent coming just last Wednesday evening. As
Admiral Allen and Secretary Napolitano have made clear, we’ve made
preparations from day one to stage equipment for a worse-case scenario.
We immediately set up command center operations here in the Gulf and
coordinated with all state and local governments. And the third breach
was discovered on Wednesday.
We already had by that time in position more than 70 vessels and
hundreds of thousands of feet of boom. And I dispatched the Secretaries
of the Interior and Homeland Security; the Administrator of the EPA,
Lisa Jackson, who is here; my Assistant for Energy and Climate Change
Policy; and the Administrator of NOAA to the Gulf Coast to ensure that
we are doing whatever is required to respond to this event.
So I want to emphasize, from day one we have prepared and planned for
the worst, even as we hoped for the best. And while we have prepared
and reacted aggressively, I’m not going to rest — and none of the
gentlemen and women who are here are going to rest — or be satisfied
until the leak is stopped at the source, the oil on the Gulf is
contained and cleaned up, and the people of this region are able to go
back to their lives and their livelihoods.
Currently, the most advanced technology available is being used to try
and stop a leak that is more than 5,000 feet under the surface. Because
this leak is unique and unprecedented, it could take many days to stop.
That’s why we’re also using every resource available to stop the oil
from coming ashore and mitigating the damage it could cause. And much
of the discussion here at the center was focused on if we, and when we
have to deal with these mitigation efforts.
Thus far, as you can tell, the weather has not been as cooperative as
we’d like on this front. But we’re going to continue to push forward.
I also want to stress that we are working closely with the Gulf states
and local communities to help every American affected by this crisis.
Let me be clear: BP is responsible for this leak; BP will be paying the
bill. But as President of the United States, I’m going to spare no
effort to respond to this crisis for as long as it continues. And we
will spare no resource to clean up whatever damage is caused. And while
there will be time to fully investigate what happened on that rig and
hold responsible parties accountable, our focus now is on a fully
coordinated, relentless response effort to stop the leak and prevent
more damage to the Gulf.
I want to thank the thousands of Americans who’ve been working around
the clock to stop this crisis — whether it’s the brave men and women of
our military, or the local officials who call the Gulf home. They are
doing everything in their power to mitigate this disaster, prevent
damage to our environment, and help our fellow citizens.
During this visit, I am hoping to have the opportunity to speak with
some of the individuals who are directly affected by the disaster. I’ve
heard already that people are, understandably, frustrated and
frightened, especially because the people of this region have been
through worse disasters than anybody should have to bear.
But every American affected by this spill should know this: Your
government will do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to stop
this crisis.
This is one of the richest and most beautiful ecosystems on the planet,
and for centuries its residents have enjoyed and made a living off the
fish that swim in these waters and the wildlife that inhabit these
shores. This is also the heartbeat of the region’s economic life. And
we’re going to do everything in our power to protect our natural
resources, compensate those who have been harmed, rebuild what has been
damaged, and help this region persevere like it has done so many times
before.
That’s a commitment I’m making as President of the United States, and I
know that everybody who works for the federal government feels the exact
same way.
Thank you very much, everybody.