WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner today urged federal authorities to coordinate with emergency preparedness officials in Virginia and other coastal states in the event that the BP oil spill reaches Atlantic coastal areas. Several experts have indicated it is possible that oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill could reach the Gulf Stream and be carried up the Atlantic coast to Virginia.

In a letter sent today to the heads of the relevant federal departments, Senators Webb and Warner and their colleagues asked specifically for:

• Immediate communication with all Atlantic Coast state emergency preparedness agencies to ensure that they can be fully prepared and equipped for the worst case scenario, and

• New science-based, long-term projection models that can help determine the statistical probabilities of oil affecting various parts of the Atlantic Coast.

Webb and Warner were joined on the letter by 20 other senators, including Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Burr (R-NC), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Ted Kaufman (D-DE), Saxby Chambliss (R-SC), Scott Brown (R-MA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Kerry (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Carper (D-DE), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Susan Collins (R-ME), Kay Hagan (D-NC), Jack Reed (D-RI), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Benjamin Cardin (D-MA).

“Our states’ beaches are fully open for the summer season, and at this time, the oil spill does not pose an imminent threat to them,” wrote the senators. “However, the health of our shores is too important to be left to chance – not only are they natural treasures, but they are also how many families in our coastal communities earn a living. They add billions of dollars to our states’ economies, support millions of jobs and bring enjoyment to millions more families from nearby and across the nation. If there is any real risk to these communities from a spill that right now remains thousands of miles away, we need to know as soon as possible. Furthermore, our state agencies that will partner with federal agencies to protect our shores need to be fully prepared with the information and equipment needed to combat the worst case scenario. Such an effort should begin immediately. Thank you for your hard work to protect the Gulf Coast, and we look forward to collaborating with you.”

The text of the letter is below. A PDF copy of the signed letter will be available later today at https://www.warner.senate.gov.

June 10, 2010

Admiral Thad W. Allen
Commandant
United States Coast Guard 2100 Second Street, SW
Washington, DC 20593

The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Secretary
United States Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528

The Honorable Gary Locke
Secretary
United States Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20230

Dear Admiral Allen, Secretary Napolitano, and Secretary Locke:

As United States Senators representing coastal states along the Atlantic seaboard, we are keeping close watch on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, not only so we can help the residents of that region, but also to assess whether the oil and chemical dispersants might affect the beaches and fisheries in our home states. Some widely-viewed but unofficial projections indicate that parts of the spill could get caught in the Loop Current, which would bring the oil up along the East Coast. This outcome is less than a certainty – it may even be highly unlikely. Nevertheless, we have spoken with residents in our coastal communities who are concerned about the oil and chemical dispersants, and these communities should at the very least be fully prepared for the worst case scenario.

To this end, we want the federal government to proactively work to ensure coastal states along the Atlantic seaboard are prepared and to ensure that the public and local governments are given the best science-based information about where the spill might be headed. Specifically, we have two requests:

We ask that the Department of Homeland Security immediately begin coordinating with all state emergency preparedness agencies along the Atlantic Coast, providing full information about how best to prepare for managing an oil spill and ensuring that these states are properly equipped for the worst-case scenario.

We ask that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration begin developing and disseminating official, science-based predictions about the long-term direction of the oil spill and chemical dispersants, that NOAA make frequent updates to these projections and that they be publicly available. We appreciate the current projections NOAA develops and posts on its website, but these estimates are limited to a 72-hour period. We fully understand that projecting the spill’s direction weeks or months in advance is extremely difficult, but it would be helpful to know the statistical probabilities of oil hitting various Atlantic Coast locations.

Our states’ beaches are fully open for the summer season, and at this time, the oil spill does not pose an imminent threat to them. However, the health of our shores is too important to be left to chance – not only are they natural treasures, but they are also how many families in our coastal communities earn a living. They add billions of dollars to our states’ economies, support millions of jobs and bring enjoyment to millions more families from nearby and across the nation. If there is any real risk to these communities from a spill that right now remains thousands of miles away, we need to know as soon as possible. Furthermore, our state agencies that will partner with federal agencies to protect our shores need to be fully prepared with the information and equipment needed to combat the worst case scenario. Such an effort should begin immediately. Thank you for your hard work to protect the Gulf Coast, and we look forward to collaborating with you.

Sincerely,

ROBERT MENENDEZ
BARBARA MIKULSKI
KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND
JIM WEBB
RICHARD BURR
CHARLES SCHUMER
TED KAUFMAN
SAXBY CHAMBLISS
SCOTT BROWN
MARK WARNER
JOHNNY ISAKSON
JEANNE SHAHEEN
JOHN KERRY
SHELDON WHITEHOUSE
TOM CARPER
FRANK LAUTENBERG
CHRISTOPHER DODD
SUSAN COLLINS
KAY HAGAN
JACK REED
OLYMPIA SNOWE
BENJAMIN CARDIN

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