Sixteen crude-sucking barges are back in the Gulf of Mexico working to clean up oil, but the Coast Guard is defending its decision to ground the vessels because it couldn’t verify whether there were fire extinguishers and life vests on board.
“The Coast Guard is not going to compromise safety … that’s our No. 1 priority,” Coast Guard spokesman Robert Brassel told The Daily Caller.
The decision to ground the ships is under intense scrutiny after Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal expressed his deep frustration with the decision Thursday.
“You got men on the barges in the oil, and they have been told by the Coast Guard, ‘Cease and desist. Stop sucking up that oil,’” Jindal said to ABC News.
Brassel said the barges are now “back in operating order.”
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2010/06/18/coast-guard-defends-grounding-oil-sucking-barges-in-gulf/#ixzz0rEHZZpES
The real reason for the shutdown is that these barges had been hired by the state of Louisiana. As such, they are not subject to a federal rule that requires union workers. So, as a protest, the administration forced the barges to dock and be inspected for life jackets and fire extinguishers. Really? Life jackets and fire extinguishers? Does anyone honestly believe that these barges would have gone to an operation that is gaining world wide attention and forget to bring the life jackets? Please!
