Residents invited to attend open house on oil spill

St. Tammany residents are invited to attend an open house from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday night at Fontainebleau High School, where experts will be available to answer questions and provide information about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Individuals from the U.S. Coast Guard, BP, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency and other state and partner agencies working on the clean-up and response will attend the open house and speak one-on-one with attendees.

“We want to keep the local communities informed with the most accurate and timely information we have,” said Coast Guard Capt. Roger Laferriere, who is serving as the incident commander in this area. “We want to communicate with the public and provide them with first-hand information on the topics that concern them the most.

In addition to answering questions, experts present at Tuesday evening’s open house will provide visual information on the various tools, testing, equipment and tactics being used in the response. Some of the items to be explained include waste remediation, boom, burns, sand berms, skimming and dispersants.

Representatives from the various agencies will also be addressing residents’ concerns about environmental quality, wildlife and safety as well as informing them about resources available to them.

Information about the vessels of opportunity program, supplemental nutrition assistance program and volunteer and employment opportunities will also be provided.

Claims representatives will also be in attendance to address questions or concerns residents may have on that process.

Fontainebleau High School is located at 100 Bulldog Drive, Mandeville.

For those who cannot attend Tuesday evening, information can be obtained and questions answered at the Deepwater Horizon’s Community Liai-son Office in Houma by calling 493-2791 or visiting the Web site at deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.