VENICE, La., June 2 (Reuters) - The White House on Wednesday approved the construction of five sand berms that BP Plc will build to shield the Louisiana coast from damage from a giant oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana's governor said.
'We have just received word from the White House that they are going to require BP to fund the five remaining segments,' Governor Bobby Jindal said at a news conference.
The Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers have already approved construction of one dredged sand segment, and the White House action allows five others, Jindal said.
Jindal has heaped criticism on BP and President Barack Obama over the past few days, accusing both parties of responding too slowly to a slick that has damaged over 100 miles (160 km) of Louisiana's fragile coastline.
'Our federal government does not need to be making excuses for BP,' Jindal said at the news conference, only moments before he received word that the White House had approved the berm construction. 'Every day they wait, every day they make us wait, we're losing our battle to protect our coast.'
(Reporting by Ed Stoddard; editing by Mohammad Zargham) Keywords: OIL SPILL/LOUISIANA (chris.baltimore@thomsonreuters.com; +1 713 210 8500; Reuters Messaging: chris.baltimore.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
'We have just received word from the White House that they are going to require BP to fund the five remaining segments,' Governor Bobby Jindal said at a news conference.
The Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers have already approved construction of one dredged sand segment, and the White House action allows five others, Jindal said.
Jindal has heaped criticism on BP and President Barack Obama over the past few days, accusing both parties of responding too slowly to a slick that has damaged over 100 miles (160 km) of Louisiana's fragile coastline.
'Our federal government does not need to be making excuses for BP,' Jindal said at the news conference, only moments before he received word that the White House had approved the berm construction. 'Every day they wait, every day they make us wait, we're losing our battle to protect our coast.'
(Reporting by Ed Stoddard; editing by Mohammad Zargham) Keywords: OIL SPILL/LOUISIANA (chris.baltimore@thomsonreuters.com; +1 713 210 8500; Reuters Messaging: chris.baltimore.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.