John B. Breaux: “First, I'd like to thank Senator Hollings and Senator Gregg for all of their help over the last four years in trying to…”

“First, I'd like to thank Senator Hollings and Senator Gregg for all of their help over the last four years in trying to establish a strong NOAA presence in Lafayette, Louisiana. Their efforts are most appreciated by me and by the State of Louisiana. Many of my colleagues may not realize that Congress appropriated close to $14 million in the 1991 Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill to build a much needed multi-agency, federal laboratory in Lafayette for the study of coastal problems in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. While the building was completed long ago, it is still eighty percent vacant because of a political disagreement. Report language was included in 1995 C,J,S appropriations report that NOAA says prevents it from ever occupying or using these state-of-the-art facilities. I have worked since 1998 to remove this restriction with little success. In the intervening years, the problems in the Gulf of Mexico originally identified for study at this facility have grown progressively worse and are having greater and greater negative impacts on Louisiana and the nation. Our wetlands continue to disappear, many important marsh lands have mysteriously died, and the size of the so-called 'Dead Zone' has grown to 8,000 square miles. With over 3 million acres, Louisiana is home to 40% of the coastal wetlands in the United States and is experiencing over 80% of the nation's wetlands loss. Our state is losing 25-35 square miles of coastal wetlands per year.”