Mitch Landrieu: “I thank the Senator for that inquiry. As he knows, and I completely agree, more production in the continental United…”

“I thank the Senator for that inquiry. As he knows, and I completely agree, more production in the continental United States and Alaska is definitely a step we should take to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and to increase job opportunities here in our own country. Particularly at this critical time, not only is it part of our overall energy strategy but now it is part of our security strategy for homeland defense and homeland security to reduce our dependence on oil and gas, liquefied natural gas that may come from other sources. We are very proud of the shipbuilding we do in Louisiana and the engineering and the construction of the landforms and infrastructure that make it possible to drill in extraordinary conditions, in very deep water, leaving a minimal footprint. In days past, there were terrible environmental consequences to drilling. We simply did not have the know-how or the technology to handle some of the negative environmental impacts. That has changed dramatically over the last few years. While there is risk associated with every human activity, we have minimized the risk to the environment in tremendous ways. The Senator knows we build some tremendous ships and off- and onshore oil and gas equipment in Louisiana. We agree the production numbers need to get up. For the record, the Senator from Alaska should know that one-fifth of the entire Nation's energy supply depends on LA-1 and its connection to Port Fourchon.”