ST. TAMMANY, La. -- St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis said Wednesday he's willing to be arrested, if that's what it takes to keep oil fighting assets in place.
"I'll go ahead and go on over to the jail, and they can come over and get me," Davis said.
The root of the disagreement is an executive order Kevin Davis issued on July 22. Davis ordered that no oil fighting assets be removed from his parish.
On Aug. 4, the federal on-scene coordinator, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Paul Zukunft, sent a letter to Davis. In that letter, Zukunft urged Davis to rescind that order and wrote, "Interference with personnel acting at the direction of the federal on-scene coordinator is a federal offense."
Zukunft forwarded the letter to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten, which Davis said, he took as a threat.
"After being threatened by the United States Government through the Coast Guard, I'm not willing to release any assets that are fighting oil," Davis said.
Davis said he wants all oil fighting assets to remain in place to protect Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Catherine and Lake Borgne until the end of hurricane season.
Friday at 10:30 p.m., Davis and other parish presidents along with Gov. Bobby Jindal will meet with the Coast Guard admiral.
Davis also learned the Coast Guard will not reimburse St. Tammany for Tyvex environmental suits. The parish bought the suits to protect first responders to a storm who may have to deal with BP oil mixed in with storm waters.
The Coast Guard will also not pay for the environmental teams Davis requested. Davis wanted those teams to go out with first responders because he believes the oil fight is not over.
"To hear them say the oil is gone, they've cleaned it, they've skimmed it, they've burned it, is nonsense," Davis said. "There's over 56 million barrels still unaccounted for, and they don't know where it is, but they're trying to tell the American people that it's all gone, and it's time to go home. I am just so angry that he would write such a letter to me. I have told him that my executive order will continue to stand, and let's see what happens next."
