Biden visits Gulf for spill briefing

Watson led a tour of the command center, including “the bullpen,” where more than 100 BP and government officials are organized by specialized unit.



”I don’t think the American people have any idea” how many resources are being used to fight the spill, Biden said, according to the pool report.



During the visit, Jindal challenged the federal government to step up its response to the spill. He is asking BP to fund a $400 million program to revamp fisheries and test seafood for contamination for 20 years.



“Our message to BP is that the cost of this program is just a fraction of the damages that could be caused if we don’t do this,” he said.



According to Jindal, heavy patches of oil were spotted Monday about three miles offshore from Grand Isle.



“We didn’t see one vessel out there trying to capture that oil. We need to have a greater sense of urgency. They need to treat this like the war that it is,” he said.



Jindal also asked for permits from the Army Corps of Engineers to allow Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle to build rock dams blocking oil from five passes into the fishery Caminada Bay.