By Paul Scott Abbott, AJOT Even if tar balls never reach their piers, leaders of ports along the Gulf of Mexico are fearing the worst as a result of the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. Indeed few vessels calling at Gulf ports have had to undergo decontamination in the first two months since the April 20 rig explosion 40 miles off the Louisiana coast and continuing spewing of oil, but that does not mean that the figurative backsplash from the catastrophe on the BP rig isn’t already having serious impacts on port communities. Chett Chiasson, executive director of Port Fourchon, at the southern tip of Louisiana, is among those doing his best to see that the adverse effects upon local and national economies are kept to a minimum. Most Gulf ports are involved in some way in the offshore energy industry, none more than Port Fourchon, which is the service hub for all 33 rigs shut down by the six-month drilling moratorium enacted by the federal government. “It’s difficult to be watching oil washing up on your shores and be asking for more, but we understand the impact this moratorium will be having,” Chiasson told the American Journal of Transportation. Referring to Port Fourchon, Chiasson said, “We stand to lose 50 percent of our business if this moratorium continues.” On June 22, a federal judge in New Orleans issued an injunction against the six-month moratorium, but White House officials immediately responded that the Obama administration would appeal the ruling. Chiasson has met this month in Washington with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and White House staffers in hopes that the moratorium may be reduced to no more than 30 days. “We believe we can shorten this moratorium and do what’s best for our country,” said Chiasson, who is active in the Gulf Economic Survival Team formed under the leadership of Louisiana Lt. Gov. Scott Angelle. The survival team’s message: “The administration’s May 28 order, suspending all existing offshore drilling in depths greater than 500 feet for a minimum of six months, will cause irreparable harm to Louisiana’s energy service industry and drive a stake through the heart of coastal communities already suffering tremendously from the environmental and economic impacts of the BP oil spill.” Rigs that cost between $250,000 and $500,000 a day already have begun moving from the Gulf of Mexico to other parts of the world, including Spain, West Africa, South America and Australia, according to Chiasson. “The problem we’re going to have is that, if in six months we’re told we can drill again, these rigs will not be here to drill,” he said, noting that will result in greater U.S. dependence upon foreign oil and subsequent increases in prices of crude oil and of fuel at America’s pumps. “The cascading impact we’re going to see will be devastating to our national economy,” Chiasson said. “We believe this area of the country is being treated very unfairly by our government,” he added, noting that more than 100,000 Louisiana jobs are tied to the offshore oil and gas industry in the Gulf. Most of those along the Louisiana coast who don’t work in the offshore energy sector are engaged in the seafood industry, which, Chiasson said, will be “decimated for this year and however many more years.” While some of those commercial fishermen have temporarily gained jobs in the cleanup efforts, Chiasson noted that such work is not permanent, commenting, “That’s the double whammy.” Jerry Hoffpauir, executive director of the Port of Morgan City, a Louisiana port that bills itself as the birthplace of the offshore oil exploration industry, also fears long-term repercussions. “The immediate impact will be to commercial fisherman, recreational fisherman, including guide services, and tourism,” Hoffpauir told AJOT. “The environmental impact is, of course, of great concern, and all indications are it does not look good. Our whole ecology system along the coast could be disrupted for years to come. Ag