House Resolution 145

A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING THE COMMITMENT, DEDICATION, PERSONAL SACRIFICE AND "LABOR OF LOVE" OF EACH STATE AGENCY EMPLOYEE WHO RESPONDED TO, AND CONTINUES TO RESPOND TO, THE IMPACTS OF THE BRITISH PETROLEUM DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL ON THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon oil spill began on April 20, 2010, killing 11 men and setting off a summer of unprecedented response to containment, cleanup and recovery of oil spillage into the Gulf of Mexico; and

WHEREAS, the employees of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, the Mississippi National Guard, the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the State Institutions of Higher Learning, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, the State Department of Health, the Mississippi Department of Human Services, the State Port at Gulfport, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service, the Mississippi Development Authority and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College combined to log in excess of 350,000 man-hours responding to the spills; and

WHEREAS, the response included more than 35 flying sorties to the well site and the patrolling of the beaches and state and federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico that comprised in excess of 1,000 flying hours; and

WHEREAS, more than 75,000 man-hours were spent on diving, collecting and analyzing samples of seafood, soil, wildlife and marsh plants; and

WHEREAS, Mississippi employees and agencies worked and coordinated their hourly activities with agencies from Louisiana and Alabama, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service, other federal agencies and British Petroleum; and

WHEREAS, employees of Mississippi agencies worked closely with local governments, citizens and businesses to help alleviate the social, economic, emotional and physical stresses put on the citizens of Mississippi resulting from the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon oil spill; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize and commend the employees of the State of Mississippi, whose commitment continues as they respond to the impacts of the oil spill and help lead the state to a full recovery:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby recognize and commend the commitment, dedication, personal sacrifice and "labor of love" each employee has demonstrated to their agency, the State of Mississippi and, especially, to the citizens of this great state.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the Executive Director of the Department of Environmental Quality, the Executive Director of the Department of Marine Resources, the State Adjutant General, the Executive Director of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the Commissioner of Higher Education, the Executive Director of the Department of Mental Health, the Executive Director of the Department of Health, the Executive Director of the Department of Human Services, the Executive Director of the State Port Authority, the Executive Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, the Executive Director of the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service, the Executive Director of the Mississippi Development Authority, the President of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.