According to Fox news, Foreign companies possessing some of the world’s most advanced oil skimming ships say they are being kept out of efforts to clean up the oil spill in the Gulf because of the Jones Act – But this time not the part that is used so often in Marine Insurance that allows injured seaman to sue, but the protectionist part of the law that requires vessels working in US waters be built in the US and be crewed by US workers.
Joseph Carafano of the Heritage Foundation has been studying the matter and wonders, “Are we accepting all the international assistance in the maritime domain that we can, and is the Jones Act an impediment to that?”
“Some of the best clean up ships – owned by Belgian, Dutch and the Norwegian firms are NOT being used” according to Coast Guard Lt. Commander, Chris O’Neil, because they do not meet “the operational requirements of the Unified Area Command.” One of those operational requirements is that vessels comply with the Jones Act.
"Yes, it does apply,” said O’Neil, “I have heard no discussions of waivers.”
Congress waived this part of the law after Katrina… is it time for another waiver?
For the full article go to http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/06/10/jones-act-slowing-oil-spill-cleanup/?test=latestnews
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