in each of those uses. those levels are much higher than the levels under any other circumstance you would imagine wouldn't end up in the flesh of the fish. it is true, in the case of dos, in particular, as a starting place, we are looking to see whether we want to confirm, in a definitive study, what we already believe that what we know the answer to, that it is not likely to buy a concentrate. as dr. margolis put forward a minute ago, the study is just underway but the preliminary confirmation is suggested that they will not buy a concentrate. it is a reasonable question to ask if we can look at the other

components, and i think that is something we ought to do. >> just so i can understand, so right now, in the part of the gulf that has been reopened for fishing, you have ok'd the consumption of that food, those fish. even though you have not completed testing on at the component parts of corexit, with the belief that it does not accumulate in the fish at a level that would pose a danger to the public as they consume that fish. is that correct? >> is correct to an extent, but what i would like to clarify is that we are doing some analysis of the fish. this is through the sensory testing that i explained, that i

mentioned earlier period to give you an understanding there, these are experts who are trained. i think there is a misunderstanding by many about the nature of this test. quite frankly, these are people who go through significant training. not everyone of them can get through that training and demonstrate the skills to be able to pick up different odors. but what we -- the panels that we have in place in and the gulf coast now are truly expert. they have been calibrated against a standard of seawater oil and a dispersant that was collected at the oil site so that they can detect that combined odor. there were also calibrated specifically against the odor of dispersant, which has a much milder older, but still deductible. so the standards we are using for the reopening of the waters have been run through this

analysis. we recognize that there is more comfort in having a chemical test, and that is the reason that we have engaged with noaa in the chemical test for the cost component. -- dos component. again, i do not want to suggest that we lightly came to the conclusion that the components of corexit are unlikely to accumulate, and if they did, are nontoxic. there is an extensive body of science around all of these components which fda has looked into. as we have said, and made in public statements, we are confident that based on the current science, the likelihood for by a concentration in dish

is very low, and should it occur, the toxicity of those components would be very low. the studies that we are talking about are really there because of the unprecedented nature of this spill. we want to assure the public that we have a test, but we do not believe that there is any risk to the fish as a result of the fish that are already on the market. >> in the same letter, fda stated that it refers -- it defers to epa to determine if oil and revenues can accumulate in a product, plant and eggs. can oil and dispersant by a concentration in and fish eggs? -- bio-concentrate in and fish eggs? >> the consistency of the oil

can allow oil, in principle, to enter into fat tissues and potentially enter those biological systems. all of the models that we have done on the dispersants would suggest that we would not see the dispersant and into and accumulating or magnifying in a way that oilcan. >> is it possible that a fish may be caught and kept clean in the adult issues, but contain eggs that have high levels of these toxic chemicals? >> i am not aware of a mechanism by which that could occur. >> do you believe it could occur? >> no, i am not aware of a mechanism by which it could occur. >> do you believe that testing on eggs meant for human consumption could be performed to ensure that all products on the market for demons are safe.

? should testing on eggs meant for human consumption be performed to ensure that all fish products on the market are safe? >> i would defer to my fda colleagues on that. i would have to say that a more data that we have, the more sampling that we have to verify this is always good. we need to rely on the data and data needs to drive us. >> have been the fda and noaa assure us that fish that were located in oil waters and contaminated with toxic chemicals have not been swimming to areas that have been cleared for fishing? >> the presumption here is that the fish is guilty until proven

innocent, so to speak. when they do their sampling, you do not assume that it is clear. you assume that it has to pass the tasting test, and all the of the passes those, does it go to the -- only when it passes those does it go to the laboratory for chemical tests. in the case here, we would take that into account. however, to be on the safe side , as there is a 5 mile buffer between the area where it would be open and where it would not be closed in the first place, and where oil has appeared. >> are you right now engaging in

intensive testing where the oil is still present in large quantities? are you doing testing there? >> of the testing of the fish is being done in areas where the oil is no longer present. it is in the areas where oil was either at never present or areas where it has not been present for some time. then they do the sampling. every sample has turned out to be negative. we have not detected any ph levels in at the fish. >> i am going to use a hypothetical, and i do not know how accurate is, but let us use it as a hypothetical, that the bluefin tuna, which is ultimately caught off of new england, spawns down in the gulf of mexico. let us say for the sake of

discussion, and only for the sake of the discussion, that some of that spawning is going on right now inside of the much more oil the area of the gulf. we know that those fish are ultimately going to migrate up off the coast of new england. what is the testing for that fish or other dish that is going on inside of the oil area that will ensure that it is safe when it finally reaches the part of the ocean where that this or any fish is caught? >> i will defer that question to experts that can answer that better than i can. >> is there someone here who can do that for us? can you move up to the microphone please and identify yourself?

.> i am john l. gramm we do not have a person from the fisheries service here. we had one witness, but we can get those answers to you. >> i think that is an important issue. >> yes. >> to be resolved in people's minds, because it just seems to you know, to summon the things about the fishing industry, that these are not stationary or territory of -- or territorial entities in many instances. we see sharks up and down the coast of new england and they do not seem to limit themselves to a 5 mile radius.

to say do not worry about it a few miles further away, the sharks only stay within a 5 mile radius, does not seem as though that would be the kind of warning that the public would think was a sufficient in order to guarantee the safety of their families. so, i think this is important information for us to have, and the more that it can be put in very simple terms for the public debt the better i think it will be for the fishing industry and -- for the public, the better i think that it will be for the fishing industry and for the public. >> i would does like to respond to that on that. i think there are several answers to that question, or several pieces to the answer to that question. noaa testing has included testing outside of the closed areas, and the purpose of that testing was to look for whether or not, first of all, to determine whether or not to the closures were insufficiently

protected. the 5 mile buffer zone that we put around, we believe is sufficiently protected. testing was performed outside of the area in which closures were. beyond that, both noaa and fda have done it market sampling. this was-that was appropriately harvested in open waters -- this was fish that was appropriately harvested in open waters. we believe we would have picked up indications of a fish that had higher than expected levels. especially for fin fish, they cleared the toxins from the body very rapidly. a fish that is contaminated in the gulf making it up to new england is highly improbable.

we do not believe that is something consumers should be worried about. >> are you actually testing for that, though, given the unprecedented underwater experiment that we are experiencing? >> we are testing a product that has been commercially harvested in the gulf and that is currently being marketed. we are testing that product, and again, it is not showing levels above the levels that were there before the spill occurred. we believe that the fish coming out of the gulf do not have levels that are of concern. is the fda monitoring seafood recovered from the gulf for the presence of heavy metals? >> we are not, know. but there is a noaa program called a muscle watch program,

misnomerbit of an th because it is not monitoring muscles, it is monitoring oysters. those that are most likely to hang onto that within their flesh and the species most likely to buy a concentrate -- bio-concentrate. this program has been in place for decades in the gulf and has been very solid nationwide. we have a solid background level to know what the level of these contaminants are, including any of the heavy metals, for example, that you would be concerned about. >> are you monitoring for it right now? >> i would defer to noaa to answer what has been done on this. fda is not, but noaa has a good

central program. >> it is my understanding the compounds like mercury, arsenic, and other heavy metals that are present in crude oil have the ability to accumulate in and the tissue of fish at levels that may cause harm, particularly to pregnant women and children. as the fda corpus -- has the fda exam and seafood for the presence of a metals? >> as part of the muscle watch program in the area. again, i am going to defer to my colleagues to answer that correctly. we will get back to you with an answer for that. >> so, back every year at fda, you do not screened for -- back over here at fda, you do not screen of for heavy metals, but

you believe that noaa does. >> i do not want to speak for them, but i believe they have collected a sample. the results are not yet back. we do not have an analysis of them. we do not expect to see an increase based on this bill, but certainly the result will be confirmatory of that. >> i wrote a letter to the fda on this issue of heavy metals six weeks ago and i have yet to receive an answer. >> i apologize for that, mr. chairman. i would be happy to respond to those questions at this time. >> i would not have asked the question if i did not believe it was important. heavy metals obviously have a danger attached to them. as a regulatory black hole been created today between the fda and noaa in terms of knowing

what the response is to testing for having metals ended this dish, that we know can accumulate in at this fish -- testing for heavy metals in that this fish, that we know can accumulate in this disfish. when can i expect a response from the fda? >> in a matter of days. >> let me move on to the fda and noaa. you have agreed on a protocol to examine when closed waters can be reopened.

the protocol relies heavily on surveillance, test and sampling that generate data about the concentration of particular of contaminants found in seafood. it is my understanding that there have been fishery reopenings in state waters within 3 miles of the coastline of louisiana and mississippi. noaa and fda have access to the data that is used to drive reopening decisions within state waters within 3 miles of coastline of louisiana and alabama? >> the answer is yes. the protocol that was developed jointly by fda, epa and noaa, along with the five gulf coast

states, calls for the states to provide that data to fda and noaa. for reopening purposes, the states are acting under their own authority, as i think you know. >> what role does the fda and noaa have in the opening and closing of state waters? >> when the state has made a decision that they would like to reopen a portion of their waters for a particular fishery, of for example, for finned fish or for shrimp, they develop a sampling protocol or plan that identifies how many of the species and where they're going to be located that they intend to collect. the fda and noaa . review that proposal and either concur with it or make recommendations for changes. they then go out and collect

samples and submit them to the laboratory where the sensory testing that i described a minute ago is performed. if the sample passes the sensory testing, then it is submitted to a chemical laboratory. this is where the samples split. if it is federal waters, which is not the question you raised, then the sample would go to laboratory.a if it is a state sample, then it would go to a state laboratory that we have under contract. that is where we perform the analysis that we devise with dhs. >> can the fda and noaa state

unequivocally that fish caught in a the state waters are safe to eat? can you state that unequivocal lly? >> fda has expressed comments in a fish that are commercially marketed from the gulf -- has expressed confidence in the fish that are commercially marketed from the gulf coast. we are aware of the state of the oiling in that area, and we are aware of the results of the analytical tests before the water is reopened by the state. so yes, we are able to vouch for the safety of those fish with respect to the contamination from the spill. >> doctor, do you agree with that? do you agree that the federal government is able to vouch

unequivocally that the fish caught in state waters are safe to eat, as well as federal waters? >> i would say that the fish caught is meeting all of the standards that were developed by the fda. >> what about non-commercial fishing. recreational fishing is a major tourism sector in the gulf. can we ensure that those fish are safe to eat as well? >> fda is not directly responsible for recreational catch, but i can tell you that the state exorcises that control, except in federal waters. the states have implemented closures for recreational catch

that mirror the closures they have for commercial catch. the safety of the recreational that should be at the same level as commercial. >> with regard to the use of dispersants, a doctor from the natural resources defense council said in her testimony that it would be unwise to draw conclusions about the safety of this unprecedented application of chemical dispersants from two laboratory experiments and field observations. do you agree or disagree with that statement? >> i think it is important to follow the data. what that means is that we look at the data and what the data tells us, but never remain satisfied.

that is why we have an ongoing monitoring program. that is why we will always continue to ask the tough questions. that is why we are looking to have an ongoing, long-term research plan so that we do understand not only the current situation but the long-term effects. >> thank you. mr. kramer,phhs are one of the most concerning compounds present in oil because of their significant health impacts. however, these compounds are also very quickly metabolized in aquatics species, particularly in certain types of fish. it is my understanding that they are often metabolized into products that are often retained in the flesh and can be more toxic than apparent compound. in an of market surveillance, is the fda's monitoring the

metabolized levels of phhs into the test? >> it is my understanding that we are looking for specific phh s, and not a metabolized version. i think the short answer is no. >> i would like to add to the point of clarification. to clarify on the metabolite issue, we have an engaging some experts in academia to discuss and assist with this. i of been speaking with some people l.s.u. about their experiences with this. i do want to add that today we

have not found any level -- in fact, almost every test that we have conducted on the fish and shrimp that have been collected to date, has been completely- below our limited detection -- has been completely negative, mellow our limit of detection. >> -- below our limit of detection. >> i think that is important for people. i would recommend that you do some testing there. and think it is important for people to know that inside the oil barrier you are also doing testing. people will be concerned that there will be migration outside of that oil area subsequently, especially if the fish move to areas where there are traditionally cost that might not be in that area, that might be next month, or the month

after. i think it would be very helpful if you would do some of that testing as well, does so we can see what happens in the most concentrated area, as opposed to where you are now testing. i think that is important information. i think that is important in relation going forward, long term. we should know what happened to the fish where the oil is most dense at this time. >> just one more point of clarification on this point, which is very well taken, and your point on heavy metals. we are also engaging with nih and other scientists to develop long-term toxicity studies. i think those are incredibly important in terms of looking at the potential for accumulation of heavy metals and toxicity that may derive from that. again, i would add that we

think the surveillance through the muscle what program is incredibly important first line of defense, but there are active discussions about long-term toxicity studies, and we will be engaging in these studies for years to come. >> again, i think it would be important to begin those studies right now by going to the most potentially toxic areas and finding the samples now that are then used as your base line. i think that, long term, that is going to be something people which is they're insignificant quantities in order to match that against what is found from the periphery. i would recommend to you that you do that. let me ask the question again. do you plan to test for metabolites? >> i think this is part of our ongoing discussion with nih. in fact, there is a meeting happening right now with several of the agencies and long-term

toxicity studies, and the design of those is one of the points under discussion. >> thank you. mr. kramer, there has been much criticism of the seafood sampling plan, particularly about the method of risk assessment. it is my understanding that the level of contamination with pah 's , which is considered safe does not taken too vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children, and this is because the assumptions within the plan calculates safe levels based on an average adult male body weight of 176 pounds. has the fda produced guidelines to ensure that children and pregnant women are adequately protected from contaminants that may be present in the seafood? the short response to that

thehat' we believe that levels of concern that we established for the reopening are quite conservative and will be sufficiently protective for all populations. we also acknowledge that these are valuable comments, and we are committed to looking again at the calculation of the levels of concern to make any judgments about whether we need to modify the levels that we have established for the reopening. i would like to point out that, again, as we have mentioned before, at the levels that we are finding in fish flesh are essentially at levels that they would have been at before the

spill. whether or not the values will change, we are not seeing levels that should be of concern for children or pregnant women. >> i appreciate the conclusion which you have reached, but as you know, for 100 years, almost all research was done on the prototypical 176 pound male. only in the 1990's, under pressure from the women's movement, did independent research that dealt with the unique nature of women and children began to be introduced. the fact that the classic 176 pound male is still used here is something that i think you should be examined in terms of whether or not that is sufficient to deal with the more vulnerable populations which are women and children in this particular instance. the extrapolation of all of

these lessons is something that i think is probably now updated, and this may be one of the last remaining models that continues to stay on the books as the exclusive means by which such a measurement is made of the risk to human beings. mr. kramer, an analytical test indicates that contaminated seafood has been found that was harvested from open waters, how does noaa communicate this to fda, and what is the feedback methods to stop others from fishing in a the same place? >> we have communications at the number of levels, so we communicate at the senior leadership level. we communicate through the national incident command process. we also communicate on multiple

daily calls between all three agencies at the staff, scientific and technical levels. any one of those routes could be used to move that information. fortunately, we have not had to deal with that information yet, but if it were to occur, we would immediately investigate. that investigation would be to look at the analytical results confirm that they in fact show that the product is what fda would call adulterated, and if we found that it did reach that level of concern, either we or the state would act through our authority to remove that product from the market. also, to reevaluate the adequacy of the closure that is in place. >> thank you. doctor, last friday admiral allen issued a directive for a

coordinated integrated system of pollution monitoring, involving federal, state and academic modemonitoring efforts to detect remaining oil in the gulf. can you tell us about this directive and why it was necessary at this time? was this coordination not occurring over the past four months? >> the coronation in terms of tracking the subsurface oil has been happening since the beginning of this bill. -- of the spill. early on, we went out and made arrangements with experts who are experts in a well blowout at carson university. they provided us information about how the oil would act. we also made arrangements with a place that has a subsurface model that allowed us to track the oil. we now have our own models

tracking it as well. tied in with all of the detailed sampling that is being done. i think that the directive -- other independent groups and agencies have been doing it, and i think the idea is to bring them all together. >> are using this is nothing more than a continuation of what was going on -- are you saying that this is nothing more than a continuation of what was going on all along? >> i think that what the admiral is stressing is that we are focusing now on the subsurface oil with the service problem being removed. we can bring in extra resources to do that. many people i know of who were doing the surface trajectory are now being transferred to work on the subsurface trajectory. i think it is safe to say that it is a redirection as the problem has evolved.

i would leave it at that. >> thank you. what do we know about the dispersed oil and dispersant that is on the ocean floor? what species are affected there, and how does that impact the food chain? doctor? >> i think you ask an extremely important question. there are issues that we are looking to, in real time, develop research plant in the immediate and longer-term to fully understand what the oil is doing. i do refer back to the opening statements about, we are not detecting the dispersants in any concentrations within the limits of our methods of detection. we are not seeing threats from

those substances. >> are you saying you're not seeing dispersant and oil collecting on the ocean floor at this time? >> in the thousands of samples that have been run, we are not detecting dispersants. we're not detecting the dispersant constituents on the ocean floor at this time. we had one hit that was referred to at epa from epa testing, but the question that you asked about the ocean floor having oil, we have seen reports in the media talking about oil and the ocean floor. this is something that as we look to ensure we understand the long-term effects, this is exactly what of the questions that we need to investigate and find out, either confirm or

disprove the presence of this oil. also coming to understand the impact of this oil. >> thank you. why do we not do this? why do not hear from -- why do we not hear from each one of you in the reverse order of your opening testimony, so that you can tell us what it is that you want the american public to understand about the state of the gulf of mexico at this particular point in time? we will begin with you doctor. >> thank you very much. i think the single message that administrator jackson has sent is that we need to be vigilant on understanding what the nature of the problems are, the immediate term, and the long

term. monitoring is crucial. this crisis is not over. monitoring will continue. work will continue. research will continue into the long term. getting better understanding not only for our decisions, but to make sure we get it to the american public as quickly as possible, is one of our primary in accomplishing our mission of human health and the environment. >> thank you for their work on this issue. mr. kramer. >> thank you. the question that we are very often asked in fda is, what should a consumer do to make sure that their next meal of cold seafood is safe? ulf seafood is it safe?

the answer is that they do not need to do anything. that is the job of fda. and we are confident in the the program that the fda has put together. we are confident that the consumer is sufficiently protected and that they need not take any steps to protect themselves from the seafood. it is essentially at the same level of safety that it was before this bill. having said that, we recognize that this "-- before this spill. having said that, we recognize that this is an unprecedented event. looking at the long-term safety of this source of food is something that we cannot overlook. i think we have mentioned here a few ideas of things that we do need to look at into long-term studies, the development of methods that can detect contaminant that we presently cannot detect.

we think those are positive steps toward providing further assurance to the public. >> thank you very much. dr.. >> before i get to my closing, i want to get to one thing. a good scientist -- in a good scientist, but perhaps a bad impromptu speaker, one of the things you brought up was the involvement of independent scientists. independent scientists, very qualified scientists will be reviewing the data. the field of science is so small that we could have a meeting in a ballroom and still have plenty of room to dance. we would have some of the biggest names in the the field for both review and development. i want to stress that because there are people who are --

there are people who are dealing with their first big spell and perhaps do not have -- big spill and perhaps do not have the background in this area. phase, andning a new all the agencies will be involved in this. i would like to think that when we went to develop our tools, but in terms of the flow rate calculations and in terms of other calculations, we went out to independent academics and other experts. in many cases, they were not being paid any compensation. i have not yet had a single instance where any of those people have refused to work on data projects and the requests that we have done. there is a silver lining in of the terrible event of the spill, it is the steps that the

american people are willing to volunteer their efforts from the highest expertise level to the people going out and cleaning up the beaches. such tragedies do bring out the best in our country, and i think that is something that should be more brought forward perhaps. >> thank you. thank you to all of you for your work. the point that i was making earlier was that in terms of the study that was released last week, first, you gave the answer. now, you're going to be showing your work, but in a peer- reviewed way. that is the opposite of the way in which a study of that magnitude would be released. all i am saying is that given the way that this has unfolded,

it is important that everyone, including independent scientists, who may not have participated in your creation of these models, can see the assumptions upon which they were based now, given the fact that the peer review is going on right now. but the science experiment in the gulf of mexico is occurring in real time. so that there can be a real capacity to have all questions asked and answered, not months from now, as part of a boring, academic exercise sometime next year, but right now, when concern is at its highest. so again, i make my request again to you that you provide that information to independent scientists who are not part of

that study so that there can be a fresh set of eyes and minds that are applied to it, because the consequences are great if you are wrong. if you are wrong, the consequences could be great. so, let's just error on the side of safety. let us have that information be given to the rest of the scientific community, given the way in which that record was put together. we thank you. again, in no way do we want to say anything that we thank you for the work which you have done thus far. it is exceedingly a difficult working environment. it is unprecedented in what has occurred in the gulf of mexico. we have this hearing principally because the public has a right to know that there should not be a six week period, a month and

have. period in which congress has not been working on this issue, given the right of the public to be protected in all aspects. again, thank you, and we ask that you make yourself available to return again to answer additional questions, because this is something that, obviously, is going to affect the gulf of mexico for months and years to come. we appreciate your contributions. thank you. before we hear from our next set of witnesses, for the record, the subcommittee invited the louisiana department of wildlife and fisheries to participate in this hearing. the louisiana department of wildlife and fisheries makes the decisions regarding opening or closing of fisheries in state waters affected by the spill,

and has them working in consultation with the fda regarding opening and closing of fisheries. although nobody from the department was able to attend, the louisiana department of wildlife and fisheries submitted a statement for the record, which i ask unanimous consent to move into the record at this time. without objection, so ordered. i would also like to move into the record a statement from the center for science in the public interest. without objection, so ordered. we will now move to hear from our witnesses, and we ask those witnesses, please move up to the witness table.

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>> welcome back to the subcommittee on energy and the environment. let me begin by making a unanimous consent request that all members be allowed to submit statements for the record, and many questions which they would like to submit to the witnesses who are testifying here today. without objection, so ordered. our next witness is dr. ian macdonald. dr. mcdonald is a professional -- a professor of oceanography at florida state university. he uses satellite technology to locate natural oil releases on the ocean surface. thank you for coming dr. mcdonald. whenever you feel comfortable, please begin. >> i am a professor of oceanography at florida state

university, but today i am here of my own accord. i have 30 years of professional and private experience travelling around, cruising on, diving to the bottom of the gulf of mexico, and i deeply and fiercely loved this ocean and its people. i thank you for your exemplary service during this catastrophe. i would like to comment briefly with a critique on the noaa report that we discussed earlier. i feel that this report was misleading. although it was done by very competent scientists, without any side station to the scientific literature -- and a citation to the scientific literature, it is impossible for someone reading this report to check the numbers that are there, and we have concern about those numbers. as i think you very ably

demonstrated in your examination, we really can only account for 10% of the oil that was discharged, the four 0.1 million barrels their discharge, but to burning and scanning. the balance of the oil that may have been in the environment, there may be 10% that evaporated into the atmosphere, but the balance is still in the ocean. the question as, how does the partition that was done, the separation into categories that was done by the oil budget, is really pretty theoretical at this point. there are findings that come out and i think will be called into question. there are five times the number of barrels released as or in the exxon valdez disaster. this oil is going to be very

resistant to a further by a degradation. it is going to be in our environment for a long time. i think that the imprint of the bp release, the discharge carlo will be detectable in the gulf of mexico for the -- the discharge, will be detectable in the gulf of mexico for the rest of my life. it is not going away very quickly. i would also like to comment on an aspect of this bill that has not seeped -- aspect of the spill that has not received a lot of attention, and that is the methane gas that has been released. we know that the well was very rich in gas. we have good numbers on that from the flow rate technical group. if we take those numbers, in units of mass equivalents or barrels of oil equivalent, it

turns out that the oil plus the gas is equal to 1.5 times the oil alone. in other words, if there are 4.1 barrels of oil released, the actual discharge is in excess of 6 million barrels when you combine the gas. some of debts, much of this, still remains in the ocean. i would contend that for the purposes of the oil pollution act, this followed should be included in our assessment of how far this spill when down. -- went down. and would also like to comment on the so-called resilience of the gulf of a mexico. there has been a massive dose of hydrocarbons in the gulf of mexico ecosystem. there's been talk about the resilience of the gulf of mexico. might concern is not about a

wholesale die off, but for a depression, a decrease in the productivity and the biodiversity in the ecosystem. this might be, if we had a 10% decrease, this might be very difficult to demonstrate scientifically. it might be even harder to prove in a court of law. nonetheless, if we sustain this impact over a number of years, it would be as severe effect. my greatest concern is that some of the damage may be so severe that we may have a tipping point effect that will overwhelm the resilience of the ecosystem. this unfortunately has been the case in the sound that was affected by the exxon valdez spill. i have drafted as part of my submission here a list of species that i think we should be watching closely. these include some of the big species, the shrimp, the tuna and so forth.

they also include more humble members of the ecosystem such as the lawyer crabs, clams that are so abundant on the beaches. we need to be watching populations through time, not just next year, but for years to come. may take several years to notice the impact. a healthy environment has to support the species. if we watch those species, we will know how the gulf is doing. is my time up? >> yes, but you will have time during question and answer period to elaborate. our next witness is the president and sole owner of dina blanchard seafood -- dean blanchard seafood, the largest dockside shrimp a broker in the united states and the third largest in the world. thank you for coming. whenever you feel ready, please

begin. >> thank you for having this. i want to say that i visit your state regularly, and reminds me of grand isle. we are here to talk about seafood safety, and we have a few concerns. basically, i have taken a moment to outline a few of my concerns. as an independent seafood owner , is the seafood product is put onto the market that is later determined to have made the consumer ill because of oil and your dispersants -- and/or a dispersant contamination, the will be the responsible party? of that is our major concern right now because we are having a problem getting liability insurance. i am responsible for moving about 300 million pounds of shrimp, and i have never seen

anyone get sick. pretty much everyone in the seafood business is born and raised in it. not just decide one day i am going to be a seafood guy. we have good people in our business, and we know the shrimp. i am hoping that will keep the public's faith. i will not but nothing on the market that i will not eat myself. i tried to stop eating shrimp, and i felt like i was going to die. i had to start eating it again. i have a feeling that if i get sued, i am going to be the one paying the bill. is another concern that we have , commercial fishermen have to fill up their boats, by ice and

salt and all. they are afraid the open waters will be closed once more, or that they will find contaminated seafood and they will have to dispose of it. it is difficult for an out of work fishermen to pay for these expenses without a confidence in the government keeps opening and closing. without that confidence, and bp's press release says that virtually all the recoverable oil has been recovered. if you want to catch oil right now, you can get oil. you want to get good trip, you can catch that too. . .

we in the seafood industry have very little trust in the gulf. when i try to sell seafood i say that the government did thousands of tests and everything is all right. they said, is that the same government that said only 1,000 barrels a day was leaking out the well? i said, well, it's the same

government but a different branch. you know, that's some of the problems we have. you know, we appreciate the help of people like you maybe we can get down to the bottom of it. i firmly believe that all the seafood i've seen so far is safe. i eat seafood probably six, seven times a week. i haven't had any problems with the seafood. so we -- you know, we've opened the doors. the government is do the right thing trying to make sure everybody is safe and maybe we can all get through this one day. thank you. >> thank you, mr. blanchard, and thank you very much for being here today. our next witness is mr. acy cooper jr. he is a fisherman from plaquerman parish and part of

the louisiana shrimper -- plaquemines parish and part of the louisiana shrimper association. thank you for being here, mr. cooper. whenever you're ready, beginning. >> yeah, i'd like to talk about the damages that's done to our community. this oil spill, we have oil on the bottom. >> mr. cooper, move that microphone in a little bit. thank you. >> all right. this oil spill is on the bottom of our waterways. we have reports of numerous fish kills. everybody says it's not there. we know it's there. i worked in one part of this particular bay for two months and we wear hazmat suits, we wear gloves. they said oil is not there. when they got rid of me, the last day working for b.p., i saw oil at the bottom. i reported it to the coast guard, reported it to b.p.

brought them out there, showed them it was there. this has catastrophic effects on our community, our industry, our way of life. we don't need to let this lay because b.p. is trying to get out of here now. if we let them leave now we are going to be in deep trouble. everybody says it's over. in a perfect world it would be. right now as you've seen this morning, 90% of the oil is still there and that's one thing we're definitely scared of. the places that we do have that's clean, we know it's clean. like dean was just stating, we don't know if we can fish there anymore. the thing is we monitor fish areas. let us work in the fish areas where it's clean. where it's not clean, we just stay away from it. our fishermen will not come in and sell anything that's bad.

we make sure that what we put on the market is good. that's one of the main things we discussed. we have meetings on our own and we do discuss this. now, we need to make sure that b.p. stays in place for as long as they need to be because we see right now they are trying to move out and they are trying to go. we don't need to let them leave now. finish the job they started. they did it. they need to clean it up. like dean said, we get somebody sick, it's going to come back on us. the process of having a sign, we were saying that -- open areas in the marshes. they got our waiver saying we caught them in open marsh. now, who are we going to make and hold responsible for that? is b.p. going to step up and be responsible for what we have to do? who signs for us? so we are -- we can't even make

any money. august 16, the season, i went out. i normally catch a couple thousand pounds. i caught 500 pounds of shrimp at $1.25. the same shrimp last season was around $2.25. then it went down $1. now if i can't get the price of my shrimp and i can't catch them, how am i going to survive? i've been doing this for 35 years. my father is 74 years old. he still does it. my sons do it. hopefully their sons will do it. hopefully. i don't see any future in it. with the prices and everything that's going on now, we may not have a future. who's going to be liable for that? b.p. needs to step up and make sure they pay us for what they've done, keep this industry going. one link is broke in this chain and we lose our industry. this is something we've been doing all our lives. who do we go to then?

i want to make sure they understand that. we are not happy with what's going on right now. they say the oil is gone. it's not gone. it's on fire. we can take and show you. i brought the coast guard, i brought b.p. and showed them. the oil comes up. so as you heard today, they said 75% was gone before. 90% still there. and it's going to come to our shores eventually somewhere. if not louisiana somewhere else. thank you. >> thank you, mr. cooper. just so you know, the reason that we're having this hearing is that b.p. knows that we're not going away. we're going to stay on them until they do the job. we know that b.p. did not stand for be prepared right from the very first day when they said there was 1,000 barrels per day all the way until today. they never had a plan to put in

place to deal with something like this. and we just can't allow them to believe that the coast is clear , that they can retreat without having to pay for everything that -- >> let me say one more thing. in the area, you heard them talking about five-mile bumpers. the season was open in that area. this last -- the 16th. it was open where i found the oil at. then they talk about a tradeoff. tradeoff for the dispersents. and the only tradeoff they feel they gave to is our industry because when you sink it like that we can't see it coming in. our shrimp, fish, they're all bottom feeders. that's where it went, to the bottom. so it's deeply concerning to us what is on the bottoms. >> thank you. mr. cooper. now we'll hear from mr. mike

voisin. voisin. he's the chief executive officer of motivatit seafoods, an oyster processing plant in humana, louisiana, a family-owned business. the voisin family has been involved in the seafood business since 1770. mr. voisin serves on the louisiana wildlife and fisheries commission, the louisiana oyster dealers association and the louisiana oyster task force. we welcome you, mr. voisin. >> thank you, mr. chairman. and good afternoon. the opportunity to come before you is a pleasure today. and thank you for this opportunity. >> may i also say that in congress there are two places that everyone thinks has a very funny accent and one of them is louisiana and the other one is from boston. so this is a gathering of

those. the other 48 states, they all think they speak plain english but we know our accents are the authentic ones. so welcome. >> thank you, mr. chairman. our company has an oyster farm in south louisiana which surprises about 10,000 acres of water bottoms. we produce anywhere from 45 million to 75 million individual oysters annually. on the bottom we have two to three-year classes of oysters or 135 million to 225 million oysters at the water bottom anytifmente you mentioned my relationship of the wildlife and fisheries association of louisiana. louisiana is second only to alaska in total seafood landings. in 2008 our commercial fishermen harvested 1.25 billion pounds of seafood which represented nearly $665 million in value. meanwhile, $3.2 -- 3.2

recreational fishermen took to the water completing a total of 24 million fishing trips. the deepwater horizon oil spill is clearly an ecological and human tragedy that will surely affect not only the fragile happen tats where fish and shellfish are harvested but the very core of the community that brings these iconic del cassies of the gulf to the -- del icacies from the waters of the gulf to the tables of america. the gulf community is one built not only on the bounty of pure waters but on the backs of small business men and women whose families, -- we worked with other groups who the environmental protection agency as well. we strongly supported the precautionary closures at the outset of this tragic event in order for consumers to get

seafood maintained with the quality and safety that's expected in the gulf of mexico. now as we did then we supported regulators as they reopen those same waters and continue their ongoing efforts to protect consumers. we agree that closing harvest waters which could be exposed to oil was the best way to protect the public because this prevented potentially contaminated seafood from entering the marketplace. closures made with the intent to ensure seafood was the safe as possible were balanced with not closing any fishing areas unnecessarily. and as a testament to that system, we know now that no contaminated product has made its way into the market. waters are reopened only when oil from the spill is no longer present and the seafood samples from the area successfully pass chemical testing. century analysis testing is heavily established, verifiable and highly scientific is a

scientific way to detect contamination. that testing continues aggressively as well. in fact, f.d.a. has collected 5,658 specimens. and noaa -- as well as noaa. they have been 100 to 1,000 times below the threshold levels for any marge ip of safety -- margin of safety relating to any human concern. the gulf seafood industry applauds the administration for taking the lead on the coordination of the comprehensive, multi-agency response. and we appreciate the collaborative leadership of noaa, the e.p.a., including the louisiana health of holts. we appreciate them working with the federal government and we're confident that any every necessary step is ensuring to make sure the continued safety of seafood source from the gulf after thousands of fests, the public should not be concerned about the seafood safety of gulf seafood.

we've seen all the media reports which stand in contrast to all the federal and state testing we have seen. it's clull critical to the gulf seafood community that a consistent and precise message continues to be delivered to the consumers who may unnecessarily shy away from this otherwise very healthy product. the gulf of mexico has 600,000 square surmass miles of water. during the 100 days or so of this event, the mississippi river carried 1,600,000,000,000 gallons-plus in that gulf of mexico. we know it's 5,000 feet deep. probably more like 10,000 to 13,000 feet deep. there's a lot of water out there. we, of course, responded with doctors, m.d.'s and we've spoken to scientists. we've educated ourselves and understand that the demom strabble risk from dispersent is negligentable. and we hope further studies will be able to help consumers better understand that

challenge. i'd like to thank you and the administration for all the efforts that you're putting forth to make sure that we continue to do the right things relating to this seafood concern. thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you, mr. voisin, very much. and we thank the members from the louisiana delegation, mr. melancon and mr. scalise for their work in helping to make sure that we keep b.p. accountable and the government accountable to ensure that the innocent victims of this continue to be protected. our next witness is dr. lisa suatoni. she is a senior scientist in the oceans program at the natural resources defense council. she earned her ph.d. in -- from

yale university. we welcome you, dr. suatoni. >> thank you. thank you for this opportunity to testify. mr. charron, community communications -- mr. chairman, recent communications have been optimistic. we're hearing the pieces of the puzzle are falling together. the picture depicts it better than many of us feared and that we have turned the corner. however, previous experience from other oil spills tells us that we are only the beginning stages of this event. from an ecological perspective. that the story is necessarily complex. and many unanswered questions remain. in my testimony today, i will focus on throw recent actions from the federal government that have raised concerns. first, the tradeoff associated with the use of dispersents. as we heard from dr. onassis today, a recent tockscal study

on the dispersent corexit. that corexit had much lower toxicity from oil itself and that the mixture had equal toxicity to the oil, at least to tegs species. however, with the re-- to test species. however, with the release of these findings, the federal government concluded that the picture was clear, that the use of corexit was an important tool in this response. while attempting to conclude that the use of disperseants was a wise conclusion, we think it's premature. we think it is unwise to use, to form that conclusion on the basis of two tocks -- toxilogical studies. as you pointed out, you raised many important additional

questions today and there are additional ones too. what portion of the oil that would otherwise ended up on the coast didn't because of the use of dispersents? -- dispersant disperseants? is it involving ecosystems deep or shallow? is it more able to get in the food chain than the oil alone? is it getting into the food chain? is it possible for the disperseant to biomagnify in the food chain? these are all outstanding questions. it is clear that the use of chemical disperseants is a tradeoff but not at all clear that we understand what tradeoff we've made. on the remaining oil in the environment, we've already heard a critique from dr. macdonald about the oil budget.

and we know that 90% is not there is misleading. because of the uncertainty associated with the biodegradation of the oil, we don't know how much oil remains in the environment. this needs to be directly measured. if you do a more direct interpretation of the federal oil budget it reveals that 50% of the oil may remain in the environment. that is over 100 million gallons or nine times the exxon valdez oil spill. that is a lot of oil. in addition, the federal oil budget appears to be a preliminary budget that was perhaps prematurely released. it was released before peer review. it was released without any discussion of the precisions associated with those estimates. it is a partial tally of the hydrocarbons in the environment. again, as we've heard today, it didn't contain methane, which

scientists believe comprised half of the total hydrocarbons that went into the environment. and it was a partial analysis of the fate of the oil. for example, it didn't provide estimates of how much oil went into an oil slick or what proportion of the oil made it to the coast or what proportion of the oil is now on the sea floor. as presented, the federal oil budget was a partial snapshot of the oil in time. it doesn't directly where the oil was, where it is going and how long it will remain in the environment and, of course, it didn't address the ecological impacts. to fully understand the risk of the remaining oil or the impact to the environment, this picture needs to be filled out and the oil budget needs to be refined. relating to the safety of seafood. recent statements from the federal government made today, in fact, assure americans that

the open fishing grounds and the seafood in markets have no oil in them and present no health hazard whatsoever. again, many important questions remain. my colleague, dr. gina solomon, who is in the health program at nrdc, highlites three primary concerns that we have. first, much of the data on contamination of the gulf seafood are not publicly available, so scientists cannot independently review the findings. noaa has released data on fewer than 100 of the samples of the thousands that they say they have. and only on two, not shrimp. second, the seafood monitoring that is currently being done may not be adequate in terms of sample size and in terms of failure to monitor heavy metals, which you discussed today, and the disperseants. third, assumptions used in the f.d.a. risk assessment fail to

adequately account for exposure to polycyclic air matic hydrocarbons to vulnerable populations, such as developing fetus, young children and subcystens fishing communities. and that is because of the questions you raised about the weight of adult males. in conclusion, the gulf oil disaster represents the -- is the largest oil spill in u.s. history. we understand that the government wants to turn the corner and wants to signal that the gulf is on its way to recovery. however, the facts simply do not bear that out. there is still a huge amount of oil in the environment no matter how you interpret the federal oil budget, everyone agrees with that. it does a disservice to the gulf region and to the public at large to diminish the problems that this oil presents

to the health of americans and the ecosystems of the gulf of mexico. the government needs to take the time to do careful study, to assess the fate and the effects of this spill and greater transparencies warranted. in the end, we believe that this followthrough is the only thing that will keep this catastrophe from being such a big disaster. >> thank you, doctor, very much. now we'll turn to questions from the committee. i'll begin with you, dr. macdonald. i think there is a lot of concern about how far the oil and methane from the spill has spread in the gulf. how long it will remain and what harm it could cause? i know these questions are areas of active research for you and for the broader academic community.

can you give us a brief overview of what academic scientists are finding in that regard? >> well, this week and today, in fact, we've seen the release of a number of careful studies. one by the university of south florida from research ship, a careful study of the oil budget at the scientist at the university of georgia at athens. and today, a release of a major paper by richard cully and colleagues. these reports collectively show different aspects of the spread of the oil and its related compounds that raised major concerns. the committee report documents the -- and this is the best science i've seen yet out of this report, out of this process, the committee report documents the spread of compounds called b-tex and

these are the polycyclic hydrocarbons. and these are the most toxic components of the oil. and they track a very large plume of this material spreading to the south and the southwest of the spill. now, i will note that in that report they document that some 6% to 7% -- i believe those numbers are correct -- of the b-t erving x released from the well was record in that plume. this was reported at 100 meters. if it is a tracer and entrained to these deep-water lares that suggests we don't know -- layers that suggests we don't know what happened to the balance. in fact, the upper layers of the ocean, including the surface of the ocean, may have received a bigger dose of oil than we're presently -- than were presently worried about.

the oil spread over an area of many thousands of square kilometers. and as it degraded, as it sank it rained down particles of oil. and this became more concentrated as it reached the coast so we now have a very widespread of oil that's scattered in layers. that's what the findings were the weatherburg document said. they took core samples going toward panama city and they found oil everywhere. sampling with the core, it suggests you are very unlucky or there's a lot of oil at the bottom. and george said he confirmed many points that had been made in this hearing. >> ok. great, thank you. while this hearing was ongoing, the woods hall ocean graphic institute -- oceanographic institute released a study. it's a snap shop from the middle of june and what they found was a plume of oil from the well, at least 22 miles

long, 1.2 miles wide and 650 feet hiatt a depth of 3,000 feet below the surface -- high at a depth of 3,000 feet below the surface. and contrary to a budget report saying that dispersed oil is biodegrading quickly, they found that microbes is degrading the plume slowly in the words of woods hall. that means that the oil is persisting for longer periods than expected. they don't know how toxic it is or if if poses a threat. and unlike other retches, they didn't find severe -- researches, they didn't find severe dead zones. their use of an old lab-based

technique rather than the use of modern sensors which can give oxygen readings that are too employee when the sensors are coated with oil. so i just wanted to put that on the record. mr. cooper, how many years have you been on shrimping? >> 35 years. >> now, have you been out shrimping recently? >> yes. on the 16th of august it opened up. i went that day. >> did you find anything different or unusual in terms of the waters or the shrimp? >> no, not in the area we went which we didn't have a concentrated amount of shrimp. no, at that point i didn't have enough shrimp. it wasn't there. >> dr. suatoni, would you like to comment on that in terms of long-term impact?

>> well, we are concerned about the shrimp in parts of the subsurface of the oil. as dr. cooper said, there is oil present in open ground and there may be more exposure. the marine do not process polycyclic hydrocash ons as well as other fish. >> would you like to comment on it? >> well, i think the survival of the gulf seafood industry requires a survival of the seafood. and we have to be concerned. i mean, this is one fishing trip and i'm sure you've gone out, mr. cooper, and not caught as many fish as you would. >> correct. >> so this one event doesn't tell us the whole story. but the fishermen, however healthy the seafood is, they can't catch it because there's been a loss of some classes, then all of the protection and

the vigilance of the f.d.a. is not going to sustain the gulf seafood industry because they won't be there. so that's not concern. >> mr. cooper, are you going to go out shrimping soon? >> yes, sir. >> what is your plan? >> when i am home i will be back in the water. >> great. now, mr. cooper, are you convinced there is no oil in the areas opened to shrimping? >> like i told you earlier, one spot where i did find the oil, a five-mile bumper zone. that's somewhere i found oil in. >> is there any way that noaa or the f.d.a. can be sure there is no oil in the water where shrimping is taking place? >> well, i found last day i was working with b.p., i worked two months in the same area, and just so happened one of my last days that i worked we found it. i called the coast guard and b.p. and had them come out there and i had to bring it to my attention. the coast guard wouldn't come. i called one in the bay and showed him.

so i went to a town hall meeting and i brought it before them and invited them all come to see what i found and they did come. the commander of the coast guard and b.p. came with me and i did show them in this bay disturbed bottom and the oil comes to the top. they said it is unrecoverable oil. >> people raising concerns about the quality of seafood simply want to continue to collect checks from b.p.. can you -- >> no. >> can you deal with that issue for us just so we can understand what is going on down in the gulf in terms of the relationship with this program to pay the fishermen who needs to be paid -- >> well -- >> again, an incentive to get back out there and everything is ok, so how should we be viewing this tension? >> well, i told b.p. from the very beginning that they were

going about it the wrong way. what we asked them to do is to help the fishermen and give them an incentive to go back fishing. if they let the fishermen fish, even if they go further away from their home, even if they have to go to different fishing grounds, well, pay them for that. give them an incentive to go for that. that would have kept the market going, you know, but b.p. took the approach that they were going to do a p.r. program and put all the shrimpers to work for them. but in my opinion b.p. never tried to pick up the oil. they have never tried to pick up the oil. they -- i talked to countless boats, hundreds of boats that said they found oil, contacted b.p. and b.p. told them not to try to pick it up and go the other way. you know, and this -- it's been going on for hundred-some days. >> why do you think it was the way? >> it's cheaper to sink it. out of sight and out of mind, that's the approach that b.p.

took. but as far as going back to seafood tested, all the seafood right now is probably being tested more than any other product in the world, you know? i don't believe beef or pork or any seafood in the world, we get seafood from foreign countries that personally i wouldn't eat. it's personally being grown in a sewer and the f.d.a. checks 1% to 2% of it and out of the 1%, 2% they check, 40% of it, 60% is no good. it's rejected. so, you know, that's one thing i wanted to bring on. all the seafood right now is being tested more than any -- probably any product in the world. so hopefully they are doing their job and they're doing it right. what i'd like to see is for one time before i die is somebody that works for the government be held accountable for something. whoever is testing it, whatever agency is testing it, they ought to come out and give us a paper and say we guarantee this product is good.

and if something goes wrong they be held accountable, not us? >> well, you know that's why we're having this hearing. you know that's what is happening here today. we're sending a very strong signal to those who are responsible that -- >> well, that's what i like to see. >> they are representing -- >> well -- >> that this is safe. yes. >> i think if they would be held accountable people would have more trust in the government agencies. but, you know, there's certain government agencies that's responsible for this oil spill, well, nobody is being held accountable. >> well, we're going along, beginning with the mineral management and that's -- a lot of people -- there are a lot of people there who are going to be made accountable. and we are going to move through this entire process. we are not going away. we are going to make sure that all of the lessons that can be extracted from what happened are learned and implemented in

order to protect the public. mr. cooper, in your testimony, you indicated that b.p. required you to wear a hazmat suit when you went out into the waters. how long ago was that? >> oh, let me go -- two weeks ago. >> now, you're being told to head back out into the same waters without any additional protection, is that correct? >> that's very troubling. yes, it is. >> do you think that you're being asked to work in an unsafe environment? >> not necessarily. some of the areas didn't have the oil. so i don't see in those areas it is unsafe. but in some of the areas, yes, it is unsafe. if they make us wear hazmat suits and have training, how can you send our fishermen back out again? speaking about the program, some of these guys had to take these jobs instead of not fishing. i know there is controversy in

louisiana. a lot of them want to go back to work. we have limited areas to fish. they want to stop the blue program, they're working with b.p. and put them back in the waters and they can go to work. but they're playing as low as price, we're paying few high prices. we don't have the area to work. so these guys have to do it. open and closing of the season, they pretty much had to do what they had to do. if it means going out there and work for b.p. to make a living, well, so be it. that's what they had to do. >> in your testimony you indicated a smaller than normal size catch this week. have you noticed any other changes to the shrimp or to the fish, the color, the size, the spots, the smells? >> not in this area, no, sir. >> ok. >> this area was a clean area. >> thank you. >> mr. voisin, would you like to inject your thoughts at this point? >> thank you, mr. chairman. i just want to say that there

are two small areas in south louisiana that have build oil and that's the area where mr. cooper harvests and where mr. blanchard has his docks. and we have 7,500 miles of shoreline in south louisiana. if you go and out of every bayou and lake, only 400 miles of those were oiled. it is where mr. blanchard and mr. cooper are located. seafood throughout louisiana is safe, it is wholesome. and while there can be questions raised -- >> you're saying that the seafood which is being sold are safe but there are many areas where it was caught and sold it would not be safe, is that what you're saying? >> no. >> all seafood caught anywhere off of the coastline of louisiana is now safe, is that what you're saying? >> all of the seafood caught off the coastline of louisiana

is now safe and it's put into the commercial market, yes, sir. there's 87% of our state is currently open to the harvested seafood. that occurred last weekend as a result of the intensive testing and protocols. and i know we talked a lot about protocols today and about the disperseant testing and oil testing. looking at the risk assessment based on the proast owe call, mr. chairman, i -- protocols, mr. chairman, i took a look at it. in terms of oysters, they -- oysters are consumed at about a quarter of a pound per capita consumption. in the risk assessment, they used a number between nine and 10 pounds per cap can consumption -- capita consumption. and they said exposure of five years. they're exceeding the per capita consumption by 40 times and the exposure by five years and they're looking at the risk

of illness at one in 10,000 which is traditionally looked at one in either 100,000 or one in a million. so that's being magnified significantly. and we're meeting by 100 to 1,000-fold all of the criteria in the reopening protocalls. >> i just wanted to again clarify, you're not representing in the areas the federal waters that's now closed that it's safe to eat the fish that's caught in those areas? >> i did not say that, sir. >> you're not saying that. >> in the open waters where fish are being harvested and commercially sold, i would feed it to my kids, my wife and we do eat it often, yes, sir. >> but in those other areas, you would not need that fish to your family, in the waters that are now closed? >> in the waters that are

closed we can't. so the bottom line is that as they do the reopening, go through the protocols, absolutely i would feed that to my family. >> let me come back to you, mr. cooper. can you give us a comment and then you, mr. blanchard? >> would i eat the shrimp, i have been eating them. not in the areas that are closed, no. the ones i caught i did eat. i will eat them. >> mr. blanchard? >> i'd definitely eat them. i don't think if there's a difference of what's opened and what's closed. >> ok. great. dr. macdonald, could you comment here on -- and divide the question here for us in terms of what you believe is safe and what is not safe and how the american people should be dealing with this. >> well, i would certainly eat them too. perhaps i can have the occasion sometime. i will say that my concern remains that productivity, not the safety. i think that we have to have a

productive gulf. the 350-mile statistic is heartening, that it could have been worse. as you move offshore you get a lot of areas that have oil at the bottom further out. as you go to the east we see a lot of oil. off mississippi, off alabama and florida, my state. in those areas when people go offshore and take samples they're finding this buried oil and they're finding it in the beaches and the marshes. and that 350 miles did get a lot of marsh, did get a lot. and the edges of these marshes where the marsh grasses were oiled. my concern is that, you know, if it dies back 10% or 5% that opens up, that die lates these channels. that makes them -- dilates these channels. that means the loss of wetteland is greater. -- wetland is greater. we have a tremendous amount of work to do to restore the gulf of mexico.

we had a lot to do before all this. and now we have a whole bunch more. so my concern is the ecosystem and the productivity. i believe in the fishermen and the f.d.a. and protecting our safety. >> dr. suatoni, you heard the comments on in question. can you add yours as well? >> i would like to emphasize, building on what dr. macdonald said, but building that long-term monitoring is imperative. what we learned from the exxon valdez spill the oil that went into low oxygen zones was in a full toxic form for decades. anytime it gets disturbed or rains it seep into the environment. and these near coastal fisheries, i think it's important that they continue to monitor to the exposure of p.h.c.'s and metals. >> was there anything that was

of concern to you that you heard on the opening panel? from the government officials, what is it that stuck out that you think needs more attention? >> a few things stook out -- stuck out. one was that there are only now developing tests to examine whether or not disperse disperseants bioaccumulates. -- dispersents bioaccumulates. another thing that you know we are concerned about is that the risk assessment used by the f.d.a. is not adequately conservative for specific vulnerable populations. it was reassuring to hear that they opened to reconsidering that margin of safety. and i would say with regard to seafood safety, those were the two primary concerns.

>> was there any concern, mr. voisin, that you heard in the opening of testimony that you would like us to continue to focus on? >> thank you, mr. chairman. i stated earlier in response to dr. suatoni -- is that how you say it, suatoni -- thank you -- that i feel that it is much more conservative than there should be any concerns related to. i think they have gone way beyond what would be conservative to the end degree and i described that a moment ago in my answer to you. >> even though you heard concerns about heavy metals and other issues that you -- that is not of concern to you? >> having spent countless hours talking to ph.d.'s as well as doctors relating to this and

the me metabolization, i think there is no concern relating to those, although we should be concerned. the -- >> even though there had never been any study in this subject, you are not concerned? >> no, sir. >> do you have concerns, mr. macdonald? >> regarding the government report? >> about any aspect of this, including the testing for heavy metals and the other issues that seem to still be unresolved? >> yes. my concern is for the coastal and marine system in the gulf of mexico. i'm concerned that i have not yet heard from noaa their plan for monitoring the continued health of this ecosystem. and i think that when we look at the oil spill budget it's unmistakable that an enormous dose of oil was given and really putting it simply mother nature is being made to clean up our big mess.

and i think mother nature suffers for it. i think that we need to endow a permanent fund for the restoration, the understanding and the sustenance of the gulf coast marine and ecosystem. i don't hear that coming from noaa and i'd like to hear that. >> ok. great. mr. blanchard, mr. cooper, mr. melancon, everyone wants the gulf seafood industry to rebound from the b.p. disaster. your city -- your industry did not cause this mess. your industry, your business and livelihoods were harmed by the spill. what would each of you ask the federal government to do to help establish the safety of gulf seafood and to help reassure the consuming public

about the safety of gulf seafood? you heard the question that i posed to the government panel that appeared here earlier about the need for additional tests to be done to help address some of the issues that have not yet been definitively addressed such as the metabolytes of the oil, heavy metals and long-term impact that this disaster could have on the quality and productivity of seafood in the gulf. do you agree that those should be priorities and what other issues would you like the government to address? >> well, what i didn't like what i heard about the government is they looked like they were checking the open places. if it would be me i'd go to the worse place and check that first and then see what i'm looking a every time you listen to the government they say we just checked the open place. well, why don't we check the

closed place and see why it's closed? nobody seems to be checking that. >> you know, i call them -- this just happened in some hundred-some days. we paid $488,000 in bills and i received $165,000 in payments from b.p. and, you know, i heard the president say he wasn't going to let our cash flow be interrupted. but if i don't have $325,000 to pay my bills i'm out of business. you know why nobody holding b.p. accountable what they've done to us. >> this committee wants to work with you, mr. blanchard. we want to make sure that b.p. stand for bills paid. >> that sounds better.

>> let's make sure your bills are paid but other peoples' bills too. >> thank you very much. >> mr. cooper. >> long-term testing and don't forget about it. and another issue what's going on in the gulf now about the vessel opportunity. they're trying to make the money we made working with b.p. off our claims and that's not fair for the fishermen that went out there and did the job. we were cleaning their mess. and now they're going to hold us, our claims towards that money. and that's not fair for what we just done. we went out there, we put our lives on the line. we cleaned their mess up. and now they're going to take it against our claims and that's total low wrong. for b.p. to even think of something like this is uncalled for. because we did a job and we expect to get paid for the job we did. >> mr. voisin. >> thank you, mr. clarme. i believe that long-term --

thank you, mr. chairman. i believe that long-term testing is critical for the survival of the gulf. i think the state of louisiana -- i know that the state of louisiana has requested $457 million from b.p. for a 20-year testing program. they have not approved it yet, but it's needed to continue to monitor the health of our species, the viability of its repro duckive cycles. -- reproductive cycles. more importantly is the brand of the gulf of mexico, the brand of gulf seafood has taken the greatest hit in the history of my seven generations of family that have plide the waters of south louisiana. people need to understand, there may be questions but there's no questions about what's in the market today. there may be questions about fishing areas that are closed, and we should ask those questions. but that product that's in the market today is wholesome and safe based on tremendously conservative science. and we need to convince those

american people, customers at restaurants are now instead of ordering oysters on the half shell, very close to my heart, shrimp cocktails. they're saying instead of having that as an appetizer, i'll have chicken wings. instead of having that grouper as my main course, i'll have a steak. we need to overcome that. 100-plus days of oil gushing in the bottom left-hand corner of the tv screen has branded us something other than we are. we have a challenge. we will meet that challenge. however, the challenge is in a very small part of the whole gulf of mexico. we need to lock at the whole. it's 200 million gallons of oil that have escaped from that situation. we need to deal with if. we're blessed in the gulf of mexico of having the microbes to eat the oil. that was not the situation with the value diaz -- valdez.

we have warm water. >> would you like to see more testing in the area that has the heavyiest concentration of oil right now, would you like to see that implemented now so that we will have that information in the long term going forward, mr. voisin? >> i think what is happening, representative markey, i believe that's happening. could more -- more is better. >> we heard on the opening panel that there was no intensive program to do that right now. you would like to see that kind of -- >> i would support that and i've been on conference calls. >> excuse me. >> i've been on conference calls with noaa where they're reported they're doing testing in the closed areas. i've been on conference calls with the f.d.a. as well. now, that's what they've indicated on those conference calls that they've done testing on seafood products in those areas. they've done oil plume testing, and they have indicated that they are continuing to do that.

today -- i forget the guy from noaa -- >> so you want them right now to be testing the fish inside of the closed areas, you want that to happen? >> i believe, mr. markey, they are. yes, i do want it. >> but if they are not doing it right now you believe it's important for them to test the fish inside the most oil -- >> absolutely. yes, sir. >> absolutely. ok. great. that helps us a lot. so let's do this. why don't we -- why don't we ask each one of you to give us your closing thoughts in reverse order of the opening statements so that we have a sense of what it is that you want us to retain, to focus on as we are going forward in the congressional oversight of this greatest of all environmental calamities. so we'll begin with you, dr.

suatoni. >> thank you. we're concerned with the recent tones of the communications and analyses coming out of the federal government. there is a desire to rush to judgment. to turn the corner and accelerate the analysis of the impacts the oil has had on the ecosystem. and it is of great concern. according to the oil pollution act, the federal government is supposed to oilly and fairly assess the impact of the oil spill and we hope they take the time and do the necessary comprehensive study this requires to get that done. >> thank you. mr. voisin. >> thank you, mr. chairman. the gulf of mexico states -- the state of louisiana, one i

lived in, have been challenged in the last five years by five major events. this spill being the most recent significant event. we will be scarred, but we will not be broken as a result of this. the seafood community is a viable community. my family left france under exile orders in the 1770's, went to canada and was kicked out of canada. so far we have not been kicked out of louisiana and hopefully that won't occur. we will be resilient. you know, people aren't really interested, necessarily, in the rough seas that you have. but whether or not you bring the ship in, and we're going to be about, and i hope the federal government continues its effort and doubles them, if appropriate and needed, to bring that ship in and that is safe seafood, a clean and healthy gulf coast. we'll have scars from this just like i do from different accidents and challenges in my life. but i'm viable.

the gulf is a viable place to live. the seafood is wholesome and safe. it's harvested from the gulf of mexico, and we want americans to know that. >> thank you, mr. voisin. mr. cooper. >> long-term testing on oil. testing corexit and a stock assessment to see what's happening to our fisheries. because with this last season that opened, it really opened your eyes and said it isn't there. what's going to happen? that's some of the things we'd like to see testing on corexit and the oil for the long term. >> thank you. mr. blamplingard. >> yes. well, basically for 20 years of my life i've had a product that's always been known as the best because it was the best. i just like the perception of the american public to know

it's the best again. you know, we work -- you know, in our business we don't work 9:00 5:00. we work 5:00 9:00. we work seven days a week. it's my life. i pretty much want my life back, like tony haywood. it took everything i worked for all these years and one company doesn't know what they're doing or cut too many corners and put me out of business. i mean, just ruined my whole life. and nobody's -- nobody's being hold -- nobody's being held accountable but me. i didn't do anything wrong. i'm so confused. i go to work like i always do. i walk around in circles, don't know what to do. i mean, it's -- you know, until it happens to you, until you live through what we're living through, it's just -- i don't

know what's going to happen. every night i go to sleep i can't sleep. i know how many squars i have on the ceiling -- squares i have on the ceiling, you know. i just hope that the government gets -- you know, makes b.p. clean everything up and everything returns normal and the american public has confidence that the seafood that we're going to buy, we're not going to sell them nothing i wouldn't eat myself. and the last thing i want to do is get anybody sick and we'll do the best that we can to make sure everything's all right. thank you. >> thank you, mr. blanchard. and to you and mr. cooper, we thank you for coming here today. we know that you're individuals who have a tremendous amount at stake here. and just so you know, if at any point tomorrow, next week, next month that you can just dial

our number here on the committee to help you personally with your own family situations as you're going forward, and we will give you the number to call as soon as this hearing is done just so that you know that there's someone who will be behind you. >> thank you very much. >> it takes a lot of courage for you guys to be here today and we appreciate that. dr. macdonald. >> b.p.'s going to have to pay a fine, mr. chairman, a big fine. and my concern is that that fine be dedicated to restoring the gulf of mexico. not disappear into a treasury somewhere. and i hope that the houses of congress can work together and the parties can work together to guarantee that the money that is paid here go into permanent restoration projects.

i'm talking about restoring marshes, i'm talking about marine protected areas where they're needed, i'm talking about better enforcement of coastal runoff, those are things that has to happen to make our gulf whole again. that's what we all want. if you all will do that you will have massive support from the people of the gulf of mexico. thank you very much. .

>> hopefully the same will be true in the senate so it can go to president obama's desk. what we have learned today is that the oil is not gone. the oil remaining in the gulf waters or washed up on the shore is equivalent to 10 exxon valdez-sized spills and could be much more. most of the gulf of mexico has been reopened to fishing but the industry is not in the clear. long term and tax on stocks remain on known. one contaminated catch makes it to market and makes people sick than the reputation and the credibility of one of america's most important fisheries will be

in jeopardy. we must engage this issue with continued caution and vigilance is necessary. we have seen some premature celebrations. dispersed oil is not the same as the oil which has disappeared. data formulas, algorithms, need to be made public so that independent scientists can verify the conclusions that are now shaping the debate on what to do now. we need to test the fishing stocks in the closed fishing areas now so that we understand what is going on now. that will help us in the future to protect the fishermen and the consumers in our country. but we must spend the money now

so that in the future there are no questions that are and examined and we enter the compensation is given to those who will need it for as long as possible until we make everything as safe as is possible. all of that is in my opinion is going to be something that this committee and the american people will need to be vigilant to ensure is put into place so that the people in the gulf of mexico at the end of the day are made completely whole. bp in my opinion will try to walk away as fast as they can. bp low balled the size of the spill in the first week saying it was 1,000 barrels, then it was 5,000 barrels. they knew the first week that it was a huge spill. it turns out to be between

53,000 and 63,000 barrels per day. that is not 1,000 barrels. that changed the level of response in those first weeks and first months because of the misleading information. people were less vigilant than they would have been. the response would love -- was less intense than if we had understood the magnitude. we much -- we must continue- level of vigilance and assume that we need to use all our resources to understand what is going on right now so that in the future there can be proper protections put into place and that the proper compensation is given to all of those whose lives have been adversely affected by what has happened. while bp might be spending tens of millions of dollars on their television commercials saying

that they are on the job, even today we identified many questions that have yet to be answered in a satisfactory fashion. we need to make sure they are for the long-term well-being for the residents of the gulf of mexico. thank you for being here today and we hope to remain in close contact with you. thank you. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010]

>> several of the hearings are coming up on the bp oil spill in the gulf of mexico. next week, the federal investigation into the cause of the deep water horizon spill. investigators will be in houston questioning officials with bp debt contracted the drilling. trans ocean who owns the oil rig and halliburton which provided equipment. that starts next friday at 9:00 eastern on c-span2. we will have coverage of the national commission looking into federal regulation of offshore drilling and if those rules need to be changed. live coverage in washington d.c. will get underway at 10:00 eastern. c-span has a special web page with all of our coverage about the gulf of mexico oil spill with nearly 24 congressional

hearings from washington. including briefings, speeches, and video. you confine all of that at c- span.org ford/will spill. >> former washington post staff writer recalls the blight of the first female cabinet secretary, frances perkins. then, we talk about the core members of george w. bush's war cabinet. followed by henry kissinger and the defense that shaped his legacy. all this weight on c-span2. >> after nixon lost the 1962 california governor's race, the owners offered the former vice- president the job as commissioner of baseball.

nixon was flattered but declined telling the owners do not tell pat. she would kill me for turning you down. >> whether it is baseball in the presidency or the cia and the korean war, find all of c-span's american history television online anytime at the c-span video library. it is washington your way. we sure did plan to go live to the un for that meeting on humanitarian assistance. that was one of the topics and the state department briefing. we will show as much of this as we can until the un gets under way.

we have to wait for the dean. >> good afternoon and welcome to the department of state. as you know, secretary clinton has landed in new york where she will shortly have meetings with pakistani foreign minister and ban ki-moon, head of the u.n. general assembly meeting where she will discuss the humanitarian situation resulting from the floods in pakistan. we have increased u.s. aid to pakistan as well as encourage other nations to help step up to

reach the u.n. goal of $460 million for emergency flood relief for pakistan. as you heard this morning from ambassador richard holbrooke, usaid secretary and others, our efforts have been very aggressive. we were first and most and the secretary's announcement this afternoon will continue to reflect our partnership that the united states and pakistan have together and that this partnership will endure long after the floodwaters recede. we are looking in the meantime, obviously we have a great deal of assistance, up to $7.50 billion identified for pakistan over the next five years under the legislation.

we will be reviewing and light of the devastation what the country's most critical infrastructure needs are to work together with pakistan to address basic needs but also to reprogram resources to deal with both the immediate and the intermediate needs that pakistan has in light of this disaster. the secretary will also announce the establishment of the pakistan relief fund that the u.s. the government will organize the the department of state for all americans to join in this tremendous relief recovery and reconstruction effort. through the relief fund that we are putting together in the coming days, we will be able to encourage americans to provide

contributions both small fear a texting program and large through more significant donations to help show our commitment to the people of pakistan. turning to iraq, the undersecretary is on his way back from iraq. he has been that for the past week. he welcomed the new u.s. ambassador to iraq yesterday. ambassador jeffrey has presented his credentials today -- i am sorry, mr. day, to the president and foreign minister they have met today with the president and prime minister following the departure. the ambassador has also met with other officials to discuss

ongoing efforts to form a includes a government in iraq. we are saddened to learn about the attack on u.n. peacekeepers and the condo. this attack resulted in the loss of three indian soldiers with the seven wounded. we convey our sympathies to the families and friends of those killed as well as to the government of india. we are grateful for the ongoing support that india is showing to this u.n. peacekeeping operation. we condemn and the strongest terms these attacks and call on the government of the condo to conduct a full investigation and to ensure the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice. finally, the secretary before heading for new york did have calls today with the foreign minister of jordan and a quartet rep as part of our ongoing

consultation on moving to portis toward direct negotiations she also had a call with the prime minister as part of the ongoing efforts to demonstrate support for the palestinian authority and to help provide and insure the resources are there with the palestinian authority said they can continue efforts to build up their institutions for the prospect of a palestinian state at some point and self- government. we remain in touch with the parties and our international partners. we believe we are getting very close to an agreement to enter into direct negotiations. we think we are well-positioned to get there but we continue to work on the details of this process. i did not have anything at this point to announce. >> you are well positioned to

get there? can you explain what that means? >> we think we are very close to a decision by the parties to enter into direct negotiations. there are details that are still being worked out. you could quote yogi berra. it is not over until it is over. we are happy where we are. we think we are very close to an agreement but there is still work that is ongoing. >> today's state department briefing, we will leave this at this point and go live to the un.

[speaking foreign language] question the 110th meeting will come to order in order to consider item 70 of the agenda, strengthening of the coordination of disaster relief assistance of the united

nations including special economic assistance. first ofatch the the two videos.

>> these are difficult times for pakistan. the floods have unleashed a ferocity across the land. it has swallowed up thousands. it has displaced millions. the sheer magnitude of the destruction, that the scale of this calamity leaves no one untouched. such is the volume of

devastation that despite several days, the monster is refusing to abate. as the tip of the iceberg continues to swell, the state's capacity to meet the challenge continues to shrink. pakistan needs urgent and unprecedented help from the world community for relief and rescue to the victims and repair it they destroy it infrastructure. today, pakistan is calling. humanity is calling.

it's the humanity calling.

[speaking foreign language] >> i call to order the meeting thof the general assembly. it will resume agenda item 70 and titled strengthening of the

coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the united nations. including special economic assistance. members will recall that the assembly considered and enjoined debate agenda item 70, strengthening of the disaster relief including special economic assistance and such items a and b. as well as the agenda item 71, assistant to survivors of the 1994 genocide in rwanda. particularly, orphans, widows, and victims of sexual violence. at the 59th and 16th plenary meetings held on the seventh of

december, 2009. the assembly has before us the draft resolution issued as documents a/64/l66. i would like to proudly note that my native country is one of the state's through it letter dated the eighth of august 2010 asked to convene this meeting to show solidarity over the affected countries. i would also like at the asset urging outset to thank the ministers and high ranking officials present with us today in this meeting as a demonstration of the great importance of this meeting. i would also like to pay tribute to his excellency the secretary

, for the important efforts he is deploying and the important visit he has paid to pakistan. i would like to thank him and reassure him of our stance with him in providing support to pakistan and all the affected citizens there. allow me now the distinguished honor of beginning this meeting with a brief statement. your excellencies, distinguished delegates, the secretary general, ladies and gentlemen, at the time that we

meet here, it becomes clear the unprecedented humanitarian devastation that has afflicted pakistan due to the severe frauds -- floods and rains that have afflicted a great number of the population reaching 20 million. that is an increase from 14 million only six days ago. when i called for this meeting i could not imagine that this catastrophe could deteriorate so rapidly. while we watched the painful pictures of all those thousands upon thousands of people awaiting emergency assistance and an extremely exceptional circumstance.

the calling for this meeting is also a demonstration of the general assembly's and the united nation's special ability to provide assistance. it also demonstrates the high level of importance attached to this meeting and to the catastrophe by the international community. i am confident that our meeting will send a strong message to pakistan and its people that the world stands by them in these difficult times. it is an occasion to express our solidarity and sympathy with the afflicted popularity. meetingall, today's demonstrates the international community's commitment to provide assistance and move forward to show pakistan and its

people that we stand ready to assist them in every way we can. your excellencies, natural and in our mental disasters have afflicted other areas in asia and other -- natural and environmental disasters have afflicted other areas in asia causing great loss of life. floods and landslides in china have also caused a great losses, more than 1200 people have already lost their lives. floods in india have also caused a great devastation and loss of life and in russia, wildfires have resulted in the deaths of scores of people and has destroyed neighborhoods and have

caused great destruction and i would like to express on behalf of all of us are condolences and sympathies with all the affected populations in these difficult times. as for pakistan, we witnessed the result of one of the worst to testifies that have afflicted them recently. we appreciate the efforts made by the government and its people and the determination to stand up to this calamity. however, in view of the size of this catastrophe, i believe pakistan alone cannot do everything. we must provide international assistance to support them. this horrendous catastrophe in size and timing has caused

devastation and has afflicted more than 10% of the entire population of pakistan. it is estimated that the flooded area is about 20% of the entire size of the country. this creates severe shortages in food, water, and medical assistance. we are in a race against time. in order to deliver the necessary assistance to the people who need it, the assistance provided so far has not risen to the level required to do to the difficulty communication and transportation because of the destruction that has been caused to the infrastructure and the continuing rain. we must speed up our efforts to save lives and to contain the great danger represented by the spread of disease because of the

great floods. it is hopeful that a great number of these states have come to help and that the united nations has responded immediately and providing food and shelter to the thousands upon thousands of people. however, much still needs to be done. his excellency the secretary ban ki-moon, has paid a field visit and has launched a cause to collect $460 million to provide immediate assistance. we have yet to get pledges for this amount and i call upon those who have not done so to provide pledges as soon as possible. after this preliminary stage,

there will be much need for continued assistance and support in order to rebuild and reconstruct in the long run and to assist the population and deal with widespread devastation of homes, crops, cattle, and other means of life in addition to the great destruction of roads, bridges, and other institutions. i have no doubt the amount will be great. the bill entitled strengthening of the coordination of assistance and relief from the

floods in pakistan requires your ready approval for three main reasons which are this resolution expresses our solidarity with pakistan and the population afflicted by the floods. it calls for the provision of international assistance assist efforts made by the government of pakistan. it focuses on the immediate emergency situation. it stresses the importance of providing assistance as soon as

possible. the adoption of this resolution with your total support and consensus will represent to the afflicted population a glimpse of hope and a step on the road to assistance and that assistance is on the way. i would also like to raise two important points. first, we must support the united nations emergency relief fund in every way that we can so that it can interfere in emergency situations such as this. second, from now on, we have to be alert and we have to work in cooperation in dealing with climate change and its consequences and we need to take into account very seriously the

issue of climate change so that the next conference to be held in mexico can become a new opening for a change of attitudes. permit me now to give the floor to his excellency, the secretary general. you have the floor, sir. >> thank you. distinguished ministers, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming together for the people of pakistan. i was honored to carry with me

in the sympathy and solidarity of the world of all of you. this is what i saw. the village after village washed away, roads, bridges, schools, destroyed. crops wiped out. i met many women and men with very little in the best of times awash in a sea of suffering. they shared their fear of the next wave of water or next wave of disease or next wave of destruction. the eyes can see and the years can hear but somehow the mind struggles to grasp of the full- time mention of these catastrophes. almost 20 million people need shelter, food, and emergency

care. that is more than the entire population hit by the indian kashmir cyclone and the heat earthquake in haiti combined. an area larger than more than half of the country's of the world is under water. make no mistake, this is a global disaster, a global challenge. it is one of the hardest tests of global solidarity in our times. thank you for all that you have already done. thank you to your help, people are providing clean water, medicine, and shelter. international aid groups such as the red cross have mobilized to

support the government's response. we are getting the aid in by whatever means, helicopters, trucks, and even mules. have received one month of food rations. similar numbers now have emergency shelter and of being helped by unicef and other groups. who is treating health threats as they arise. this disaster is far from over. only now are we beginning to understand the true scope of this disaster. pakistan is facing a destructive

power that will accumulate and grow with time. i have discussed this harsh reality with the president and prime minister. we fully agree on what must be done. international humanitarian organizations are straining every muscle to deliver what they need massive additional support. 8 million people need food, water, and shelter. 14 million need health care with a special analysis on children and pregnant women. we already have more than half of our 60% thank you to the generosity of donors.

your pledges to date must be followed up with action that delivers change underground. when the waters finally received, recovery and reconstruction must begin. every culture rushes along -- farmers will made fertilizer and tools to replant next year's harvest. in the longer term, the huge damage to infrastructure must be repaired. schools, hospitals, irrigation canals, transport weeks. in september, we are considering a high level meeting with pakistan where world leaders meet. in october, the friends of democratic pakistan will meet in

brussels to explore these methods in death and ultimately we must recognize that climate change will bring more incidents of extreme weather. the united nations has made this a priority. in 2005, a framework for pragmatic blueprints for action. last year, we introduced the first global risk reduction. clearly, we must follow through on these recommendations. this disaster is like few the world has ever seen. it requires a response to match. pakistan needs a flood of support.

yet in the media, we hear talk of so-called fatigue. the suggestion is that governments are hesitant to deal with another disaster and they hesitate. let us remember that if anybody it is the fatigued, small families i met in pakistan facing hardship. instead of fatigue, however, i such determination, resilience, hope, and expectations. when faced with the tsunami, or the earthquake in haiti, or other natural disasters, we show

extraordinary effort. let us begin today together stand with the people of pakistan. let us act so that this disaster to not become a man-made catastrophe. let us give this our all. thank you very much. >> i think the secretary general predict thank the secretary general for his statement and i now call and give the floor to his excellency, shah mahmood qureshi. you are most welcome and allow me to express solidarity. you have the floor.

>> mr. president, excellencies, convey to you the gratitude of the people of pakistan to convene a plenary meeting of the general assembly. let me thank the secretary general for his comprehensive plan. the people of pakistan had deeply appreciated the secretary general's close personal engagement in the relief operations in pakistan. i would like also to thank the hon. ministers for their

presence to express solidarity and support to the people of pakistan. mr. president, what we see in pakistan today is a national calamity of unprecedented proportions. according to the reports, the effect is larger than the combined effect of the tsunami and the earthquake. pakistanis are a resilient people. we're not strangers to challenges or difficulties. this is a nation that suffered the ravages of the 2005 earthquake and bravely bore the loss of 80,000 of our brethren.

we are the people that have poured the brunt of the international fight against terrorism and extremism. this is a nation that burst with fortitude the loss of thousands of its men, women, and children to suicide attacks. we are the people that the international community looks toward as a bulwark against terrorism and extremism. this is a nation which is looking for a humanitarian need in the time of need.

i stand before you as the voice of 20 million pakistan deis devastated by floods. their lives and livelihood. one of the tent pakistan in -- pakistani -- one out of 10 pakistani has been forced out. this is primarily an agrarian economy. 70% of our population is employed in the agriculture sector. this is where we have been hit the most. over 1.7 million acres of agricultural land has been submerged. standing crops worth billions of

dollars have been destroyed. arer 3.5 million children - at high risk of deadly, waterborne diseases. schools will not be opening soon after summer vacations as they are being used to provide shelter to flood survivors. in the province -- province of pawnshop, millions of acres -- and the province of punjab, billions of dollars of cotton crops are destroyed. in the south, over 325,000 acres of land stand submerged. crops worth $500 million a been

destroyed in certain provinces. religious -- villages and towns are being inundated as i speak to you. over 70% of the roads in the flood stricken area have been destroyed. over 1 million tons of wheat being stored has been swept away. mr. president, unfortunately, these are only initial estimates and the situation is still evolving. the situation is expected to get worse as the second and third waves of flood in a bit more land and approved more people. the numbers will surely go up as the numbers -- as the waters recede and the affected areas become accessible to damage assessment. the aftermath of floods in the medium to long term will pose

more daunting challenges for the construction and rehabilitation costs are going to be huge. our immediate challenge is to meet the food and health and clean drinking water needs of the millions of displaced and to rebuild the infrastructure destroyed by floods. mr. president, our difficulties do not and here. our infrastructure will come under severe stress as millions of people migrate to bigger cities in search of shelter and jobs. another serious problem with long-term social and economic implications is the loss of land and potential to climb and the ability of flood-affected

plants. the six most -- the sixth most populous country in the world is at risk. food riots and related violence cannot be ruled out. the government of pakistan has mobilized all of its national resources to provide rescue and relief to the affected people. hundreds of thousands have been rescued and evacuated from different areas. provisions of food, shelter, clean drinking water and the prevention of waterborne diseases and epidemics remain our top priorities. the entire nation stands united and determined to overcome this challenge. the people of pakistan have opened up their hearts and

hearts -- hands and hearts to their brothers and sisters. we are determined to turn around the economy destroyed by the floods. we have decided to set up an independent national entity to mobilize maximum resources and to make sure that they are used. this entity will supervise the collection, management and distribution of relief funding among flood affected people. our commitment and resolve not withstanding, the scale of the challenge is colossal. far too big for any developing country to handle alone. -- we

hope will be surprised -- provided with the support of rescue efforts. the people of pakistan greatly appreciate the launch of $460 million initially by the un for relief and emitted a recovery of the affected people. we also requested the world bank and to assist the government of pakistan and carrying out a comprehensive damage needs assessment. we hope it will be completed -- completed early. this disaster has hit us hard and at a time and in areas where we are in the midst of fighting a war against extremists and paris. the people of pakistan have stood by their brave security

forces in the fight against terrorism. our successes have been lauded by the international community. these successes have come at a heavy price. more than 10,000 innocent civilians have fallen victim to terrorism and more than 2500 pakistani soldiers have given their lives. our material losses exceed $43 billion. the gains that we have made against the terrorists are substantial. yet, we remain exposed. the peace and relative calm achieved as a result of the democratic governments relentless efforts are still fragile and need to be consolidated.

the efforts made by the government and our difficult and painful war against terrorism. we cannot allow this catastrophe to become an opportunity for the terrorists. climate change with all of its severity and unpredictability has become a reality for 170 million pakistanis. the situation reconfirms our vulnerability to the impact of climate change. it also complicates construction and rehabilitation scenario in pakistan. nature has made an endorsement to strengthen a fair and

equitable outcome for the only way to you and can see negotiations. the sympathy and solidarity that eyewitness here today from all of you is very reassuring. i wish to go back to islamabad with a clear mission to the people -- to the people of pakistan that they are not alone. we look forward to your help in undertaking the immediate relief measures and addressing the long-term reconstruction and rehabilitation needs of the people. thank you. >> thank the foreign minister.

we shall now take action on a draft resolution a/64/l/66. may i take it that is the wish of the general assembly to adopt the resolution. and it is so decided. we thank you for your support. i now give the floor to the next

speaker. i am happy to welcome the hon. hillary clinton, secretary of state of the united states of america. >> good afternoon. i listened with great interest and concern as the foreign minister detailed with somber eloquence and painful specificity what the people in government of pakistan are facing today. we are here at the request of the government of pakistan to help them respond to the worst natural disaster in their history. as the foreign minister pointed out, the flooding that has affected more than 20 million

people, more than the population of new york state, it is so enormous that it is almost hard to fathom. s >> the rain continues to fall. the extent of the devastation is difficult to gauge. this flooding has already affected more people than the indian ocean tsunami, the heat the earthquake and the 2005 pakistan earthquake combined. as we meet, we fear that a new wave of water may be about to sweep through areas that have already been devastated and reach to those yet untouched.

our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost loved ones, who have been displaced from their homes, left without food and water. united states has and continues to take swift action to help. and on behalf of president obama and the american people, i want to state our resolve to help pakistan meet the immediacy of this crisis and then to recover from it. i want the people of pakistan to know that the united states will stand with you during this crisis. we will be with you as rivers rise and fall. we will be with you as you replant your fields and repair your roads. we will be with you as you meet

the long term challenges to build a stronger nation and a better future. under the direction of the government of pakistan and the national disaster management authority, the united states has been working since the earliest days of the flooding to provide assistance to those it can reach and who need it most. our civilian helicopters began assisting in relief efforts almost immediately. american military helicopters were redirected to rescue pakistanis within hours of the pakistani government's request for help. less than a day later, american military aircraft began delivering 400,000 meals from storehouses in dubai. these efforts continue, and to date, u.s. aircraft have carried more than 6000 pakistanis to

safety and distributed more than 1 million pounds of relief supplies. we have also supplied enough heavy-duty waterproof she seemed to construct temporary shelters for more than 1000 people -- peoplesheeting. we have supplied the pakistani government with a rescue boats, concrete cutting sauce, water filtration units, and a dozen prefabricated bridge is. the initial response by the pakistani government and people, united states, and the international community has helped to relieve suffering and save lives, but the combined effort so far pales against the magnitude of the challenge. it is difficult to overstate the scope of this catastrophe, and unfortunately, we believe it is likely to get worse before it

gets better. more than 800,000 homes have already been damaged or destroyed. 2 million people have been forced to flee. hundreds of bridges have been washed away, cutting off communities from relief supplies. as the foreign minister said, so much of this year's agricultural production has been wiped out, submerged fields cannot be replanted this season. many communities face shortages of clean drinking water and are vulnerable to cholera and other epidemics. experts predict that the flooding will not receive until mid-september -- the flooding will not recede until mid- september, and of the monsoons continue, the damage will spread

to other areas, driving yet more people from their homes. we know we face a humanitarian disaster of monumental proportions, and it is creating economic and security problems. and here at the united nations, we often speak of a desire to forge a more humane fellowship with humankind, and today, we must match that aspiration with action. i realize that many countries including my own are facing a tough economic conditions and very tight budgets, and we have also indoor and unrelenting strip -- an unrelenting stream of disasters -- we have also entered an unrelenting stream of disasters this year, but we must answer the pakistani request for help.

on august 11, the united nations issued a $459 million emergency flood response plan and asked for the international community to respond. at the outset of this conference today, existing pledges of assistance put us half way toward this goal. that is a solid start, but we must close the gap. with a new pledge that i am making today are $60 million, the united states will be contributing more than $150 million toward emergency flood relief. approximately $92 million of that total is in direct support of the united nations relief plan. these funds are being used to provide critical supplies and support operations of the pakistan national disaster management authority and other organizations inside pakistan. the united states is providing technical assistance and mobilizing military and civilian

resources as well. today, i want to call on the american public and american corporations to support these relief efforts. every dollar makes a difference, and americans can send help to pakistan by contributing to the department of state's pakistan relief fund. please go to www.state.gove /pakistanrelief or make a $10 contribution through your phone by texting the word "flood close " to the no. 2772. beyond our immediate response, the united states is committed to the long-term goal of working with pakistan to improve conditions in the country. we demonstrated that commitment with a multi-year $7.5 billion non-military assistance package,

authorized by the congress and agreed to by the president. we will not take -- we will now take some of those funds that were directed to initiatives that i announced just last month in islamabad, to support pakistan in its reconstruction efforts. in all of our work, we are seeking to strengthen pakistan's democratic institutions. our approach to relief and rebuilding will be based on the same foundation of partnership that we believe is important between our country and pakistan. it will be up to pakistan's elected leaders to head up this effort, and those elected officials in turn will be accountable to the citizens of pakistan. in my visits to pakistan since becoming secretary of state, i have spoken often about our desire to build an enduring partnership. today, we are once again reaffirming that commitment.

i believe pakistan will come through this crisis because of the strength, resilience, and courage of the people. as we meet today during the holy month of ramadan, we must all embrace a spirit of compassion and make it our mission to provide that relief. a few days ago, an american helicopter rescued a pregnant woman who was about to give birth. they were able to carry her to safety. her home was under water. she was facing complications that could have claimed her life and the life of her child. like all pakistanis affected by the flood, this mother and baby still faced many difficulties in the months and years ahead, but they will have an opportunity to rebuild their community and to contribute to a strong, secure, prosperous pakistan.

. believe in that baby's future civilization has thrived on the banks of the indus river for years. it will continue. and if we come together now, we can meet this challenge, and ensure that future generations in pakistan have the opportunity to realize their own god-given potential. thank you. >> thank you. i thank the secretary of state of the united states of america. i now give the floor to his excellency, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of belgium, who will speak on behalf of the european union. >> mr. president, mr. secretary- general, your excellencies, i

have the honor to speak today on behalf of the european union for all 27 member states, our european institutions, and our citizens and also bring a special message of support from the eu hawaii representative, who would have liked to represent the union. -- the european union today and looks forward to the time when this will be possible. i would like first of all to express our solidarity with and our sincere condolences to the government and the people of pakistan following the tragic loss of life in the monsoon floods in the north and center of the country. as secretary general ban ki- moon said, our minds struggle to grasp the full dimension of this catastrophe, of this slow-motion tsunami, and we share the grief of the affected families and

express our heartfelt sympathy with those who have lost so much as a result of this unprecedented catastrophe. the european union welcomes the adoption today by the general assembly of the resolution that encourages the international community to help pakistan. i can assure you that the european union and all of its member states will contribute to the full implementation of this resolution. the european union is actively participating in the immediate global response to this humanitarian disaster and strongly supports the efforts of the united nations and the pakistani authorities as they provide vital assistance to those in need. i would like to stress one thing -- we will continue to support this worked -- this work as long as needed.

the international community is in this for the long term. the eu will work with pakistan to mitigate the impact of this disaster on the daily life and well-being of the pakistani people. mr. president, the european union and pakistan share a long- lasting friendship. last june, the second e u- pakistan summit set the basis for a strategic dialogue, which includes the promotion of disaster/risk reduction and the effective provision of humanitarian assistance. before this disaster, the european union have already allocated more than 400 million euros in assistance to pakistan for 2007 through 2010, on economic development and trade, as well as on governance and human-rights. today, i can say that the european union steps up considerably its support for

pakistan and the pakistani people. since the beginning of the crisis, the eu and its member states have already committed over 110 million euros, and i'm pleased to announce that this amount will be increased by 30 million euros. this means in total that the european union has committed more than 140 million euros or the equivalent of $180 million. let me underline that this humanitarian assistance is provided on the basis of the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence and according to the needs on the ground. in addition to this humanitarian front, and there are in-kind contributions from a large number of member states, which need to be coordinated in order to maximize the impact on the

ground. this is why the european union has dispatched a team of civil protection unit to islamabad. mr. president, in the wake of this crisis, there is no room for complacency. the number of people who are in dire need of assistance is rising, and will continue to do so as assessments continue and access improves. in order to provide a most adequate and comprehensive response, notably to address the food, sanitation, and health needs, the european union institutions are working hand- in-hand. the hawaii representative together with her european commission colleagues and charter of humanitarian development aids is coordinating the assessment of both short and long term implications of the crisis. the european commissioner for international cooperation

humanitarian aid and crisis response will be traveling to pakistan in a few days to underpin eu efforts in support of the victims of this humanitarian disaster and support the coordination efforts of the united nations and the pakistani authorities. mr. president, as we all know, access remains a major challenge, and we are examining very carefully how all necessary assets can be deployed as a measure of priority. but in a region still affected by the conflict which has preceded the displacement of millions of people since 2009, it is crucial that humanitarian aid is perceived as neutral and in line with international humanitarian law and on the basis of the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independents. i would like to particularly

stressed this point today on the second world humanitarian day, which is dedicated to all the relief workers, including those who lost their lives while helping others. as it is the case within the european union, coordination is also paramount for international access. the national and provincial pakistani authorities are clearly leading the response. at the same time, we would encourage all organizations to work in the coordination of humanitarian aid to strengthen the coordination, effectiveness and assistance. as we have seen in the case of haiti, the consequences of a disaster may be overwhelming, and is crucial that all actors cooperate to make response as quick as possible. let me conclude with a few words

on pakistan pose a security and stability. the eu strongly encourages the international community to support pakistan in a lasting manner, in a durable way. only if efforts are sustained can there be a long-term recovery. pakistan will be particularly high on the agenda of the next informal meeting of eu foreign affairs ministers at the beginning of september. and we are particularly looking forward to hosting the friends of democratic pakistan ministerial meeting in october in brussels, a meeting that will be able to take stock of relief provided and plan for rebuilding efforts. as it was set in the beginning of this meeting, humanity is calling. it is in times of adversity that we realize that true solidarity is not only about words and convictions, it is also about

actions that make a difference in the life of people. let us now make sure that our solidarity is efficient, is coordinated, and is sustained. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> i thank the deputy prime minister from belgium, and i now give the floor to his excellency, from the deputy prime minister of georgia. >> mr. president, secretary general, ministers, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, to begin, i would like to thank the president of the general assembly for

convening this meeting to mobilize international efforts to alleviate an unprecedented humanitarian disaster unfolding in pakistan. i would like to convey sympathies from the people of georgia to the people of pakistan, and i would like to express our credit to the secretary general of the united nations for the leadership and courage he has demonstrated in this critical moment. we applaud his prompt response and commend all nations that have demonstrated international solidarity to the people of affected areas of pakistan. my country is well aware of the hardships caused by flood displacement. coping with the displacement is an extremely difficult challenge for any government and also requires concerted international effort. the hardship experienced by

those displaced should be alleviated as much as possible in the early days in order to prevent for the humanitarian crisis. all displaced persons should be allowed to return to their homes and communities in safety and dignity, as defined by the international humanitarian law, and international communities should look to support the process as soon as it can be executed. the government of georgia has decided to advocate 100,000 u.s. dollars to the united nations emergency appeal. to further support the leadership of the united nations in delivering humanitarian assistance to the people in need, we would like to encourage the united nations and its agencies to continue providing emergency aid. we would also encourage the united nations to search for the

ways to accommodate the needs of the affected persons in the long term perspective. it is our experience that the displacement of -- often last longer than anticipated, and eventually, eventuality must be planned for the so many families in need. on behalf of the government of georgia, once again, i extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the people who have been suffering from the threat of disaster -- from this natural disaster. thank you. >> thank you. i thanked the deputy prime minister of georgia, and now, i give the floor to her excellency, minister for foreign affairs of denmark.

>> mr. president, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, let me begin by expressing on my own behalf and on behalf of the government and the people of denmark our sincere and our heartfelt sympathies and solidarity with the hard drive people of pakistan who have suffered such tragic loss of human life and livelihood following the devastating flood. i want to associate myself with the interventions already made by many of my colleagues, including my colleague as eu presidency, and i want to express up front that the government of denmark fully shares the secretary general's intervention at the opening of

this debate. the scale of the natural disaster that has struck pakistan is so large and so devastating that it calls for nothing less than our full support to the people of pakistan. mr. president, the message is clear -- we must act now to help the millions of people trapped in this disaster and to avoid the potentially disastrous long- term impact on the livelihood of pakistan's people and the very fabric of pakistani society. first, we must pledge and deliver without delay a response of humanitarian assistance that matches the magnitude of this disaster. second, we must move quickly and be ready when the water recedes in order to help the pakistani people with the means to

reconstruct their houses, their villages, and their country. third, we must be ready to continue to support the government of pakistan and the pakistani people in their long- term efforts to build a democratic, stable, and prosper as pakistan, free from conflicts and party. if we do not respond, and if we do not help the people of pakistan in these challenging times, we quite simply fail our humanitarian obligations. but the humanitarian disaster will also destabilize and also troubled region -- already troubled region. mr. president, to effectively meet the challenges, we need more than ever a swift and coordinated international response. the united nations has, in close coordination with the pakistani government, responding to the crisis and launched an initial emergency response plan.

like many others, denmark responded immediately to this call for assistance, and i call upon all members of the international community to do the same. there is no time to waste. i would like to commend the united nations for its constructive cooperation with the pakistani government. mr. president, today's session is preoccupied with the humanitarian situation in pakistan, but it is important to see this in context. pakistan is also toying with an armed conflict and almost daily horrifying terror attacks against innocent people, organizations, and democratic institutions. i wish to express our continued support to the government of pakistan's determination to combat and stop the militants and its efforts to strengthen democracy, reach out to those governments across the country,

not least in the areas such as south waziristan. we look to the pakistani government to provide the leadership, courage, and mission. often dealing with an immediate situation and urgent needs, and also when facing the challenge of strengthening the social contract between the people of pakistan and the democratically elected government. mr. president, we must act now. the danish government has at the outset already approved 11 million u.s. dollars in immediate humanitarian aid, and that this batch of needed technical experts to pakistan. we are closely following the situation and constantly reviewing the need for further danish support, whether in the form of further funding, logistical support, or technical assistance.

implementation is already under way, and relief is being provided as we speak. our engagement builds on longstanding ties between danish humanitarian organizations and local pakistani organizations on the ground. in addition to our humanitarian response, the danish parliament only last week approved a further 22.5 million u.s. dollars for medium and long-term development assistance to pakistan. the major part of this will go directly to early recovery and reconstruction activities through the multi-don't trust fund managed by the world bank. mr. president, there is an imminent risk that the natural disaster will lead to deeper poverty in both central and remote areas of pakistan. it is therefore more crucial than ever that the international community and the friends of

democratic pakistan support the democratic government in responding to the humanitarian crisis and finding -- fighting poverty and extremism. the international community must help pakistan in this humanitarian crisis, and with support to the government's long-term efforts to build a stable, democratic, and prosperous pakistan. this is what the situation demands -- nothing less. thank you. >> thank you. i thank the ministers of foreign affairs of denmark, and i give the floor to his excellency, lawrence cannon, minister of foreign affairs of canada. >> mr. president, on behalf of

the canadian people, i would like to begin by offering my deepest condolences to all those who have been and are still so coolly affected by this terrible natural disaster in pakistan. i thank the president of the general assembly for convening this meeting. the flood in pakistan serve as a powerful reminder that every day, millions of people worldwide require urgent humanitarian assistance. clearly, the humanitarian need resulting from the floods require an immediate and sustained international commitment. canada will continue to be part of that response. mr. president, canada has heard

the call from the secretary- general to the international community to provide immediate support and assistance to the people of pakistan. in this regard, we fully support today's resolution and its emphasis on supporting the government of pakistan as it seeks to meet the urgent needs of its people. canada has acted quickly to respond to the devastation caused by the flood. immediately after the first wave of flooding, canada announced a contribution of $2 million to meet urgent humanitarian needs. >> following the launch of the packet -- pakistan initial flood emergency response plan by the united nations on august 11, canada announced that we will

provide up to $33 million in response to the immediate needs of flood-affected people in pakistan. of these bonds, up $25 million will be provided for humanitarian assistance to help meet priority needs that include food, water, and sanitation, emergency medical care, shelter, and essential household goods. we will also provide up to another $8 million in urgently needed equipment, such as bridges to help the government of pakistan restore linkages to communities cut off by the

flooding and help local authorities provide security to those affected by this disaster. >> further have a longstanding and valuable friendship with pakistan. we were one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with pakistan and have maintained a strong development partnership for over 40 years. canadians have been shaken by the images of devastation and inspired by the resolve and determination of the people of pakistan to overcome this tragedy. canada will continue to work with the government of pakistan, united nations agencies, and humanitarian organizations on the ground to ensure that our collective assistance reaches the affected populations as quickly as possible and as

effectively as possible. thank you for your attention. >> i thank the minister for foreign affairs of canada, and i give the floor to his excellency, minister for european union affairs and chief negotiator of turkey. >> president of the general assembly, mr. secretary general, foreign minister, excellences, distinguished delegates, i would like to begin my address by reading out a message from his excellency, the prime minister, to the united nations general assembly. >> president of the general assembly, a steamed delegates, pakistan has experienced the most destructive natural disaster of its history. on behalf of my nation and my

government, i would like to extend our deepest sorrow for the flood disaster which has shattered the lives of millions of pakistanis. the government and the nation of pakistan have mobilized all their resources against this disaster, but more needs to be done. this is an emergency that needs appropriate and immediate global response. it is not only a necessity, but also a humanitarian responsibility for all nations to act in unity and solidarity against this and other disasters. united nations is certainly the primary organization to demonstrate this will. today is the date for extending a swift, strong, and determine helping hand to pakistan. turkey and the turkish people will remain in solidarity with pakistan and be able to do our best to heal the wounds of the pakistani people. this was the message out my prime minister. excellence is, as outlined in

the message, let me continue by expressing my heartfelt condolences to the people and government of pakistan -- excellencies. for all those who lost their lives as a result of the flood, we wish strength to the grievous families who lost their loved ones. the disaster is one of the gravest that the international community has disaster. the scale of destruction is at unprecedented proportions. we highly appreciate that the general assembly has been convened for this special session to discuss this very urgent and important issue, which coincides meaningfully with the world humanitarian day. i'm confident that all of us are here to help mitigate in this disaster. -- help mitigating this disaster. i also want to thank the secretary general for his personal engagement and commitment to pakistan. the united nations has a crucial role in evaluating, assisting,

and coordinating the needs of affected population. mr. secretary-general, we praise your leadership and applaud the united nations staff for their effect of hard work on the ground. we also would like to thank the president of the general assembly for his leadership. the tragedy in pakistan outlines a new challenge for all of us. in the face of such unprecedented natural disasters, it is vital to win the hearts and minds of the affected people. natural disasters can generate social upheaval, destabilize communities, displaced people, and personal tragedies, can transform security problems. it is our common response ability to heal the suffering as quickly as possible. it is encouraging to witness that the international community is taking this threat very seriously, and this high-level session is irresponsible it -- is an indication that the people

of pakistan are not alone. our political determination, global solidarity, organizational efficiency, and logistical success should set an exemplary standard for similar emergencies and disasters in the future. the noble people of pakistan should hear and feel that their well-being is being taken seriously by the international community, and that we stand by them during this dire moment. i'm certain that the relief operation will respect the pakistani sovereignty. similarly, the pride of the pakistani people should be duly respected during the relief operation. excellencies, welfare and stability of brotherly pakistan have always been of utmost priority for turkey. my nation has always been in full solidarity with the people of pakistan. our relationship is time tested

and unique. turkey at all levels has immediately expressed its strong resolve to support pakistan and readiness to provide assistance. this was unequivocal it undermined -- unequivocal and undermined on every occasion. until now, turkey has sent four shipments of assistance to pakistan, 140 pounds of humanitarian cargo, which is worth more than $2 million, has been transferred. the aid sent includes food rations, sheltering equipment, and other materials required by the pakistani authorities. turkey has also transferred $10 million to the pakistani authorities for their courage it needs. furthermore, the turkish armed forces will be sending two cargo planes carrying medical supplies. i'm proud to state that the turkish people, volunteer groups, and relief associations were among the first

international groups that reached pakistan, and they have already distributed supplies in coordination with local authorities. we are in the process of constructing two field houses together with health care personnel -- field hospitals. these hospitals will be operational on saturday. my government has initiated an additional nationwide people to people donation campaign, which will return the turkish nation's warm feelings towards pakistan during this holy month of ramadan. turkish business world is leading another campaign, and our chambers have made a $1 million donation. the turkish ministry of foreign affairs and the presidency of religious affairs will also initiate similar campaigns in the very near future. yesterday, the organization of islamic conference held a meeting on this matter, and turkey has actively participated in that meeting.

excellences, the international community, including the united nations, major development partners, and the european union are facing yet another test x -- cast -- test of the ongoing efforts and responses expressed are all very encouraging. this should be a long-term and well-coordinated effort. as a first step, we needed to have an effective outcome from this meeting along with the resolution we have just adopted. as always, our bigger challenge will start after the floodwaters subside and once the emergency is over. we should remain vigilant and focused on pakistan until normal see returns. -- normalcy returns to the displaced millions. our attention span should not be limited to the evening news. the regions, the continents, and

the world cannot afford another case of instability. turkey will be at the forefront of this great humanitarian effort. as always, our message is -- peace at home and peace in the world. thank you. >> i thank the minister. for european union affairs from turkey, and i give the floor to her excellency, the minister for international development cooperation of sweden. >> mr. chair, excellencies, distinguished delegates, i thank you for convening this meeting, which offers an opportunity for the international community to

reiterate its solidarity with the pakistani people along with the exchange of views on our future engagements. sweden supports the statements made by belgium on behalf of the european union. and let me, on behalf of the swedish government and the swedish people, and express our deepest sympathy with the people of pakistan. the floods that have ravaged the country have caused unprecedented damage. so far, approximately 20 million have been affected along with lots of lives -- loss of lives. there is a large number of displaced, and extensive damages have struck homes, livelihood, and infrastructure. sweden is deeply concerned by the severe situation and wishes to extend its assurance of

committed, strong support to pakistan. sweden appreciated the good cooperation between the pakistan government and the united nations resulting in the response plan. the swedish contribution to the flood response so far amounts to a $11 million u.s., and i'm pleased to announce that sweden tomorrow will take a decision to commit another 8.2 million u.s. international effort to help the pakistani people in this crisis. we will ensure support notably to the most vulnerable. this is why we also on a regular and annual basis provide core funding to main humanitarian organizations, such as unhcr adn unicef. i assure you that we will continue to take our responsibility.

the situation in pakistan after the earthquake in haiti proved the importance of a well- coordinated international humanitarian system in order to ensure a quick and efficient response. during the last years, we have put a lot of effort into developing the humanitarian response system under the bigger -- under the leadership of the united nations. sweden remains strongly committed to the work of the emergency relief coordinator in this regard. the efficient sanctioning serves as a key enabler for initial humanitarian response and serves as an excellent example. sweden is one of the two largest donors. we urge member states to enhance their contributions to this system. protected armed conflict,

population growth, bourbon -- urbanization, increased food prices and climate change, all sources to tremendous and increasingly complex challenges, not least due to severe natural catastrophes, as we have seen in pakistan, require the development of a proactive approach alongside with reactive humanitarian response system. in order to do so, we need to focus even more of our efforts on preparedness and prevention. the international humanitarian community must be as efficient in providing mechanisms in this field as in developing a humanitarian response system. efficient and viable solutions to ensure and enhance resilience must be found in collaboration with other countries, drawing on their

experiences and knowledge. close cooperation between national governments which hold a primary responsibility and international efforts is a condition for construction of solid structures of disaster, risk reduction at country levels -- disaster risk reduction a country levels. in this regard, sweden supports the important work carried out in building disasters communities. does times measures must be an integral part of our work in order to ensure a much needed proactive approach. let me, mr. chair, take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to the emergency relief coordinator, mr. john holmes, whose tireless efforts over the past three years have been key in addressing humanitarian needs globally.

when i'm now going back home to sweden, our hearts, souls, and efforts are with the pakistani people. i thank you so much. >> i thank her excellency, the minister for foreign affairs of denmark, and i give the floor to the minister for international development from the united kingdom. >> secretary general, president of the general assembly, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the british government would like to express its deep sadness at the loss of life and destruction that has been caused by the floods in pakistan, and our concern -- are

concerned for the continuing suffering of the pakistani people. i have come straight from pakistan today, and the area devastated by flooding. i visited the village and camp yesterday where i saw scenes of total destruction, of homes, livelihoods, and all basic services would watermarks on those walls left standing of over 12 feet above ground level. an eloquent testaments to the destructive force of the wall of water, which has swept all before it, over 1,200 miles of pakistan, leaving utter devastation in its wake. the british government strongly supports the leadership of the government of pakistan and the united nations in responding to this immense humanitarian crisis. we welcome this special session, which brings together the

international community at a time of great need to focus on responding to the initial flood emergency response appeal. britain wishes to offer the most forthright support to the secretary general and to respectfully suggest that the response of the international community so far has been woefully inadequate. the only acceptable outcome from the special session today is that the united nations appeal should be fully if not overfunded by the time we conclude tonight. if this is not the case, the world will rightly draw the conclusion that the international community will have failed in our duty. the british government has already made a significant commitment of nearly $50 million to the humanitarian response.

this is helping to provide 1.5 million people with safe drinking water and sanitation supplies and yield personal support for vulnerable women and children, so grievously affected. we have also accelerated its program to provide new bridges to replace some of those washed away by the floods. the royal air force is helping to transport vital equipment, including tents and shelter kit, and britain is offering bridging expertise to help restore transfer networks, and we have brought forward our program of $50 million of bridge repairs. yesterday in pakistan, i announced additional support which will provide thousands of people with emergency shelter and help humanitarian agencies to continue to address specific needs. today, i can announce that britain will double its contribution to this emergency

relief to just under $100 million. we were amongst the first rally to pakistan's support with the early delivery of shelter, food, medicines, and clean water, and we are now identifying additional and specific interventions working with the government of pakistan and our partners in the united nations and civic society for this further $50 million of aid and support. as the secretary general has urged, it is now imperative that all wealthy countries step up and give vigorous support to pakistan. in addition to this, i would also like to recognize the significant, a generous contribution that the british public have made to the british disaster emergency committee appeals, raising nearly $25 million so far for the relief effort. i can also report from my meeting with the head of the auction have to stand at the

cluster system appears to be working well. britain underlines the need for strong coordination and would urge voters to support the considerable efforts on the ground. we should not lose sight of the immense longer-term efforts that will be required to restore pakistan's infrastructure and rebuild lives and livelihoods, maintaining progress on economic growth and stabilization, and on the vital program of reform, we will also be -- it will also be critical -- indeed fundamental -- to pakistan's recovery. our resolution today draws attention to the growing effects of climate change where expert advice suggests the next 15 years will see an increase of 50% in disaster emergencies. we know that in the first week of flooding in pakistan, more rain fell back in the whole of the previous 10 years. i would like to conclude by

recognizing on world humanitarian day, the extraordinary work of humanitarian workers throughout the world, including those in pakistan and in particular, those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. finally, no one can have witnessed such scenes of total . now is the time for all of us to respond with commitment and determination to the plight of desperate people in pakistan and for the international community to shine a light of hope into the darkness and despair which we are seeing so widely spread across pakistan today. thank you. >> i thank the secretary of state for international development of the united kingdom, and i would like to give the floor to the minister

for development of ireland. >> i would like to begin by thanking the general assembly and his excellency for his initiative in convening this special meeting of the general assembly in response to a terrible catastrophe that has befallen pakistan. i would also like at the outset on behalf of ireland to associate our country with the statement made by belgium on behalf of the european union, and i welcome the additional funding provided by the european union. mr. president, a disaster of this scope and magnitude requires a global response which must have the united nations at its center.

the people of pakistan need clean water, food, shelter, medicines, and it falls to us, the global community, to get these life-saving supplies to pakistan and distributed to the population as soon as possible. this crisis has not occurred in an instance, devastating all before it, as was the case with the asian tsunami or the haiti earthquake, and in some ways, the full measure of the devastation still remains unseen and completely covered by the flood waters. it is clear, nonetheless, that the scale of this crisis is an epic proportions -- is of epic proportions. over 1000 people lost their lives. up to 20 million people have lost everything -- their homes, livelihood's, livestock, and possessions. it is our global responsibility now to ensure that the people whose lives have been devastated by this tragedy receive the aid they so desperately need as soon as possible.

that must be our clear focus today. international humanitarian response needs to scale up to meet the enormity of the challenge. the rains and flooding continue and may persist into september, further complicating the relief efforts. the damage to infrastructure as well as the sheer numbers of people affected makes it extraordinarily difficult to deliver the comprehensive response which is required. but the global community must meet this challenge. the government of pakistan is facing the enormous responsibility of leading the response to this disaster. we are here today to clearly demonstrate that global solidarity with the pakistani people in this humanitarian effort. i would emphasize, however, the vital role which the united nations must play in coordinating the global response to ensure that appropriate systems are provided to those as quickly as possible.

coordination and cooperation provide us with the best strategy for an effective humanitarian response, and anything less will result in further loss of life. all of our experience from previous disasters points to the vital importance of delivering aid in a coordinated manner, the importance of putting proper coordination structures in place was a key lesson from the response to the haitian earthquake earlier this year. mr. president, we must also remain aware of the enormous challenges faced by individual people caught up in this crisis. people are understandably desperate to provide for their families, to help feed their children, and to rescue those still trapped by the rising flood waters. it is our job to help them. today is world humanitarian day, and i would appeal to all of those responding to continue to observe best international humanitarian principles to ensure that those in need receive the most timely and

appropriate assistance. adherence to these principles is the best way to ensure that aid reaches those most in need. mr. president, as i said, this is a moment of global solidarity. we meet at difficult times for all of our countries, facing the enormous challenges arising from the international financial crisis. however, what we are witnessing in pakistan is a crisis threatening the very survival of millions of people. this is a global emergency, and we need a global response. the irish government and irish public have already contributed extremely generously to the humanitarian response, and the funds continue to rise in support of irish non- governmental organizations and aid agencies. the irish government has prioritized in recent years the pre-positioning of emergency assistance to enable the fastest possible relief of humanitarian assistance by our partners in the event of a sudden onset emergency, such as the floods in pakistan. pakistan.