‘Everything I know and love is at risk,’ U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon says

U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, who was born and raised in the threatened marshlands of coastal Louisiana, was overcome with emotion Thursday as he told a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee that “everything I know and love is at risk.”

Melancon’s moment before a hushed hearing room came on a day laden with affecting testimony by survivors of the April 20 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion, and from the father and brother of one of the 11 men who died, and by a representative of the Louisiana fishing industry, who described a hardy, disaster-tested community living on the edge as the spreading spill in the Gulf of Mexico threatens the habitats their livelihood depends on.

There were five separate congressional hearings Thursday on the blowout of the BP well in the Gulf. At the House Energy Committee hearing in the afternoon, Melancon began a somber reading of his prepared statement.

He described flying over the spill — “the scale and the scope of this disaster is larger than one can imagine.” He described constituents “watching this slow-motion tragedy unfolding in front of them.”

“Our culture is threatened, our coastal economy is threatened, everything I know and love is at risk,” Melancon said, fighting back tears.

His voice trembling, Melancon continued, all eyes in the silent room upon him.

“Even though this marsh lies …” At this point he had to stop. He tried to push the microphone away. He placed his hand to his face. He took deep breaths, and as a colleague patted his arm for support, he finished his sentence. “… along coastal Louisiana, these are Americans wetlands.”

“Excuse me,” he said, “I just wish to submit for the record. Thank you.” Melancon then quickly left the hearing room.