Jindal plan to protect Louisiana coastline could do more harm than good: Experts

Washington, July 8 (ANI): Louisiana's Indian origin Governor Bobby Jindal's homegrown plans to protect his state's delicate coastline could actually do more harm than good, feel scientists and the Obama administration.

Jindal's plan includes building artificial islands made of tons of rocks and boulders, which he says would slow the flow of oil into the bay of the Gulf of Mexico, but according to ABC News, federal officials have refused the state the necessary permissions to build, and this has triggered a heated political confrontation.

"We don't have time for meetings, we don't have time for red tape. Get in the game to win. No is not a plan," said Republican Jindal.

Jindal has criticized the Obama administration for weeks, using fiery language to accuse the government of a lackluster and slow response to the oil spill crisis.

On Wednesday, he flew over Barataria Bay to take another look at the environmentally sensitive coastline where oil has been encroaching for weeks.

It is in that location that he and other Louisiana officials want to build their latest controversial attempt to stop the oil from reaching their coast-a rock barrier.

Privately, furious federal officials say they're baffled by Jindal's plans.

Multiple government agencies too are opposed to the plan, and scientists have expressed concerns.

The scientists worry that the rock plan could do more harm than good, fearing that in the event of a tropical storm or hurricane, water and oil would rush in the remaining gaps between the natural islands at an even faster rate than now.

When that water inevitably flows back out to sea, they say, it could erode the fragile barrier islands and create new gaps for oil to get in.

They also note that there is currently no funding in place to remove the rocks once they're in place.

Governor Jindal, however, says that local officials have requested BP set up an escrow account to pay for the rock removal.

Jindal said he doesn't buy the scientists' arguments and promises to push forward.

"This is the same bureaucracy that has turned down every other plan. They don't have an alternative.

Their resolution is [to] let the oil come into the bay," Jindal says.

The White House has said that it will reach its goal of closing off 90 percent of the oil coming out of BP's leaking well head by the end of this week. (ANI)