Collection:LPB

Genre: Panel

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 2012-07-25

Duration: 00:57:57

Subjects: Filmed panel discussions | Environment | WATER SUPPLY | NATURAL RESOURCES

Contributors:

• Courtney, Beth Host
• Erwin, Barry Host
• Gautreaux, Kevin Producer
• Town, Hays, Jr. Interviewee
• Mills, Fred Interviewee
• Wilkins, Jim Interviewee
• Snellgrove, Gary Interviewee
• Devitt, Jim Interviewee
• Piehler, Chris Interviewee
• Town, Hays, Jr. Speaker
• Rambhia, Avni Speaker
• Williams, Dorothy Speaker
• Sutherland, Dwain Speaker
• Grandy, Greg Speaker
• Jenkins, J.H., Jr. Speaker
• Toodi, Uday Speaker
• Gilbert, Eleanor Speaker
• Boyd-Snee, Rancy Speaker
• Flicker, Richard Speaker
• Ross, Beatrice Speaker
• Long, Gerald Panelist
• Briggs, Don Panelist
• Gautreaux, Karen Panelist
• Welsh, James Panelist

This episode of the series “Louisiana Public Square” from July 25, 2012, features Barry Erwin leading a discussion between the audience members and panelists on protecting the state’s water supply. A background report on the topic precedes the discussion. It includes interviews with: Hays Town, Jr. of Baton Rouge Citizens to Save Our Water; State Senator Fred Mills; Jim Wilkins of the Louisiana Sea Grant Program; Gary Snellgrove and Jim Devitt of the Office of Conservation at the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources; and Chris Piehler of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. The audience members then discuss who should control the surface water and groundwater in the state. A panel of experts then joins the audience to answer their questions. The panelists are: State Senator Gerald Long; Don Briggs, the president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association; Karen Gautreaux, the director of government relations for the Louisiana chapter of the Nature Conservancy; and James Welsh, the commissioner of conservation for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. They discuss: the biggest water challenges facing the state; the security of the water supply; preventing saltwater intrusion; the water issues in north Louisiana; the water used in fracking; the possibility of selling water to other states; the timeline for developing the state’s first comprehensive water management plan; and educating the public on these water issues. Host: Beth Courtney and Barry Erwin