National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen today announced the deployment of 19 additional Economic Assessment and Evaluation Teams to communities affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. These interagency teams will work with communities in Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas to help them orient to their economic situation, develop action steps, and will offer guidance geared towards spearheading post-event economic recovery efforts.
“Communities along the Gulf Coast are facing difficult and uncertain economic times,” said Brian McGowan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, who is coordinating the interagency National Incident Command Economic Solutions Team. “The Obama administration is committed to helping the region regain its economic footing and these assessments are one important step in the process to get local residents and the economy working again. This effort will help ensure a collaborative recovery process that targets resources and optimizes economic recovery efforts.”
The deployment of these teams is an initiative of the National Incident Command’s “Economic Solutions Team.” These teams include federal agency representatives, who are part of this interagency working group. They are working in partnership with experienced economic development and disaster recovery specialists, who are providing vital capacity and technical assistance for this initiative. The International Economic Development Council is the lead NGO partner for this effort.
The analysis of these teams is based on qualitative conversations with stakeholders. Two pilot teams have already been deployed to communities in Louisiana, for a total of 21 teams.
While on the ground, teams work with local leadership from regional government, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations, business representatives from key industries, and others. After their initial visits, assessment teams intend to develop reports, which will be shared with communities.
