Iberia Parish President Ernest Freyou has declared a State of Emergency for Iberia Parish due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Freyou issued the declaration in order to ensure that all state and federal resources will be deployed expediently if needed and that any business that may be affected shall have access to any available federal and stated funding.

Freyou also stated that Iberia Parish, Vermilion Parish and St. Mary Parish Emergency operations have joined together to form a tri-parish task force in order to coordinate any protective measures with British Petroleum and the Coast Guard that may be needed in the Vermilion Bay area.