President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (LOGA) testified against the moratorium on deepwater drilling Tuesday.

"It's time that we get back to doing what we do best in Louisiana, and that's fueling our nation," said Don Briggs as he testified before the Senate Committee for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

During the hearing, Briggs said some 17,500 jobs could be eliminated in the next few months if the moratorium stands. He also spoke about damage that's been done in the past few months since the moratorium was put in place.

"This moratorium has created a stifling effect on all operations in the Gulf, including the shallow water," Briggs said.

Though on paper, drilling in shallow water should not have been impacted by the moratorium, that hasn't been the case out on the water. According to the Department of Natural Resources, the number of permits issued for shallow water wells in the past three months are down 93% relative to the three months before the disaster.

"In my opinion this detrimental policy does not represent our American way of life," said Briggs.

Meantime as Briggs tried to spread his message in Washington D.C., LOGA unveiled a billboard in Lafayette Tuesday that will one day be sent to President Obama.

The billboard, located along I-10 East in Lafayette features thousands of signatures and reads 'Lift the Moratorium!'

LOGA organizers say after a short stay along I-10, the billboard will be wrapped up and sent to the White House.

Jim Hummel

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