New Orleans , Louisiana ( CNN ) -- Last week , the Obama administration announced that the deep waters of the Gulf are again open for drilling . That the BP oil disaster is continuing and will have lasting effects is unacknowledged . The BP disaster was the largest oil catastrophe the country has ever seen , and the Gulf of Mexico and our communities have a long road to recovery . Our friends in the fishing industry are still out of work , the effects of the spill on wildlife have not been fully assessed , the safety of our seafood is still in question and entire cultures are barely hanging on . The administration says new rules and regulations will make deepwater oil drilling safer . Although we welcome the new rules , we believe that they do not go far enough . There is little assurance that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management , Regulation and Enforcement , charged with enforcement , has the resources to hold the industry accountable . Gulf Restoration Network believes further steps must be taken immediately to ensure the safety of oil drilling in deep off-shore waters . The government and the public need to stay focused on the disaster and environmental impacts that are just beginning to play out , continue to hold BP accountable and act to make sure this never happens again . We hope the Obama administration approaches continued cleanup , regulatory reform and damage mitigation , none of which is even close to being accomplished , with the same urgency it has shown in efforts to reopen the Gulf to deepwater drilling . BP 's spill is only the latest and most visible evidence of the oil and gas industry 's ongoing environmental destruction in the Gulf . Louisiana loses the equivalent of a football field worth of wetlands every hour , and 40 to 60 percent of that loss is attributed to oil and gas activity , including exploration and dredging of pipeline canals . The oil and gas industry must pay its fair share for coastal restoration , and a large portion of the fines levied against BP should be dedicated to ongoing restoration efforts . Despite what the rest of the oil industry claims , BP is not a rogue player when it comes to taking big risks at the expense of the Gulf . Other oil and gas companies have violated safety and environmental regulations . Regulatory reforms and policy changes are urgently needed to prevent drilling disasters , ensure oil-rig safety in the Gulf and elsewhere and guarantee rapid response and cleanup when accidents happen . Industry in the Gulf still lacks the necessary assets to effectively respond to a catastrophic blowout . In light of the abysmal response , containment and cleanup we have observed and continue to observe in the aftermath of the BP disaster , it 's clear that we need new rules that require real , credible blowout response plans before any new deepwater drilling is permitted . There is only one way to make sure the federal agencies and the oil and gas industry remain vigilant and operate as safely as possible -- local communities must have a voice in decisions regarding oil and gas development . Because we are the ones who pay the price for the industry 's bad decisions , we deserve a seat at the table . An opposing view on reopening the Gulf to deepwater drilling . A Gulf of Mexico Regional Citizens ' Advisory Council is essential to formalizing the public 's role in overseeing what the industry does in our Gulf . It worked in Alaska after the Exxon Valdez spill , and it will work in the Gulf . Congress should pass legislation to create and require the oil industry to fund a Gulf of Mexico Regional Citizens ' Advisory Council . Congress must also do its part to aid restoration of the Gulf . The White House 's `` America 's Gulf Coast : A Plan for Long-Term Recovery in the Aftermath of the BP Oil Spill , '' assembled by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus , lays out a vision for community recovery , improving public health , coastal restoration and marine resiliency that can begin to restore the Gulf . We strongly urge Congress to support the plan and ensure BP fines go toward restoring the Gulf . Early this month , 46 community , local , regional , national and international environmental , social justice and fishermen 's groups met in Weeks Bay , Alabama . We drafted a set of goals and principles that we believe must guide the recovery and restoration of the Gulf of Mexico , our coast and our communities in the wake of the BP drilling disaster . It 's called The Weeks Bay Principles for Gulf Recovery . Together , we want the nation to know that the oil is still here , and so are we . The Gulf 's people and places need lasting and continued support to get back on their feet . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Cynthia Sarthou .
Cynthia Sarthou : Gulf waters open for drilling before BP spill even assessed or cleaned . New rules do n't go far enough , she says ; federal agency lacks resources to enforce . Sarthou : Gulf fishing industry and people just hanging on ; seafood safety in question . Comment: