Gulf groups hail Senate passage of gulf restoration amendment
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Vote follows recent House approval of similar amendment News Release (Washington, D.C.—March 8, 2012) A coalition of six Gulf Coast restoration advocacy groups praised the Senate today for its strong bipartisan approval of legislation that would dedicate 80 percent of the Clean Water Act (CWA) fines for the gulf oil disaster to restoring the gulf ecosystem and economy. The RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act was originally introduced by nine of the 10 gulf state senators, including Senators Mary Landrieu (D-La), Bill …
Senate will vote on RESTORE Act amendment today
By Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund It’s an important day for recovery in the Gulf Coast. Nearly two years after the BP oil disaster, the communities, economies and environment of the gulf are still struggling to recover. Today, Congress has the opportunity to take a crucial step towards making the gulf whole again: by voting yes on the Nelson-Shelby-Landrieu RESTORE Act amendment to S. 1813, the Surface Transportation bill. The RESTORE Act amendment has been paired with an additional $1.4 …
As BP settlement talks heat up, groups call for full accountability, restoration
News broke Sunday (Feb. 26) that U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier had delayed the start of the trial over the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster till March 5. The judge postponed the trial to allow more time for settlement negotiations among the parties. If parties reach a settlement, the settlement must hold BP and the other responsible parties fully accountable for the magnitude of the disaster they caused, and it must ensure that penalty dollars come back to restore the region …
ASFPM agrees: Some gulf oil spill fines should go to gulf restoration
This story was originally posted on Environmental Defense Fund’s Restoration and Resilience blog. By Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), which has chapters in each of the five Gulf Coast states damaged by the 2010 gulf oil spill, says it would be appropriate if Congress dedicated some of the spill fines to restore the gulf. “Recognizing that major funds are needed to support reconstruction of Gulf Coast high hazard areas devastated by the recent oil spill, …
Voices of the Delta: Captain Troy Frady
Next in our Voices of the Delta series, you will meet Captain Troy Frady: Alabama native, owner of Distraction Charters in Orange Beach, Ala. and Gulf Coast restoration advocate. Name: Captain Troy Frady Occupation: Owner/Operator at Distraction Charters in Orange Beach, Alabama What does the Gulf Coast mean to you? My earliest memories of coastal Alabama date back to the early 1970s. There were not many people on the water back then around Orange Beach, Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island. The fish …
House amendment builds momentum for RESTORE Act
By Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund Thanks to the hard work of Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the House of Representatives passed an amendment yesterday that would dedicate 80 percent of Clean Water Act fines from the gulf oil spill to gulf restoration. The amendment, which passed by a voice vote on the transportation reauthorization bill, sets aside the expected penalties from BP and other responsible parties in a Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund to be used solely for restoration. The …
ASBPA sends letter to Congress endorsing RESTORE Act
By Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund Today, the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) sent a letter to Congress endorsing and asking for swift passage of the RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act (S. 1400), a bill that would ensure oil spill fines are dedicated to gulf restoration. The letter, signed by ASBPA president Harry Simmons, urges Senate and House leadership to take immediate steps to pass the legislation. The RESTORE Act would dedicate 80 percent of Clean Water …
RESTORE Act social media week of action continues!
Thanks to all who have been participating in our RESTORE Act social media week of action! Our work is not done. There is a good chance the RESTORE Act could come to a vote in the Senate this week. That’s why it’s important for us to keep the pressure on and continue sending messages to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), asking them to take a position on the RESTORE Act and pass it NOW! Just click …
Voices of the Delta: Keith Blomstrom
This is the second post of our Voices of the Delta series. Name: Keith Blomstrom Occupation: President of the Minnesota Conservation Federation Why are the Mississippi River Delta and Gulf Coast important to Minnesota? Minnesota is linked to the gulf in many ways. The Mississippi River starts in Minnesota — its headwaters are located in Itasca State Park, near Bemidji, Minn. — so the river itself means a great deal to us. Some of the beneficial sediment that travels to …
Tweet your #LOVE for the gulf!
Want to help show your love for the Gulf this Valentine’s Day? It’s easy! Just click on one of the messages below to tell Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) that you want money from the BP oil spill to go back to the gulf. Just click on one of these messages! Show your #LOVE for the #Gulf. Tell @SenatorReid @McConnellPress Pass #RESTOREact NOW! #oilspill http://bit.ly/zyg8vZ via @RestoreDelta Send the #Gulf a Valentine! Tell @SenatorReid @McConnellPress …
Show your #LOVE for the gulf: RESTORE Act online week of action starts Monday
By Ryan Rastegar, Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign Coordinator Starting Monday Feb. 13 and continuing throughout the week, the Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign will be sending some Valentine’s Day love to the gulf! We’ll be tweeting and Facebooking specific members of Congress, urging them to send BP oil spill fines back to the gulf by passing the RESTORE Act. It has been almost two years since the devastating BP gulf oil spill of 2010, and Congress has yet to act to ensure that …
Voices of the Delta: Chris Macaluso
This is the first in our “Voices of the Delta” blog series, where we’ll be interviewing coastal Louisiana restoration advocates from across the country. From Louisiana to Florida to Minnesota, these spokesmen and women have come to Washington to tell Congress that the Mississippi River Delta is a vital natural resource and that we need to pass the RESTORE Act now and send oil spill fines back to the Gulf States that deserve them. Check back over the coming days …
Show your love (for the Gulf): NRDA public comment period ends Feb. 14
By Whit Remer, Environmental Defense Fund Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to tell loved ones how much they are cherished. For residents of the Gulf Coast, Feb. 14 is the last day to tell the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) trustees how much meaningful restoration in the Gulf means to you. On Dec. 14, 2011, the trustees released a Draft Phase I Early Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment that proposes two restoration projects in Louisiana. The public comment period opened Dec. 14 …
Louisiana Coastal Master Plan public meetings start today
By David Muth, National Wildlife Federation Louisiana’s Draft 2012 Coastal Master Plan, released Jan. 12, is the most ambitious ecosystem restoration plan proposed in United States history and is the first to lay out a comprehensive vision for how a coastal state will cope with land loss, subsidence, and projected sea-level rise over the next half century. With an expenditure of $1 billion per year over 50 years, split equally between protection and restoration, Louisiana could build or prevent the loss of …
A new year brings new opportunities for RESTORE Act
By Whit Remer, Environmental Defense Fund There is one unanswered wish many residents along the Gulf Coast are still hoping for this New Year: passage of the RESTORE Act. As Congress wrapped up 2011, there was talk all along the Gulf Coast and Washington, D.C. about the bill. And the buzz is resounding. Thanks to the efforts of citizens and organizations working to restore the Gulf Coast, members of Congress from across the region are returning to Washington determined to …