New report on Gulf oil spill damage reinforces need for restoration
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Groups urge Congress to pass RESTORE Act to dedicate oil spill fines to restore Gulf (Washington, D.C.—September 14, 2011) A coalition of organizations supporting Gulf restoration says a new federal report revealing that BP, Transocean and Halliburton Co. made critical mistakes leading up to last year’s Gulf oil disaster reinforces the need for Congress to pass legislation to use the oil spill penalties for those mistakes to restore the Gulf. “The mistakes that these companies made damaged the ecosystems and …
Gulf editorials endorse RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act
By Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund Newspaper editorial boards and columnists from all five Gulf Coast states have endorsed legislation that would dedicate 80 percent of fines from BP and others responsible for last summer’s gulf oil disaster to restore Gulf Coast communities, economies and ecosystems. The RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act is a gulf-wide, bipartisan bill co-sponsored by nine out of the 10 gulf senators. Here are some of the highlights: Alabama The Montgomery Advertiser: “It is crucial that …
Gulf Senators Praised for Cosponsoring Bill to Restore Gulf
Contacts: Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.572.3331, scrowley@edf.org David J. Ringer, National Audubon Society, 601.642.7058, dringer@audubon.org Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, guidrye@nwf.org Sandra Rodriguez, The Nature Conservancy, 703.841.4227, srodriguez@tnc.org David Willett, Ocean Conservancy, 202.351.0465, dwillett@oceanconservancy.org Patrick Scully, Oxfam America, 617.728.2402, pscully@oxfamamerica.org Gulf Senators Praised for Cosponsoring Bill to Restore Gulf Bill dedicates oil spill fines to restore Gulf communities, economies & ecosystems (Washington, D.C.—July 21, 2011) A coalition of organizations supporting Gulf restoration celebrated news …
NEWS RELEASE: Oil Spill Recovery Projects Proposed by Louisiana Deserve Prompt Review
Contacts: Steven Peyronnin, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, 225.413.6924, stevenp@crcl.org Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.550-6524-c, scrowley@edf.org John Lopez, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, 504.421.7348, johnlopez@pobox.com Chris Macaluso, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, 225-344-6707, chris@lawildlifefed.org David J. Ringer, National Audubon Society, 601.642.7058, dringer@audubon.org Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, guidrye@nwf.org Karen Gautreaux, The Nature Conservancy, 225-788-4525, kgautreaux@tnc.org Oil Spill Recovery Projects Proposed by Louisiana Deserve Prompt Review Conservation groups say prompt review necessary so restoration can begin (New Orleans–July 11, 2011) Conservation …
Sportsmen Tell Congress: Restore the Mississippi River Delta
This piece was originally posted on the National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Promise blog. Outdoor industry leaders from across the country are in D.C. this week, asking Congress to dedicate BP’s Clean Water Act fines from the oil spill to Gulf restoration. The oil spill hit the Mississippi River Delta particularly hard. The Delta hosts as many as 10 million ducks and geese during the winter and is famed for its diverse fishing opportunities. But this region was in trouble even before …
House Gulf Caucus Moves to Secure BP Oil Spill Money for Restoration
By Brian Moore, National Audubon Society A bipartisan group of legislators has come together to form the new House Gulf Coast Caucus. The group of eleven lawmakers from the Gulf Coast region is co-chaired by Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Kathy Castor (D-FL). The group met for the first time during the last week of May to discuss how best to secure Clean Water Act penalty money for the Gulf of Mexico region. Currently in the House of Representatives, there …
Building a Blue Ribbon Resilient Community in Plaquemines Parish
By Karla Raettig, National Wildlife Federation As part of its Blue Ribbon Resilient Communities initiative (BRRC), America’s Energy Coast (AEC) held its second BRRC Leadership Forum on May 16 and 17 in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. The focus of the forums is to bring key stakeholders together to discuss the threats and opportunities in communities throughout the Gulf Coast. The Belle Chasse forum focused on how to ensure a safe and prosperous future for Plaquemines Parish because rapid land loss has …
Gulf Coast Task Force Sets Restoration Goals, Creates Citizens Advisory Committee
By Derek Brockbank, Environmental Defense Fund/National Audubon Society/National Wildlife Federation On Friday May 6, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force held a public meeting in Mobile, Al. President Obama assigned the task force to come up with a strategy for restoring the Gulf to make it better than it was to before the BP oil spill. It was the third public meeting in the Gulf for the task force, which previously had been held in Pensacola, Fl. and New Orleans, La. …
Gulf Groups Applaud Landmark Agreement for $1 Billion Down Payment of Restoration Funds
News broke yesterday that BP has agreed to provide $1 billion toward early restoration projects in the Gulf of Mexico under an unprecedented agreement announced today by the Natural Resource Trustees for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) down payment is a significant first step toward restoration in the Gulf. The Gulf Renewal Project – a coalition of environmental, economic and community groups – released the following statement: “This is a good day for the Gulf and …
New Poll: Gulf Restoration: Something Everyone Can Agree On
On the first anniversary of the start of the BP Gulf oil disaster, new polling released today shows that voters nationwide overwhelmingly support efforts to ensure that any fines paid by BP and others responsible for the spill are dedicated to restoring the region. Under the Clean Water Act (CWA), BP’s fines will be deposited into the Federal Treasury unless Congress takes specific action to direct the penalties to Gulf restoration. The bipartisan polling, conducted by Democratic polling firm Lake …
On BP Oil Disaster Anniversary, Groups Urge Congress to Use Fines to Restore Gulf Environment and Economy
On the first anniversary of the BP oil well blowout, regional and national leaders urged Congress to hold BP accountable by passing legislation to dedicate BP’s Clean Water Act (CWA) fines to restoring the Gulf’s damaged environment and economy. Under current law, fines paid by BP and others responsible for the spill automatically will be deposited into the Federal Treasury, instead of being used to help restore the Gulf region. U.S. Senators Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and David Vitter (R-La.), Sen. …
BP Oil Disaster 1st Anniversary Event to Urge Congress to Get Together and Get Gulf Restoration Done
MEDIA ADVISORY FOR APRIL 20 BP Oil Disaster 1st Anniversary Event to Urge Congress to Get Together and Get Gulf Restoration Done Guided Tours Will Show Oil Spill Damage to Degraded Wetlands, How to Revitalize Them What: News conference and guided boat tours one year after the BP oil disaster, which caused major damage to wildlife and the fishing and tourism industries in coastal Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, and Florida. The oil spill could cost the Gulf tourism industry alone …
As BP Oil Spill Anniversary Looms, Gulf Restoration Groups Laud Introduction of RESTORE Act
A coalition of environmental, economic and social equity organizations yesterday praised the Senate introduction of a bipartisan bill to ensure that 80 percent of the Clean Water Act (CWA) penalties to be paid by BP and others responsible for last year’s Gulf oil disaster will be used to restore the communities, economies and ecosystems of the Gulf region directly. Under current law, BP penalties for the oil spill will be deposited into the federal treasury instead of being used to …
Sen. Barbara Boxer Expresses Support for Dedicating Clean Water Act Penalties to Gulf Restoration
We are encouraged by Senator Barbara Boxer’s comments yesterday, reported in the Times-Picayune: Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer said Wednesday she’ll quickly move legislation giving Louisiana and other Gulf states the vast majority of fines imposed on BP for last year’s massive BP oil spill. Boxer, a California Democrat, said she’s encouraged that Louisiana’s two senators, Democrat Mary Landrieu and Republican David Vitter, are working together on such legislation and plans to schedule a committee vote …
President’s Budget Maintains Commitment to Funding Gulf Coast Restoration
On Monday (Feb. 14), five conservation groups praised President Obama for maintaining his commitment to Gulf Coast restoration by recommending the first-ever funding to construct wetlands projects to reverse wetlands losses in the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) of the Mississippi River Delta. The President’s Fiscal Year 2012 budget request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fund LCA restoration is $27 million, including $10.845 million for wetlands feasibility studies, $5.4 million for wetlands pre-construction engineering and design studies, $10.62 million …