Funding & Policy

We Agree: Use Oil Spill Fines to Restore the Gulf

We Agree: Use Oil Spill Fines to Restore the Gulf

Dedicating Clean Water Act penalties from the Deepwater Horizon disaster to Gulf Coast restoration is one of the most important short-term steps Congress can take as the one-year anniversary of the catastrophic Macondo blowout approaches. In recent days, two newspaper editorials have tackled the topic. On January 31, the Scranton [Pennsylvania] Times-Tribune wrote: “It’s a great idea not just because the Gulf Coast suffered the environmental consequences of the disaster, but because it would help to address a host of …

New Orleans Ranked First in Decade-Long Population Loss Due to Natural Disasters, Not Economic Decline

Guest post by Seyi Fayanju, Environmental Defense Fund Seyi works on the coastal Louisiana restoration project at Environmental Defense Fund.  He is a contributor to EDF’s Restoration and Resilience blog, in which he writes about the links between hazard mitigation, environmental rehabilitation, and economic recovery in the Mississippi River Delta. Between 2000 and 2009, New Orleans lost more than a quarter of its residents, outpacing Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and other struggling “Rust Belt” cities in its pace of population loss.  This decline …

New House Amendment Would Dedicate Gulf Oil Spill Fines to Gulf Restoration

Seven nonprofit advocacy groups praised an amendment in an updated oil spill response bill introduced last night (Jan. 26) by U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Ma.) and other House Democrats that would implement a key recommendation by the bipartisan oil spill commission.  The recommendation is for Congress to dedicate 80 percent of Clean Water Act penalties to be assessed for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to Gulf Coast restoration. The groups also lauded GOP Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise for introducing bipartisan …

Oil Spill Commission Forum Stresses Need for Tougher Industry Standards, Better Safety Practices, and Coastal Restoration

The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling held a public forum yesterday (Jan. 12) in New Orleans to discuss the commission’s final report that was released the day before with approximately 250 interested members of the public.  Representatives from the National Wildlife Federation’s coastal Louisiana restoration team and oil spill commission members Donald F. Boesch and Frances G. Beinecke attended the public meeting. The commission members summarized the report’s findings and recommendations, including the …

Groups Urge Congress to Heed Oil Spill Commission Recommendation to Use Clean Water Act Fines for Gulf Restoration

Eight non-profit groups today called on Congress to heed a key recommendation in the final report from the bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling.  The recommendation is that “Congress should dedicate 80 percent of the Clean Water Act penalties to long-term restoration of the Gulf of Mexico” (see page 280 of report). “The oil spill commission recognizes that we cannot compound one tragedy with another,” said a joint statement by the Coalition to Restore Coastal …

Bloggers Nationwide Ask for Gulf Coast Restoration During "Blog for the Gulf" Event

By David J. Ringer, National Audubon Society The Nature Blog Network, which represents more than 1,300 nature, science and conservation blogs from all over the world, sponsored a virtual event called “Blog for the Gulf” last week. Organizers asked bloggers to write about Gulf Coast restoration and recovery, and specifically, the Senate’s need to act during lame duck to dedicate Clean Water Act penalties to environmental restoration. Responses were passionate. “As embarrassing as it is that Congress couldn’t pass a[n] …

Learning from the Dutch: “Living With Water” Part II

By Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund In our previous post about Senator Landrieu’s Third Congressional Delegation to the Netherlands, Courtney Taylor from Environmental Defense Fund provided an overview of the trip, including where the delegation went, what they saw, and how they learned to “live with water.”  Many representatives from the non-profit sector attended, including staff from some of our coalition organizations. The 4-day trip included site tours and meetings with Dutch officials and engineers.  In one of the sessions, the …

Louisiana Coastal Area 6 Project Profile: Medium Diversion at White Ditch

By Angelina Freeman, Environmental Defense Fund The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund and National Audubon Society reviewed and provided comments on the six near-term Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA 6) project reports and final environmental impact statements. Among the LCA 6, perhaps the most ground-breaking is the tentatively selected plan that incorporates pulsing for the Medium Diversion at White Ditch.  White Ditch would provide freshwater, nutrients and sediments to restore degraded habitat and sustain a larger coastal ecosystem east of the …

Why Should We Save Coastal Louisiana?

By Diane Huhn, Bayou Grace Community Services Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Bayou Grace Community Services has been working to address the most critical and immediate environmental needs of residents of Lower Terrebonne Parish, La.  Coastal land loss is a daily reality for those living in these communities.  For many, land loss means living in a constant state of recovery and anticipating the next flood, be it from a tropical storm, hurricane, or even high tides. Through its Environmental Outreach program, Bayou …

Senator Landrieu Leads Delegation to Netherlands to Learn How Dutch "Live With Water"

By Courtney Taylor, Environmental Defense Fund Senator Mary Landrieu led a delegation of representatives from various federal agencies, local governments, businesses and non-profits on a trip across the Netherlands from Nov. 9-13 to study how the Dutch “live with water.”  The delegation included representatives from the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, National Wildlife Federation (NWF), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and the Walton Family Foundation. Each day included meetings with high-level Dutch officials and informative tours and presentations.  The delegation visited the oldest …

Public Scoping Meetings Held for Myrtle Grove Diversion

By Maura Wood, National Wildlife Federation Last week, members of the public were invited to attend and participate in a series of scoping meetings about the proposed Myrtle Grove Diversion in southern Louisiana.  The three public meetings officially launched the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Feasibility Study for the Myrtle Grove Diversion.  Ensuring that Myrtle Grove is constructed as a land-building, pulsed, sediment diversion is a key element of our coalition’s coastal restoration campaign.  Scoping meetings allow stakeholders the opportunity to give input …

Working Environments Workshop Highlights Restoration Job Creation

By Brian Jackson, Environmental Defense Fund Last week, Oxfam America and the Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Social Work co-hosted a two-day workshop (Nov. 15-16) on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La. about how to put Gulf State residents back to work restoring and improving their coast.  The Working Environments Workshop brought together local and national architects, academics, state and parish officials, non-governmental organizations, community advocates, and business interests to discuss how to create sustainable “working environments” across the Gulf. Economic …

Executive Director Named for Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force

On October 25 , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson named John H. Hankinson, Jr. as executive director of the newly-established Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, which President Obama created through an executive order in October. Hankinson served until recently as board chairman of Audubon of Florida and as southeast regional EPA administrator from 1994 to 2001.  Previously, Hankinson led land acquisition at the St. Johns River Water Management District and was a staff director for the Florida House of Representatives.  A …

Groups Push Congress to Pass Gulf Restoration Legislation During Lame Duck Session

By Elly Pepper, Environmental Defense Fund Currently under the Clean Water Act (CWA), the financial penalties BP would pay for causing the Deepwater Horizon oil spill would be deposited into the Federal Treasury.  However, the Treasury should not receive a windfall from a tragedy that severely damaged the Gulf region’s economy and environment.  These funds belong in the Gulf. As such, our organizations are working to encourage Congress to pass legislation during the lame duck session that would devote a significant portion …

Six Months Later, A Call to Action

By Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation On the six-month anniversary of the BP oil disaster, National Wildlife Federation partnered with dozens of organizations – including national environmental groups, local community associations and the fishing industry – to call for congressional action in response to the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history. At the rally in New Orleans, participants spoke in support of the Weeks Bay Principles, a set of response and recovery goals signed by 37 organizations across the Gulf in October at …