Join us in urging Congress to direct 80% of the Clean Water Act penalties to those areas impacted by the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill, not to unrelated federal spending.
Bayou Grace and other local organizations advocate for legislation that would ensure that fines from last year’s oil disaster are used for what is fair and just—to fix the areas that were damaged. Your help is needed. Call your Congressional Representative today at 202-224-3121. Urge them to move quickly to pass a House companion bill that mirrors the Senate RESTORE Act (S. 1400).
On September 21, The RESTORE Act, legislation that would direct fines incurred in the BP oil spill back to the affected area for coastal restoration, passed the Environment and Public Works Committee and can now move to the full Senate for a vote. We will keep you updated on when that vote is scheduled. We are now urging the House of Representatives to move quickly to pass similar legislation.
Clean Water Act penalties from the BP oil spill will not necessarily be used to address damage done to impacted areas in the Gulf. Under current law, BP and other responsible parties will pay a Clean Water Act penalty for each barrel of oil spilled into the Gulf. Without action from Congress, those penalties could go to unrelated federal spending, instead of repairing the area damaged by the spill.
Last year’s oil spill was a tremendous blow to our area. The people of the 5 bayous are facing this disaster as well as coastal Louisiana’s most critical issue: coastal erosion and the need for restoration and protection. Please join us in urging Congress to quickly pass legislation that will ensure that 80 percent of the penalties paid under the Clean Water Act by the parties responsible for last year’s Gulf oil disaster are used to help restore the region’s communities, ecosystems and economies.
For more information about the RESTORE Act, click here.
Directing fines from the BP oil spill back to the affected area for coastal restoration is the right thing to do.
